Contents

117 Vaccine-derived polioviruses outbreaks and events in 3 provinces of Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017

125 Emergence of monkeypox in West and Central Africa, 1970–2017

Sommaire

117 Flambées et événements de poliovirus dérivés d’une souche vaccinale dans 3 provinces de la République démocratique du Congo, 2017

125 Émergence de l’orthopoxvirose simienne en Afrique de l’Ouest et en Afrique centrale, 1970-2017

Addis Ababa, 20 March 2018: The Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission to Sierra Leone, H.E. Kgalema Motlanthe recalls the interim statement that AUEOM issued immediately after the General Election of 7 March 2018. In that statement the AUEOM congratulated all political stakeholders and the people of Sierra Leone for the peaceful, transparent and credible manner in which the elections were held. In the same statement, AUEOM implored Sierra Leone stakeholders to uphold peace and avoid violence as the country gears itself up for the run-off presidential election.

The Head of AUEOM has however learned with dismay the worrisome prevalence of election-related violence which is increasingly become wide-spread across the country, including an incident that occurred in Bo City in which a staff member of the National Electoral Commission was reportedly injured. The Chairperson condemns such acts of violence which are inimical to the holding of democratic elections. The Head of AUEOM calls on the candidates of All Peoples’ Party (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP) and their supporters to take immediate steps to avoid recurrence of such unfortunate incidences.

The Head of AUEOM would like to reiterate his earlier call to all Sierra Leone political stakeholders to refrain from acts and utterances that would undermine the credibility of the electoral process and the legitimacy of its outcome.

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 12,983 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea through the first 11 weeks of 2018, with about 47 per cent arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece (30%) Spain (22%) and Cyprus (less than 1%). This compares with 21,058 at this point in 2017.

IOM Athens’ Kelly Namia reported Monday that on Saturday a boat capsized off the island of Agathonisi from which three people were rescued while 16 bodies were retrieved by the Hellenic Coast Guard. Authorities believe at least three people remain missing. Of the 16 bodies, nine were children. Three survivors (two women and one man) managed to reach the shore. According to the Hellenic Coast Guard eight victims were from Afghanistan, six from Iraq and two have not been unidentified. Of the children, five were from Afghanistan and four were from Iraq.

IOM’s Missing Migrants Project (MMP) reported that this is the first incident recorded on the eastern Mediterranean route since 25 December 2017 – a stretch of 85 days without a fatality on this route, which in 2015 saw 850 fatalities for the year.

This is not the longest gap between fatalities, MMP’s Julia Black explained. Between the dates of 24 April and 27 July last year – some 101 days – IOM recorded no fatalities along this route. These long periods between fatalities mean that the period between 20 March 2017 through 20 March 2018 has resulted in a remarkably death-free route in the waters separating Greece from Turkey.

During the last 365 days, 79 men, women and children have died on the Eastern Mediterranean route, or less than a third the total, 285, of those lost on the Western Mediterranean route between North Africa and Spain, which had slightly fewer arrivals during that time, but was much more lethal. By comparison, during the past 365 days, a total of 2,700 migrants have been lost on the busy Central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Italy – the route with the most arrivals. Nonetheless, MMP reports that deaths on the Eastern Mediterranean route occur at an estimated rate of one death for every 623 arrivals. That compares with one death for every 45 arrivals on the Central Mediterranean route and one for every 92 arrivals on the Western Mediterranean route.

Over the four days (14-17 March), the Hellenic Coast Guard reported three additional incidents requiring search and rescue operations off the island of Kos and Lesvos. The Coast Guard rescued 140 migrants and transferred them to those islands. Those rescued, plus another 240 migrants arriving in Rhodes and Samos bring the total number of sea arrivals to Greek territory through 13 March to 3,948 (see chart below) – an average for the year of just over 50 persons per day. Almost 70 per day have arrived in the month of March.

IOM Rome’s Flavio Di Giacomo said Monday that the ship Proactiva (operated by NGO Open Arms), arrived in Pozzallo on Saturday with 216 migrants on board. Since then the vessel has been sequestered in Sicily, on prosecutors' orders.

Di Giacomo explained that the NGO has reported that a Libyan Coast Guard vessel threatened to shoot its rescue dinghies if they didn't offload the migrants rescued in international waters. The NGO refused to comply with that order. According to media reports the ship has apparently been seized because the crew members are accused of criminal association in illegal immigration. "I guess they've instituted the crime of solidarity," a lawyer representing the ship's commander said.

Statistics from Italy’s Ministry of Interior indicate that migrant flows from North Africa as winter ends this year continue to lag well behind levels recorded in each of the previous two years. So far this month fewer than 1,000 men, women and children have landed as irregular sea migrants, or less than a third of 2017’s arrivals and less than one-fifth of 2016’s. (see chart below).

IOM Spain’s Ana Dodevska reported Monday that total arrivals by sea in 2018 have reached 2,827 men, women and children who have been rescued in Western Mediterranean waters through 18 March. That compares with 2,426 through all of March 2017. IOM has recorded 118 drowning deaths on this route in 2018, a rate of just over 10 per week. During all of last year, IOM reported 223 deaths of irregular migrants on the Western Mediterranean, or just over four per week.

IOM Libya’s Maysa Khalil on Monday reported that the rescues/interceptions by the Libyan Coast Guard since the beginning of 2017 now stand at 24,189, with 3,399 in the first 11 weeks of 2018 (see chart below).

Additionally, IOM Libya indicated that survivors of these operations came from 40 individual nations, with the largest number coming from Nigeria –2,566 of whose citizens have been registered as rescued from Libyan waters.

