Geneva / Goma, 27 May 2019 – More than 800,000 people will be immunised against cholera in North Kivu in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the launch of a major vaccination campaign today.

The campaign will be implemented by the DRC Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, and funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. A total of 835,183 people in Binza, Goma, Kayina, Karisimbi, Kibirizi, Kirotshe and Rutshuru areas will be vaccinated by 1 June 2019. The campaign will administer the first of two doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) to people in these areas. Following successful implementation, a campaign to administer the second dose will take place at a later stage to provide full protection against cholera.

Over 10,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the country since January 2019, leading to more than 240 deaths. In addition, over 80,000 suspected cases of measles have led to over 1,400 deaths so far this year while a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 was reported in Kasai province earlier this month.

“The DRC is confronted with an unprecedented combination of deadly epidemics,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “While the Ebola outbreak continues to cause untold misery in the East, measles and cholera epidemics are claiming the lives of thousands of people throughout the country. That’s why we are stepping up our response, through this cholera vaccination campaign, through ongoing measles vaccinations in health zones affected by measles outbreaks, as well as through our continued support for Ebola vaccinations in both the DRC and neighbouring countries. We cannot allow this needless suffering to continue.”

“Cholera is a preventable disease. Vaccinating people at risk in the most exposed health zones in North Kivu against cholera is a massive contribution and will protect hundreds of thousands of people against the disease and raise population immunity levels in these areas,” said Dr. Deo Nshimirimana, acting WHO Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He added: “WHO is working with national and provincial authorities and all partners to make sure that people targeted in these health areas will be reached with the vaccine.”

The 835,183 doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) were taken from the global cholera vaccine stockpile, which is fully funded by Gavi. Gavi is also supporting operational costs for the campaign. The use of the stockpile for outbreak response is managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG), which features representatives from WHO, UNICEF, IFRC and MSF.

Since the stockpile was launched in 2013 millions of doses of OCV have helped tackle outbreaks across the globe. In the fifteen years between 1997 and 2012, just 1.5 million doses of oral cholera vaccine were used worldwide. In 2018 alone, the stockpile provided 17 million of doses to 22 different countries. Since the beginning of 2019, more than 6 million doses have already been shipped to respond to outbreaks or address endemic cholera in countries including Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe.

More than two million people have also been vaccinated in the DRC in 72 health zones as part of a measles outbreak response funded by Gavi through the Measles & Rubella Initiative (MRI). A further 400,000 people are expected to be vaccinated as part of this response. Gavi will also be funding a measles campaign for 18 million children aged 6 months-59 months starting later in the year. This will be additional to Gavi's support for the government’s efforts to strengthen routine immunisation which is the best long-term solution against measles outbreaks.

Notes to editors

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of 700 million children and the prevention of 10 million future deaths. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is supported by donor governments (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Principality of Monaco, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States), the European Commission, Alwaleed Philanthropies, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as private and corporate partners (Absolute Return for Kids, Anglo American plc., The Audacious Alliance, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, China Merchants Group, Comic Relief, Deutsche Post DHL, the ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, Girl Effect, The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (IFPW), the Gulf Youth Alliance, JP Morgan, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, “la Caixa” Foundation, LDS Charities, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Mastercard, Majid Al Futtaim, Orange, Philips, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, UPS and Vodafone).

For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact:
Eugene Kabambi
Emergency Communications Officer
Tel : +243 81 715 1697
Office : +47 241 39 027
Email: kabambie@who.int

James Fulker
Telephone: +41 22 909 2926
Mobile: +41 79 429 55 05
Email: jfulker@gavi.org

Frédérique Tissandier
GAVI
Telephone: +41 22 909 29 68
Email: ftissandier@gavi.org

Objectif stratégique 4 : Garantir l’accès à la preuve de l’identité juridique en ce compris les actes des naissances et les documents attestant de la nationalité