Another 1,845 rescued were from Mali. Other countries of origin include: Central African Republic (1,595 migrants), Morocco (1,150), Senegal (1,064), Sudan (1,008), Eritrea (949), Cote d’Ivoire (860), Guinea Conakry (855), The Gambia (826), Bangladesh (695), Cameroon (564), Ghana (529), Somalia (441), Syria (256), Sierra Leone (227), Pakistan (177), Niger (141), Tunisia (81), Chad (48), Togo (30), Nepal (11), and Yemen (3) (see chart below).

IOM’s Missing Migrants Project (MMP) reported Monday that deaths on the three Mediterranean routes – 495 as of March 18 – remain down about 9 per cent below their total at this same time in 2017, when 544 migrants had been counted as drowned or missing in the waters between Africa, the Middle East and Italy.

The 495 deaths on the three Mediterranean routes include, this week, 12 migrants who died in the Alborán Sea between Morocco and Spain, as reported by Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras. The Moroccan Navy also rescued 22 people in the same operation on 12 March while recovering those 12 bodies from a sinking boat. MMP also reported that on 28 February, the Algerian Coast Guard recovered the remains of man five nautical miles northeast of Plage de Bouzedjar. This was the eighth body recovered in this area in February alone.

Worldwide, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded 779 migrant fatalities in 2018, compared with 1,100 through 18 March last year (see chart below). Besides these latest Mediterranean drownings, MMP reported that two migrants died and seven were injured in a car accident in Greece’s northern city of Xanthi on 17 March. MMP also reported that in Southeast Asia, one man was killed by a landmine blast on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border on 15 March, while his wife and four children were injured. On 19 March, the bodies of two Vietnamese migrants were recovered from a beach in Taiwan’s eastern coast, while five survivors were rescued by Taiwan’s Coast Guard. One of them reportedly died when receiving medical treatment.

The MMP team also recorded one death between West Africa and Spain: on 16 March, the remains of a migrant were found near Playa de la Madera, in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.

MMP data are compiled by IOM staff but come from a variety of sources, some of which are unofficial. To learn more about how data on missing migrants are collected, click here.
For latest arrivals and fatalities in the Mediterranean, please visit: http://migration.iom.int/europe
Learn more about the Missing Migrants Project at: http://missingmigrants.iom.int

For more information, please contact:
Joel Millman at IOM HQ, Tel: +41 79 103 8720, Email: jmillman@iom.int
Mircea Mocanu, IOM Romania, Tel: +40212115657, Email: mmocanu@iom.int
Dimitrios Tsagalas, IOM Cyprus, Tel: + 22 77 22 70, E-mail: dtsagalas@iom.int
Flavio Di Giacomo, IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean, Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int
Hicham Hasnaoui, IOM Morocco, Tel: + 212 5 37 65 28 81, Email: hhasnaoui@iom.int
Kelly Namia, IOM Greece, Tel: +30 210 991 2174, Email: knamia@iom.int
Julia Black, IOM GMDAC, Germany, Tel: +49 30 278 778 27, Email: jblack@iom.int
Christine Petré, IOM Libya, Tel: +216 29 240 448, Email: chpetre@iom.int
Ana Dodevska, IOM Spain, Tel: +34 91 445 7116, Email: adodevska@iom.int

The 'African Regional Data Cube' has been launched today at the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data GPSDD's inaugural Data for Development festival in the United Kingdom. This new tool harnesses the latest earth observation and satellite technology to help Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Tanzania address food security as well as issues relating to agriculture, deforestation and water access.

The data cube was developed by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellite (CEOS) in partnership with the Group on Earth Observations, Amazon Web Services and Strathmore University in Kenya.

The Deputy President of Kenya, H.E William Ruto said his government will use the data cube to underpin the success food security, a pillar of its 'Big Four' priorities alongside manufacturing, universal healthcare and affordable housing. The data cube will allow the government to understand crop distribution, changing seasons and use of agricultural land in rural areas; as well as better protect its forests and water towers. The Deputy President said: "This technology will help us understand month by month how our land is being used so that we can target interventions aimed at improving our actions against climate change, help smallholder farmers and secure sustainable food and water for our citizens".

Claire Melamed, CEO of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data said: "These five countries are in the vanguard of data for sustainable development. With their example, we hope that we can broaden access to the data cube across the continent so more countries can benefit from this fantastic solution. The sky really is the limit when it comes to how data from satellites can help drive sustainable development"

While satellite data is not new, it has traditionally been difficult to access and use, limiting its potential to help governments meet key development challenges. This new tool will help governments, farmers and consumers manage the complex challenges they face in trying to navigate the economic, social and environmental systems on which they depend. Vast quantities of freely available satellite data offer real opportunity to improve agricultural production, food security and access to water.

Government Ministries, National Statistical Agencies, Geographic Institutes, Research Scientists and Civil Society all stand to benefit from this new technology and training and work will soon commence across countries to help national representatives utilise, contribute to and ultimately benefit from the data cube.

NOTES TO EDITORS

CONTACT

Jennifer Oldfield
Communications Director
Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
joldfield@data4sdgs.orgjoldfield@data4sdgs.org
@MsJenOO
+1 347 327 6568

Spokespeople

● Aditya Agrawal, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
● Brian Killough, CEOS/NASA - launch of Africa Regional Data Cube
● Philip Thigo, Government of Kenya
● Argyro Kavvada, GEO / EO4SDG
● Rosemary Okello, Strathmore University
● Jed Sundwall, Amazon Web Services

About the African Regional Data Cube

The African Regional Data Cube (ARDC) is based on the Open Data Cube (ODC) infrastructure (http://opendatacube.orghttp://opendatacube.org/), which has been successfully demonstrated in Australia, Switzerland and Colombia and is under development or evaluation by more than 30 other countries. The ODC allows analysis-ready satellite data (e.g. Landsat, Sentinel) to be spatially and temporally aligned in "cubes" of pixels. These data cubes, hosted in the cloud, allow efficient time series analyses (e.g. land change, water extent and quality, agriculture extent and health), permit the use of diverse datasets via interoperable methods, and support connections to common analysis tools while reducing the data preparation and management burden on users. In addition, the ODC community allows engagement of other global users to develop new core code,share algorithms and provide support for the resolution of problems.

Useful links:

Earth Observations for Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDGs): http://eo4sdg.org

GEOGLAM: http://www.geoglam.org/index.php/en/
GEOGLAM RAPP: http://geoglam.org/index.php/en/global-regional-systems-en/rangelands-rapp

About the Data for Development Festival
Hashtag: #Data4DevFest
This event focuses on use of all types of data and analysis in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Delegates include around 400 representatives of partner organizations and collaborators of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. The three-day event will focus on driving action and fostering strong links that will lead to improved outcomes as the Global Partnership community looks ahead, in the short term to the 73rd UN General Assembly in September and in the longer term to 2030. About the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) is a growing network of more than 300 organizations that act as data champions working around the world, harnessing the data revolution for sustainable development. Among these champions are governments, charities, businesses, and UN agencies. Since it was created in 2015, GPSDD has elevated data issues at a political level, launched a multi-million-dollar Collaborative Data Innovations for Sustainable Development funding initiative, and supported the advancement of country-led Data Roadmaps for Sustainable Development in: Colombia, Kenya, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and elsewhere. Learn more at: http://www.data4sdgs.org.

About the Committee on Earth Observation Satellite (CEOS)
The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) is made up of 55 Agencies from all around the world committed to coordinating their satellite Earth observation programs and sharing data for a more sustainable and prosperous future. These satellite observations are critical for environmental monitoring, meteorology, disaster response, agriculture and many other applications that can improve life on Earth and save lives. CEOS organizations currently operate 137 Earth observation satellites.

About Strathmore University
Strathmore University is a leading non-profit private university in Kenya and has over 8000 stunt populations. It specializes in Information & Technology , Finance & Applied Economics, Graduate Studies , Accountancy , Humanities & Social Sciences, Management & Commerce, Law School , Tourism & Hospitality, Data Science, Technology & Innovation- @iLabAfrica, Business School & Mathematical Sciences. The University also provides world-class executive management education in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda and Partnering with major universities in Africa: https://www.strathmore.edu/

29-year old Alpha* is one of the first patients treated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Sierra Leone. According to him, the journey to treatment at the Lakka Government Hospital was “long and rigorous,” but one that would restore his life and dignity.

When Alpha started feeling unwell in 2013, he was unaware it was tuberculosis. He bought medicines from pharmacists and sought informal advice on his symptoms, but his health continued to deteriorate. “I had been coughing for several days but one evening it got so serious that I coughed up blood. That was when I was finally taken to Connaught Hospital,” he explains.

When he tested positive for tuberculosis that year, Alpha was immediately put on the six months Direct Observed Treatment or (DOTs) regimen, the standard treatment protocol for the disease. It requires daily tablets taken at the same time of day for six months under the supervision of a trained health worker. If taken as specified, cure rates for tuberculosis are very high - usually at about 95%.

However, three months after commencement, Alpha defaulted on his treatment. “I was feeling so healthy that I thought I no longer had the disease and that there was no need for me to be sighted every day at the DOT centre, or risk sitting among other severely sick patients,” he says.

Discontinuing treatment without a doctor’s advice or not taking a medication as prescribed can lead to resistance of the TB bacteria to the available medications. When this happens, the disease can become more difficult, more costly or even potentially, impossible to treat.

According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2017, an estimated 4.1% of TB cases are now thought to be resistant to standard first-line medicines, of which an estimated 6.2% are extensively drug-resistant, or XDR-TB. This means that the bacteria is resistant to at least two groups of second-line drugs, injectables and fluoroquinolones in addition to first-line medicines.

“The long treatment time associated with tuberculosis can lead to people discontinuing treatment as they feel better, especially because stigma and misunderstanding about TB patients and their ability to pass on the infection is still very high at the community level,” explains Abdul Sesay, a civil society advocate against TB in Sierra Leone. “Imagine when a TB patient decides not to disclose their status to close family members, not even their husband or wife: that tells you how serious a problem stigma is in our communities. This fear of discrimination can directly impact the willingness of patients to come forward for formal treatments or complete a treatment course, which can then result in the development of drug-resistance and further medical complications.”

Almost one year after discontinuing the treatment, Alpha once again developed a persistent cough. Fearing recriminations, he visited a different health facility and claimed to be a first-time TB patient. He was put on the standard first line treatment but his symptoms grew increasingly severe. Finally, he was once again referred to the Connaught Hospital, where he tested positive for MDR-TB.

At this stage, he was immediately transferred to the newly-established, dedicated Drug Resistant-TB facility at the Lakka Government Hospital where he would spend nine months, receiving what he referred to as “rigorous” treatment, requiring strong daily medications. “I am grateful for the support I received from my family and the health workers at Lakka and I have no doubt that this saved my life,” he said, adding that he is also happy that none of his family members contracted the disease. “That guilt would have killed me, especially because I defaulted after been advised to complete the treatment and also because I deceived myself and the health workers.”