L'absence de preuve d'identité juridique y compris les actes de naissance et les documents attestant de la nationalité, augmente considérablement le risque d'apatridie dans la région des Grands Lacs. Parmi les personnes les plus touchées figurent les descendants d'immigrants antérieurs à l'indépendance et d'autres migrants de longue durée, les populations frontalières et nomades, les groupes minoritaires, les enfants de réfugiés et de migrants en situation irrégulière, les enfants séparés de leurs parents ou dont les parents sont inconnus. L'enregistrement des faits d’état civil est essentiel pour prévenir l'apatridie parce qu'il crée un registre légal des relations familiales d'une personne. L'enregistrement des naissances et la délivrance d’actes de naissances sont particulièrement importants parce qu'ils permettent de savoir où une personne est née et qui sont ses parents - généralement l'information la plus importante pour déterminer la nationalité à laquelle toute personne a droit. Les taux d'enregistrement des naissances dans les pays de la région des Grands Lacs sont généralement faibles. Toutefois, même si toutes les naissances sont enregistrées, les personnes ayant droit à la nationalité en vertu de la loi peuvent être exposées à l'apatridie ou à un risque d'apatridie si, dans la pratique, elles ne peuvent acquérir des documents attestant de leur nationalité, notamment des certificats de nationalité, des cartes nationales d'identité ou des passeports. Sans ces documents, elles risquent de ne pas accéder à leurs droits fondamentaux.

Il est donc de la plus haute importance que l'enregistrement des naissances soit universel, gratuit ainsi que fait en temps opportun, et que les personnes ayant droit à la nationalité puissent acquérir les documents normalement délivrés comme preuve de la nationalité. L'amélioration de l'accès à l'enregistrement des naissances, à la délivrance des actes de naissances et à la documentation attestant de la nationalité protège l'intérêt supérieur de l'enfant et contribue à garantir l'accès aux droits fondamentaux, notamment les droits à l'éducation et aux soins de santé. L'enregistrement universel des naissances est une obligation des États en vertu des instruments internationaux et africains relatifs aux droits de l'homme.1 Les actions 7 et 8 du Plan d'action global pour mettre fin à l'apatridie appellent les Etats à garantir l'enregistrement des naissances et l'accès aux certificats de nationalité et autres documents attestant de la nationalité, tandis que la cible 16.9 des Objectifs de développement durable demande à tous les Etats d'ici 2030, de fournir une identité juridique pour tous, y compris l'enregistrement des naissances. Pour la Région des Grands Lacs, le paragraphe 27 du Document final adopté par les Etats membres de la CIRGL lors de la Réunion de haut niveau des ministres chargés des réfugiés le 7 mars 2019 reconnaît que " l'accès aux documents d'identité juridiques, en particulier l'enregistrement des naissances, est essentiel pour prévenir et réduire l'apatridie, conformément à la Déclaration de la CIRGL de Brazzaville sur l'éradication de l'apatridie ".

Les agences et leurs partenaires alertent sur une situation sans précédent en RDC où les épidémies de choléra et de rougeole aggravent la situation sanitaire d’un pays déjà fortement touché par l’épidémie d’Ébola

Genève / Goma, le 27 mai 2019 – Plus de 800 000 personnes seront vaccinées contre le choléra dans le Nord-Kivu à l'est de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), avec le lancement aujourd’hui d'une grande campagne de vaccination orale.

La campagne sera mise en œuvre par le Ministère de la Santé de la RDC avec le soutien de l'OMS et de ses partenaires, et financée par Gavi, l’Alliance du Vaccin. Au cours de ces activités de vaccination, un total de 835,183 personnes vivant dans les zones de santé de Binza, Goma, Kayina, Karisimbi, Kibirizi, Kirotshe et Rutshuru seront immunisées jusqu’au 1er juin 2019.

La campagne administrera la première de deux doses de vaccin anticholérique oral (OCV) aux populations à risque. Après la mise en œuvre réussie, une campagne pour administrer la deuxième dose aura lieu à un stade ultérieur fournissant ainsi une protection immunitaire complète contre le choléra.