Since commencing drug-resistant TB case management services in March 2017, the Lakka facility has now admitted some 120 drug-resistant patients. A total of 31 have since been discharged; 11 have successfully completed the full nine-months regimen while the remainder, no longer infectious for the disease, will continue the remainder of their treatment course in their homes.
Alpha admitted that he learnt profound lessons from his experience. “I would strongly advise anyone suspecting or testing positive for TB to be honest, seek immediate care from the formal health care system and strictly adhere to instructions to complete treatment. Your health is your life and in the end, this matters more than fear of being seen or inconveniences of the treatment. Importantly, no one should be stigmatized because they are infected with TB because anyone can be affected. Patients need support and the system needs resources. Let’s fight the course together.”

Together with the Global Fund and the United States Agency for International Development, NGOs and community partners, WHO is supporting the Government of Sierra Leone to improve diagnosis, surveillance and treatment of TB in all corners of the country, working to challenge stigma, and raising awareness on available services. WHO has supported extensive training of health ministry staff in DR-TB diagnostics using GeneXpert technology, clinical case management, development of DR-TB specific guidelines, and a study-tour to the well-functioning DR-TB treatment programme in Cameroon.

***Names have been changed for confidentiality reasons.**

For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact: KEENAN, Laura
keenanl@who.int
GBORIE, Saffea
Communications Officer
Email: gboriesa@who.int
Tel: +232 76 77 78 78

Key messages

Acute food insecurity global estimates in 2017

• Around 124 million people in 51 countries face Crisis food insecurity or worse (equivalent of IPC/CH Phase 3 or above). They require urgent humanitarian action to save lives, protect livelihoods, and reduce hunger and malnutrition.

• The worst food crises in 2017 were in north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan, where nearly 32 million people were food-insecure and in need of urgent assistance. Famine (IPC/CH Phase 5) was declared in two counties of South Sudan in February 2017. Although humanitarian assistance has thus far contributed towards preventing large-scale famines, humanitarian needs remain exceptionally high across the four countries.

• Last year’s Global Report on Food Crises identified 108 million people in Crisis food security or worse across 48 countries.

• A comparison of the 45 countries included in both editions of the Global Report on Food Crises reveals an increase of 11 million people – an 11 percent rise – in the number of food-insecure people needing urgent humanitarian action across the world.

• This rise can largely be attributed to new or intensified and protracted conflict or insecurity in countries such as Yemen, northern Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Myanmar. Persistent drought has also played a major role, causing consecutive poor harvests in countries already facing high levels of food insecurity in eastern and southern Africa.

• Levels of acute malnutrition in crisis-affected areas remain of concern; there continues to be a double burden of high acute and chronic malnutrition in protracted crises.

• The number of children and women in need of nutritional support increased between 2016 and 2017, mainly in areas affected by conflict or insecurity such as Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen and northern Nigeria. Some of these countries have also experienced severe outbreaks of cholera, exacerbating levels of acute malnutrition.

Food insecurity and malnutrition: primary drivers in 2017

• Conflict and insecurity continued to be the primary drivers of food insecurity in 18 countries, where almost 74 million food-insecure people remain in need of urgent assistance. Half of these people were in countries affected by conflict or insecurity in Africa, and more than a third were in the Middle East.

• Food-insecure people in need of urgent action in countries affected by conflict or insecurity accounted for 60 percent of the total population facing Crisis food insecurity or worse across the world.

• Climate disasters – mainly drought – were also major triggers of food crises in 23 countries, with over 39 million food-insecure people in need of urgent assistance. Two thirds of these countries were in Africa, where almost 32 million people faced acute food insecurity.

Messages clés

Estimations mondiales de l’insécurité alimentaire aiguë en 2017

• Environ 124 millions de personnes vivant dans 51 pays sont en situation d’insécurité alimentaire de Crise ou pire (Phase 3 ou pire de l’IPC ou du CH ou équivalent) et requièrent une action humanitaire urgente afin de sauver des vies, protéger les moyens d’existence et réduire les déficits de consommation alimentaire et la malnutrition aiguë.

• En 2017, les crises les plus sévères ont eu lieu au nord-est du Nigeria, en Somalie, au Yémen et au Soudan du Sud où près de 32 millions de personnes étaient en situation d’insécurité alimentaire et nécessitaient une aide d’urgence. Une situation de Famine (Phase 5 de l’IPC) a été déclarée dans deux comtés du Soudan du Sud en février 2017. Bien que l’aide humanitaire ait contribué à prévenir des situations de famine à grande échelle, les besoins humanitaires restent exceptionnellement élevés dans ces quatre pays.

• Le Rapport mondial sur les crises alimentaires de l’an dernier avait identifié 108 millions de personnes vivant en Crise (Phase 3 ou pire de l’IPC ou du CH) ou équivalent dans 48 pays.

• Une comparaison des 45 pays inclus dans les deux éditions du Rapport mondial sur les crises alimentaires révèle une augmentation de 11 millions – soit une hausse de 11 pour cent - du nombre de personnes en situation d’insécurité alimentaire nécessitant une action humanitaire urgente à travers le monde.

• Cette augmentation peut largement être attribuée à l’émergence ou l’intensification des conflits ou de l’insécurité dans des pays tels que le Yémen, le nord du Nigeria, la République démocratique du Congo, le Soudan du Sud et le Myanmar. En Afrique orientale et australe, la sécheresse persistante a également joué un rôle majeur, entraînant des réductions consécutives des récoltes dans des pays déjà confrontés à des niveaux élevés d’insécurité alimentaire.

• Les niveaux de malnutrition aiguë dans les zones touchées par la crise restent préoccupants ; un double fardeau de malnutrition aiguë et chronique persiste dans les crises prolongées.

• Le nombre d’enfants et de femmes nécessitant un soutien nutritionnel a augmenté par rapport à 2016, principalement dans les zones de conflit telles que la Somalie, le Soudan du Sud, la République démocratique du Congo, le Yémen et le nord du Nigeria. Certains de ces pays ont également connu de graves épidémies de choléra qui ont exacerbé la malnutrition aiguë.

Read full report in English

Mensajes claves

Estimaciones globales sobre la inseguridad alimentaria aguda en 2017

• Alrededor de 124 millones de personas en 51 países se enfrentan a una situación de Crisis de inseguridad alimentaria o peor (equivalente o superior a la fase 3 del IPC/CH) y requieren una acción humanitaria urgente para salvar vidas, proteger los medios de vida y reducir los niveles de hambre y desnutrición aguda.

• Las peores crisis alimentarias de 2017 tuvieron lugar en el noreste de Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen y Sudán del Sur donde cerca de 32 millones de personas fueron afectadas por la inseguridad alimentaria y necesitan una asistencia urgente. En febrero de 2017, la situación de hambruna (fase 5 del IPC/CH) fue declarada en dos provincias de Sudán del Sur. Aunque la asistencia humanitaria ha contribuido hasta ahora a prevenir hambrunas a gran escala, las necesidades humanitarias continúan a ser excepcionalmente elevadas en los cuatro países.

• El Informe global del año pasado sobre crisis alimentarias identificó a 108 millones de personas en situación de Crisis de inseguridad alimentaria o peor en 48 paises.

• Una comparación de los 45 países incluidos en las dos ediciones del informe global sobre crisis alimentarias revela un aumento de 11 millones de personas – un aumento del 11 por ciento – en el número de personas afectadas por la inseguridad alimentaria que necesitan acciones humanitarias urgentes en todo el mundo.

• Este aumento se puede atribuir en gran medida a la aparición o la intensificación y cronificación de conflictos y de situaciones de inseguridad en países como Yemen, el norte de Nigeria, República Democrática del Congo, Sudán del Sur y Myanmar. La sequía persistente también jugó un papel importante, causando cosechas reducidas consecutivas en países de África oriental y meridional que ya conocían altos niveles de inseguridad alimentaria.

• Los niveles de desnutrición aguda en las áreas afectadas por la crisis siguen siendo motivo de preocupación; en las crisis prolongadas los altos niveles de desnutrición aguda y desnutrición crónica siguen constituyendo una doble carga.

• Más niños y mujeres necesitan apoyo nutricional en comparación con 2016 y 2017. Se observó un aumento principalmente en las zonas en conflicto o inseguras como Somalia, Sudán del Sur, República Democrática del Congo, Yemen y el norte de Nigeria. Algunos de estos países también han experimentado brotes severos de cólera, agravando los niveles de desnutrición aguda.

Catherine Ginty

The Ebola virus outbreak claimed 11,000 lives across West Africa in 2014-2016. In Sierra Leone alone, 3,956 people died and it is estimated that 12,000 children lost parents.

Rugiatu is nine and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. But her life has not been easy so-far. Rugiatu’s mother died during the Ebola crisis, which struck Sierra Leone 2014-2016.

Rugiatu was only seven when her aunt Dora took her and her two older brothers in. Her aunt Dora went from having two children to having five children to care for.

“It was a burden but it didn’t affect me. They are my children” Dora said.

Dora is working hard and hopes she can help Rugiatu to achieve her dreams, but there is a long long road ahead. Thanks to Trócaire, Dora has support and they are not alone.

Trócaire's response to the Ebola crisis

Trócaire has been working in Sierra Leone since the 80's. During the early days of the Ebola virus, when many organisations were evacuating, Trócaire stayed to help the communities where we work.

When Ebola struck, families who had sick relatives were quarantined for 21 days. In many cases in Sierra Leone entire communities were cut off for weeks. People couldn’t leave for food or water or tend to their farms. They had no way to grow their food. They were isolated and panicked.

At local level where Trócaire works our partners were the first responders to these families. They often provided interim food supplies before the international support arrived to deliver food rations.

Our partners also provided extra essentials like pepper, vegetables, water, firewood for cooking, soap, toothpaste etc. This helped families to keep going throughout their quarantine.

Families also received wind-up radios and mobile phones so that they could keep in contact with public service announcements and sick relatives who were in the treatment centres.

‘Labour groups’ were organised to work on the land of quarantined farming families so that they wouldn’t lose months of food on top of everything else. This support provided much needed comfort to families during the darkest days of Ebola.

Trócaire also supported counselling and care for families including Dora’s during Ebola. Often women were trying to explain the loss to children while also dealing with their own loss. About 10,000 people received this support.

Rebuilding lives after Ebola

Trócaire also supported counselling and care for families including Dora’s during Ebola. Often women were trying to explain the loss to children while also dealing with their own loss. About 10,000 people received this support.

Rebuilding lives after Ebola

see video

After the crisis ended we reached families affected by the crisis and brought them together to help them to rebuild their lives.

Dora had three extra children to feed and send to school, so she needed support to re-start her farm and increase her income. She joined a local women’s farming group. The produce from the community farm has supplemented her own farm income and improved the family’s nutrition.

With the farming group support she can build up her savings, spend less of her income on food and provide more nutritious food for her children.

Despite never getting to go to school Dora is very smart and motivated. All her hopes are for her children.

“Rugiatu wants to be a teacher. Her brother wants to be a doctor. I want to help them to learn. I always advise Rugi, you must stay serious about school. If you want to be a teacher concentrate on your studies when you go to school concentrate on what you are doing and make sure you learn. Then you will become a teacher if you want.”