Plus de 10 000 cas de choléra ont été signalés dans le pays depuis janvier 2019, entraînant plus de 240 décès. En outre, plus de 80 000 cas présumés de rougeole ont entraîné plus de 1 400 décès depuis le début de l'année tandis qu'un cas de poliovirus de type 2 en circulation a été signalé dans la province du Kasaï plus tôt ce mois-ci.

"La RDC est confrontée à une combinaison sans précédent d'épidémies meurtrières", a déclaré le Dr Seth Berkley, Directeur exécutif de Gavi, l’Alliance du Vaccin. "Alors que l'épidémie de la maladie à virus Ébola continue de causer une misère indescriptible à l'Est, les épidémies de rougeole et de choléra font également des milliers de victimes dans tout le pays. C’est pourquoi nous intensifions notre riposte, par le biais de cette campagne de vaccination anticholérique, de la vaccination antirougeoleuse en cours dans les zones de santé touchées par l’épidémie de rougeole, ainsi que de notre soutien continu à la vaccination anti-Ébola en RDC et dans les pays voisins. Nous ne pouvons permettre que ces souffrances inutiles se poursuivent."

"Le choléra est une maladie évitable. Vacciner les personnes à risque dans les zones de santé les plus exposées du Nord-Kivu pour qu’elles ne contractent pas le choléra constitue une contribution et des efforts considérables pour protéger des centaines de milliers de personnes contre cette maladie en vue d’augmenter le niveau d'immunité de la population," a déclaré le Dr Deo Nshimirimana, Représentant ad intérim de l’OMS en République Démocratique du Congo. Il a ajouté : "L'OMS travaille étroitement avec les autorités nationales et provinciales du Nord-Kivu ainsi que tous les partenaires pour s'assurer que les personnes ciblées dans ces zones de santé seront toutes vaccinées."

Les 835.183 doses de vaccin oral contre le choléra (OCV) ont été prélevées du stock mondial de vaccins anticholériques, entièrement financé par Gavi qui prend également en charge les coûts opérationnels de la campagne. L'utilisation du stock pour la riposte aux épidémies est gérée par le Groupe de coordination international (ICG), composé de représentants de l'OMS, de l'UNICEF, de la FICR et de MSF.

Depuis le lancement du stock en 2013, des millions de doses d'OCV ont permis de lutter contre les épidémies dans le monde entier. Au cours des quinze dernières années (entre 1997 et 2012), seulement 1,5 million de doses de vaccin oral contre le choléra ont été utilisées dans le monde. Rien qu’en 2018, le stock a fourni 17 millions de doses à 22 pays différents. Depuis le début de 2019, plus de 6 millions de doses ont déjà été expédiées pour faire face à des épidémies ou pour lutter contre le choléra endémique dans des pays comme le Mozambique, le Nigeria, la Somalie et le Zimbabwe.

En outre, plus de 2 millions de personnes ont été vaccinées récemment en RDC dans le cadre d'une campagne de riposte à la rougeole dans 72 zones de santé, financée par Gavi par le biais de l'Initiative contre la rougeole et la rubéole (MRI). Plus de 400 000 personnes devraient être vaccinées ultérieurement dans le cadre de cette réponse. Gavi financera également une campagne contre la rougeole pour 18 millions d'enfants de 6 mois à 59 mois qui débutera plus tard cette année. Cette campagne vient s’ajouter au soutien de Gavi envers les efforts du gouvernement pour renforcer la vaccination systématique qui est la meilleure solution à long terme contre les épidémies de rougeole.