Over the coming months Dora and her farming group will begin a women’s empowerment training around family relationships, how to report violence in the home, literacy training and training about how to vote in elections.

When Dora has a good income and a stronger position in her family she will be better able to support Rugiatu and provide her with what she needs to succeed.

Learn more about this year's Lent campaign

Avant-propos

Chaque année, l’Organisation météorologique mondiale (OMM) publie une déclaration sur l’état du climat mondial dans le but de fournir des informations scientifiques fiables sur le climat et les phénomènes météorologiques et climatiques qui ont marqué l’année à l’échelle du globe. Suite à l’entrée en vigueur de l’Accord de Paris, les informations contenues dans cette déclaration, dont nous célébrons le 25e anniversaire, revêtent, aujourd’hui plus que jamais, une importance capitale. L’OMM poursuivra ses efforts pour fournir aux Parties à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques des informations toujours plus pertinentes via la Déclaration et le Bulletin annuel sur les gaz à effet de serre. Ces publications viennent compléter les rapports d’évaluation établis tous les six ou sept ans par le Groupe d’experts intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat (GIEC).

Depuis la publication de la première Déclaration sur l’état du climat mondial en 1993, la compréhension scientifique du fonctionnement complexe de notre système climatique a progressé rapidement, notamment en ce qui concerne l’influence de l’homme sur le climat ainsi que la nature et l’ampleur des changements climatiques. Il nous est possible désormais de démontrer la fréquence des phénomènes météorologiques et climatiques extrêmes et d’évaluer dans quelle mesure ils sont causés par les activités humaines.

Au cours des 25 dernières années, les concentrations atmosphériques de dioxyde de carbone, qui déterminent par leur hausse constante, au même titre que d’autres gaz à effet de serre, le changement climatique d’origine anthropique, sont passées de 360 à plus de 400 parties par million (ppm).
Elles resteront en dessus de cette valeur sur plusieurs générations, condamnant notre planète à un réchauffement inexorable et entraînant une multiplication des phénomènes météorologiques, climatiques et hydrologiques extrêmes. Les effets du changement climatique se font de plus en plus ressentir, comme en témoignent la hausse du niveau de la mer, l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans, la fonte de la banquise et d’autres indicateurs climatiques.

La température moyenne à la surface du globe en 2017 a dépassé de quelque 1,1 °C celle de l’époque préindustrielle, soit déjà plus de la moitié de la limite – 2 °C – fixée par l’Accord de Paris, qui entend même limiter l’élévation de la température à 1,5 °C par rapport aux niveaux préindustriels. L’année 2017 a été la plus chaude des années sans Niño jamais observées et se classe parmi les trois plus chaudes, 2016 se trouvant en tête de liste. Les neuf années les plus chaudes jamais enregistrées sont toutes postérieures à 2004 et les cinq plus chaudes à 2009.

En 2017, les extrêmes météorologiques ont causé des pertes en vies humaines et mis à mal les moyens de subsistance dans de nombreux pays.
Exacerbée par des températures de surface de la mer élevées, la saison des ouragans dans l’Atlantique Nord a été la plus coûteuse de l’histoire des États-Unis et a fait reculer de plusieurs décennies le développement économique de certaines petites îles des Caraïbes, comme la Dominique. Les inondations ont entraîné le déplacement de millions de personnes sur le sous-continent indien, alors que dans la corne de l’Afrique, la sécheresse a aggravé encore la pauvreté et accentué la pression migratoire. Il n’est donc pas surprenant que les phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes soient considérés comme le risque le plus important auquel l’humanité est confrontée, selon le rapport 2018 sur les risques mondiaux publié par le Forum économique mondial.

Devant la gravité des conséquences socioéconomiques du changement climatique, l’OMM s’est associée avec d’autres organismes des Nations Unies pour faire figurer dans la présente déclaration des informations sur la manière dont les conditions climatiques se répercutent sur les schémas migratoires, la sécurité alimentaire, la santé et d’autres secteurs. Les pays vulnérables sont touchés de manière disproportionnée, comme le montre une étude récente du Fonds monétaire international, qui attire l’attention sur le fait qu’un accroissement de 1 °C de la température réduirait sensiblement le taux de croissance économique de nombreux pays à faible revenu

Contents

117 Vaccine-derived polioviruses outbreaks and events in 3 provinces of Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017

125 Emergence of monkeypox in West and Central Africa, 1970–2017

Sommaire

117 Flambées et événements de poliovirus dérivés d’une souche vaccinale dans 3 provinces de la République démocratique du Congo, 2017

125 Émergence de l’orthopoxvirose simienne en Afrique de l’Ouest et en Afrique centrale, 1970-2017

Carter Center Issues Expert Mission Report on Sierra Leone’s March 7 Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: In Atlanta, Deanna.Congileo@cartercenter.org

Read the full report »

ATLANTA — A Carter Center report issued today by its expert electoral mission for the March 7 general elections in Sierra Leone urges the two main parties to support a peaceful and genuine process for the runoff schedule for March 27.

The runoff election presents a key test of whether the 2018 electoral process will be an important step forward in the country’s post-civil war history, the report said. This will require that a relatively peaceful environment be maintained throughout voting, the counting and reconciliation of ballots, and the announcement of credible final results, and that any disputes be resolved through established legal channels, the Center said.

Since no presidential candidate in the March 7 general elections received the 55 percent of votes required to avoid a second round, a runoff was scheduled between the candidates representing the two leading parties: All Peoples Congress (APC) and Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP).

Several violent incidents in the final days of the campaign raised concerns, and certain actions by the Sierra Leone police, including the failure to investigate campaign incidents and a police raid of an opposition campaign headquarters on election day, also were troubling.

Following the polls, Sierra Leonean police have been investigating allegations of election offenses, and have sought to question several members of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) staff. The NEC issued a statement March 21 calling for the police not to interfere with its operations or intimidate electoral officials. The Center recognizes the essential roles played by the both the NEC and the police, and urges all stakeholders to conduct their roles as laid out in the legal framework and in a transparent and non-partisan manner.

While claims of electoral irregularities in the first round have been raised by various parties, and a petition seeking injunctive relief has been filed with the Supreme Court, The Carter Center team is not aware of any concrete evidence that would call into question the results of the March 7 elections.

Overall, the report concludes that Sierra Leone’s March 7 elections – the first organized since the end of the civil war in 2002 absent the presence of a United Nations peace mission - were conducted under a legal framework generally consistent with international standards. It also notes that domestic citizen observers and international observers found that the campaign period was generally calm and allowed parties to mobilize supporters and communicate with the public, and that the elections were professionally administered by the NEC. The commission played a key role by preparing a new civil registry and revising constituency boundaries prior to the election.

Background: This report is based on the findings of a Carter Center expert mission, deployed to Sierra Leone in February 2018 to monitor key parts of Sierra Leone’s 2018 electoral process, including the legal framework, electoral preparations, the general security environment, and the resolution of disputes in the courts. Given the limited size and scope of the mission, the Center’s team did not conduct a comprehensive observation of the electoral process as whole, nor of election day voting and counting processes. Due to its limited size and focus, the Center’s mission did not issue a preliminary post-election statement. This report focuses on discrete aspects of the electoral process assessed by the expert team, with additional analyses that draw on reports from other international and domestic observation missions. The Center conducts its election missions in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which was endorsed by the United Nations in 2005.

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

AUTHORS

Dr. Michelle Odlum

Sunmoo Yoon

ABSTRACT

Introduction: For effective public communication during major disease outbreaks like the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, health information needs of the population must be adequately assessed. Through content analysis of social media data, like tweets, public health information needs can be effectively assessed and in turn provide appropriate health information to address such needs. The aim of the current study was to assess health information needs about Ebola, at distinct epidemic time points, through longitudinal tracking.

Methods: Natural language processing was applied to explore public response to Ebola over time from July 2014 to March 2015. A total 155,647 tweets (unique 68,736, retweet 86,911) mentioning Ebola were analyzed and visualized with infographics.

Results: Public fear, frustration, and health information seeking regarding Ebola-related global priorities were observed across time. Our longitudinal content analysis revealed that due to ongoing health information deficiencies, resulting in fear and frustration, social media was at times an impediment and not a vehicle to support health information needs.

Discussion: Content analysis of tweets effectively assessed Ebola information needs. Our study also demonstrates the use of Twitter as a method for capturing real-time data to assess ongoing information needs, fear, and frustration over time.

FUNDING STATEMENT

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

INTRODUCTION

The 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak was the most pervasive in history, reaching epidemic proportions 1. The outbreak was marked with 11,325 fatalities, 28,652 reported cases and uncontrolled spread 2. It was further characterized as an epidemic of fear and anxiety, when case identification reached the US and Europe 3. In spite of reports describing modes of transmission, signs and symptoms and the low likelihood of a widespread epidemic, people in developed nations remained overly anxious. In fact, Americans listed Ebola as the third top health concern in October of 2014, clearly indicating fear and highlighting the need for effective health education 3,4. As described by the Conceptual Framework of Public Health Surveillance and Action (PHSA), public health surveillance and action to control disease are connected through data information messages. 5. To support public health action, health information messages must be widely disseminated to the public. As fear drives epidemics, evidenced by the Ebola spread in West Africa, it is essential to understand public opinion to identify health information needs 23. When these needs are recognized, tailored literacy appropriate health information can be disseminated to diminish widespread fear 6. Social media can support dissemination efforts. It allows tremendous opportunities to provide literacy appropriate health information through mass dissemination 8. Evidence by health information tweets disseminated regularly through organizations including the CDC, World Health Organization and local health departments 17, 21. Social Networking Sites like Twitter encourages users to provide and share information. The analysis of social media data allows for an assessment of the public’s knowledge, personal experiences, and health information needs 7.

Mining of social media data provides a snap shot of health knowledge in addition to the longitudinal tracking of changes in such knowledge and emerging health information needs over time. Micro-blogging is a very powerful and popular communication tool. Millions of messages are sent daily on micro-blogging sites such as Twitter 8. Research has demonstrated that Twitter is a reliable source for tracking knowledge and opinions for a variety of events and issues 7. Such tools allow the public to play a role in knowledge translation including information generation, filtering and dissemination 7,9 . It then becomes critical during epidemics and other emergencies to monitor online public perceptions and responses. Online monitoring allows for the examination of knowledge translation and for the modification and tailoring of health information for effective health educational campaigns 5,7.

The current study sought to assess health information needs about Ebola through longitudinal tracking. We provide a snapshot of beliefs, opinions and responses at three time points beginning in August 2014, when the outbreak raged out of control and through March 2015, when the outbreak showed evidence of containment. Through natural language processing (NLP) and content analysis, we explore how Twitter users communicate about Ebola-related events over time and identify health information needs that emerge at each time point.

Pasture deficits in the Sahel to continue until at least July 2018

KEY MESSAGES

• Mediocre performance of the 2017 rainy season in the Sahel has led to pasture and water deficits in many areas that will persist until at least July 2018. Poor rains also led to below-average rainfed harvests in localized agropastoral areas of the Sahel, and the limited availability of surface water continues to contribute to low yields for off season cropping. Crisis (IPC Phase 3) acute food insecurity is already present in southern areas of Mauritania and is expected in other affected areas in the Sahel during the 2018 lean season (pastoral: April – June, agropastoral: June – September).