Notes à l’usage des rédacteurs

À propos de Gavi, l’Alliance du Vaccin

Gavi, l’Alliance du vaccin, est un partenariat public-privé dont l'objectif est de sauver la vie des enfants et de protéger la santé des populations en favorisant l’accès équitable à la vaccination dans les pays à faible revenu. L’Alliance du Vaccin rassemble les gouvernements des pays en développement et les gouvernements des pays donateurs, l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé, l'UNICEF, la Banque mondiale, l'industrie du vaccin, les agences techniques, la société civile, la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates et d'autres partenaires du secteur privé. Gavi utilise des mécanismes de financement innovants pour assurer un financement durable et un approvisionnement adéquat en vaccins de qualité. Depuis 2000, Gavi a permis de vacciner 700 millions d'enfants et de prévenir à terme 10 millions de décès. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur http://www.gavi.org et connectez-vous avec nous sur Facebook et Twitter.

Gavi, l'Alliance du Vaccin est soutenue par les gouvernements des pays donateurs (Afrique du Sud, Allemagne, Arabie saoudite, Australie, Brésil, Canada, Chine, République de Corée, Danemark, Espagne, États-Unis d’Amérique, France, Inde, Irlande, Islande, Italie, Japon, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norvège, Oman, Pays-Bas, Qatar, Royaume-Uni, Russie, Suède, Suisse), la Commission européenne, Alwaleed Philanthropies, le Fonds de l’OPEP pour le développement international (OFID), la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates et Son Altesse Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ainsi que des partenaires privés et des entreprises (Absolute Return for Kids, Anglo American plc., The Audacious Alliance, The Children's Investment Fund Foundation, China Merchants Group, Comic Relief, Deutsche Post DHL, the ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, Girl Effect, la Fédération internationale des répartiteurs pharmaceutiques (IFPW), the Gulf Youth Alliance, JP Morgan, le Fonds koweïtien pour le développement économique arabe, la Fondation « la Caixa », LDS Charities, la Fondation du Lions Clubs International, Mastercard, Majid Al Futtaim, Orange, Philips, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, UPS et Vodafone).

Un agent sanitaire de l’équipe de riposte contre l’épidémie d’Ebola a été tué à la suite d’un soulèvement samedi d’une partie des habitants d’un village de l’Est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) où un centre de santé a aussi été pillé.

« Ce samedi 25 mai 2019, une partie de la population du village Vusahiro, dans la zone de santé de Mabalako (Nord-Kivu), s’est soulevée et a attaqué l’équipe locale de la riposte contre Ebola, composée d’habitants du village qui ont été formés pour mener certaines activités de riposte » relève le bulletin quotidien du ministère de la santé daté de dimanche 26 mai 2019. « Un hygiéniste de l’équipe de prévention et contrôle des infections est décédé des suites de ses blessures lors de son transfert vers l’hôpital », précisent les autorités sanitaires congolaises dans le bulletin.

« Le centre de santé de Vusahiro a été saccagé et pillé, et trois maisons du village ont été incendiées », ajoute le bulletin. Par ailleurs, le centre de « triage du centre de santé de Vulamba, dans la zone de santé de Butembo, a été vandalisé par des inconnus dans la nuit du 25 au 26 mai 2019 », indique encore le bulletin.

Le 19 avril dernier, Dr Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, épidémiologiste camerounais déployé par l’OMS pour faire face à l’épidémie d’Ebola en République démocratique du Congo (RDC), a été tué lors d’une attaque contre l’hôpital universitaire de Butembo.

Plus de 130 attaques contre des équipes sanitaires

D’ailleurs lors de son allocution à la 72èmeAssemblée Mondiale de la Santé à Genève, le Ministre de la Santé, Dr Oly Ilunga Kalenga avait condamné cette violence contre les agents de santé, tout en faisant une distinction claire entre engagement communautaire et violence ciblée par des milices armées afin d’éviter de « stigmatiser l’entièreté des communautés affectées (…) et blâmer les agents de santé qui sont les premières victimes de cette violence ciblée ».

Vendredi dernier, le Ministère congolais de la Santé avait recensé 132 attaques contre des équipes sanitaires ayant causé la mort de 4 personnes et 38 blessés, entre le 1er août 2018 et le 20 mai 2019. Kinshasa s’était aussi préoccupée des menaces directes croissantes de groupes armés à l’encontre des équipes d’intervention, notamment à Lubero, Masereka, Mabalako, Kalunguta et Vuhovi.