• Mauritania and northern Senegal have been the most significantly impacted. Although rainfall deficits were more widespread in 2017, the severity of deficits was similar to 2014, the last year to see significant agropastoral deficits in the western Sahel. The limited regeneration of pasture and water points led many transhumant pastoralists to begin their southward migration early, in September/October as opposed to November/December as they would in a typical year. 2017 rainfed and 2017/18 irrigated off-season agriculture have also been significantly impacted in some areas.

• Pastoral areas of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad also saw early southward migration of transhumant pastoralists in late 2017. The limited availability of pasture in Niger and Chad, coupled with insecurity in the Lake Chad region (which preventstypical herder movements), means that pastoralists are seeking grazing for their animals in atypical areas. While deficits are more localized in Mali and Burkina Faso, both are destinations for pastoralists from neighboring countries.

• The stress of limited pastoral resources on herds and household incomes has led to an early start of the pastoral lean season in many areas. Livestock sale prices are already low in many areas as a result, and current pasture deficits will persist or grow larger until July, after the start of the rainy season in June. There is also concern that conflict for resources between pastoralists and farmers in typical and atypical grazing areas could increase between the two groups.

• Although long-range rainfall forecasts have limited skill in West Africa, available information suggests June to September 2018 rainfall will be near average. Across the region, pastoral incomes will increase again in the second half of 2018, owing to improving livestock body conditions that leads to increased availability of milk and income from livestock sales during Ramadan and Tabaski. However, the rebuilding of livestock herds will be slower than normal for affected areas.

Between 1 January and 28 February 2018, 747 unaccompanied and separated children arrived in Italy by sea, representing 14% of all sea arrivals in this period. In the same period last year, 1,875 UASC were registered at landing points. Consistently with the overall decrease in sea arrivals, UASC arrivals have dropped by 60%.

UASC arriving by sea in January and February 2018 most commonly originated from Eritrea (241), followed by Tunisia (100), Guinea (52), Côte d'Ivoire (50), Somalia (47), and the Gambia (42). Eritreans were the largest UASC group to arrive in 2016 (3,832 sea arrivals), but their numbers decreased considerably in 2017, when 1,219 Eritrean UASC arrived. In 2018 so far, their numbers have been on the rise, compared to 2017 (241 Eritrean UASC arrivals in January-February 2018, compared to 6 Eritrean UASC arrivals in January-February 2017).

L’OIM travaille avec les autorités nationales, locales et des partenaires locaux, afin de mieux comprendre et connaître les mouvements migratoires à travers l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre. Le suivi des flux de population (FMP) est une activité qui permet de quantifier et de qualifier les flux, les profils des migrants, les tendances et les routes migratoires sur un point d’entrée, de transit ou de sortie donné. Au Mali, des point de suivi ont été installés progressivement depuis juillet 2016 dans plusieurs lieux importants à Gao, Tombouctou, Kidal, Ménaka, Mopti, Kayes, Ségou, Sikasso et Bamako, et observent plus particulièrement les mouvements quotidiens des migrants en provenance et à destination des pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest et d'Afrique du Nord.

Aid in Danger partner agency incidents. Partner agencies operate in 16 countries. Partner agencies reported 231 incidents in eight countries and three security measures taken to protect staff, assets and programmes in two countries. The total number of reported incidents below reflects the willingness of agencies to share information. It is not a complete count nor representative. For other incidents recorded by the Aid in Danger project, including from open sources, please see NGO Security Incident Overview.

Au Mali, le nombre d’individus observés aux 10 Points de suivi des flux en février 2018 était de 6 183 (2 636 entrants et 3 547 sortants). Le nombre moyen d’individu identifiés en février 2018 était de 221 personnes par jour, représentant une baisse de 7% par rapport au mois précédent. Les ressortissants maliens, guinéens, ivoiriens, sénégalais et gambiens représentaient 79% des migrants identifiés. 76% des migrants étaient des hommes et 10% d’entre eux étaient des mineurs (soit 2% de moins qu’en décembre). L’Algérie, la Mauritanie, le Niger et le Burkina Faso sont les principaux points de transit après le Mali.

Au Mali, le nombre d’individus observés aux 10 Points de suivi des flux en janvier 2018 était de 7 367 (2 958 entrants et 4 409 sortants), et de 80 406 (14 636 entrants et 65 770 sortants) depuis juin 2016. Le nombre moyen d’individu identifiés en novembre 2017 était de 238 personnes par jour, représentant une hausse de 11% par rapport au mois précédent. Les ressortissants maliens, guinéens, ivoiriens, sénégalais et gambiens représentaient 78% des migrants identifiés. 76% des migrants étaient des hommes (soit 2% de moins qu’en décembre), et 12% d’entre eux étaient des mineurs (soit 2% de plus qu’en décembre). L’Algérie, la Mauritanie, le NIger et le Burkina Faso sont les principaux points de transit après le Mali.

The 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa disrupted the region's health systems, job markets, and food supplies. Congress appropriated funds to USAID and State for Ebola response and preparedness. USAID and, to a lesser extent, State used some funds for Ebola recovery projects.

We reported on the status of USAID's recovery projects. USAID had completed 62 of its 131 projects, as of September 2017.

USAID had contracted for an evaluation of its recovery activities. We found discrepancies between the contractor's project inventory and USAID's data. We recommended ensuring that the project inventory is complete and accurate for the evaluation.