En raison de cette « violence ciblée », plusieurs médecins et infirmiers des territoires de Beni et Lubero ont dû déménager ou quitter temporairement leur habitation, forçant ainsi certaines structures sanitaires à fermer leurs portes. A Musienene, les infirmiers de cette zone de santé avaient de leur côté dénoncé les menaces de mort et de destruction des structures sanitaires qu’ils ont reçues ces derniers jours en raison de leur rôle dans la riposte contre Ebola.

L’épidémie de maladie à virus Ebola a atteint et même dépassé le cap de 1.900 cas au Nord-Kivu et en Ituri. Depuis le début de l’épidémie en aout, « le cumul des cas est de 1.912, dont 1.818 confirmés et 94 probables ». Au total, il y a eu 1.277 décès (1.183 confirmés et 94 probables) et 496 personnes guéries", indiquent les autorités. Parmi les neufs nouveaux cas confirmés, 6 sont à Mabalako, 1 à Beni, 1 à Kalunguta et 1 à Butembo. Selon le bulletin de la situation épidémiologique de la Maladie à Virus Ebola en date du 25 mai 2019, 277 cas suspects en cours d’investigation.

Arrivals

This week, 863 people arrived on the Aegean islands, an increase from last week’s 668 arrivals and from last year’s 347 arrivals during the same period.

The average daily arrivals this week equalled 123, compared to 95 in the previous week.

Population on the Islands

Some 15,800 refugees and migrants reside on the Aegean islands. The majority of the population on the Aegean islands are from Afghanistan (44%), Iraq (12%) and the State of Palestine (10%).

Women account for 21% of the population and children for 35% of whom more than 6 out of 10 are younger than 12 years old.

Approximately 13% of the children are unaccompanied or separated, mainly from Afghanistan.

Some 39% are men between 18 and 39 years old.

Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

The present DREF operation aims at assisting internally affected by the clashes between the Nunu and Tendé communities in Yumbi territory, which resulted in the destruction of their homes, infrastructure and property. The intervention area is particularly difficult to access. The logistical challenges and difficulty in obtaining the necessary materials to implement planned activities at local level have caused significant delays in the delivery of materials (NFIs and necessary items for the construction of shelters) thus, in the implementation of several activities. In addition, the conflict situation is still heightened, and actions aimed at reconciliation or peaceful coexistence are slow to be organised by public authorities. This keeps most displaced people in their places of refuge and increases basic livelihood needs and risk of diseases. The construction of destroyed homes could also accelerate their return.

The materials needed for the construction of the shelters had just arrived and the military engineering had just left Yumbi, which was the first targeted site. In keeping with the Red Cross's strategy of intervening only after the departure of the Military Engineering to avoid confusion about the neutrality of the Red Cross, witnessed shelters were constructed in Yumbi City where 250 of the 450 built by the Military Engineering will be finalized.

Given the delay in implementation highlighted above, a no cost timeframe extension of this operation is requested to complete the construction of the 600 shelters planned as well as continue the other activities that are yet to be implemented due to delays in the delivery of materials, preparing return of the population of Bongende, finalizing the ongoing multisectoral and detailed needs assessment.

Following this evaluation, a strategy will be put in place for the continuation of the intervention for the benefit of the affected populations. Funding promises for further activities were obtained from some partners at the local level (UNHCR, WFP, etc.).

SITUATION OVERVIEW

In April, armed violence in Kuajena, Jur River County led to an influx of new arrivals in the Wau protection of civilian (PoC) site. To support the new arrivals, IOM provided shelter support, psychological first aid and basic counselling services. During the same reporting period, violent cattle raids continued in multiple locations throughout South Sudan, including Western Bahr el Ghazal, leading to further displacement and delays in delivering services in those areas. In addition, insecurity and access issues in Morobo County impacted IOM’s access to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) screening sites. The peace process also continued to advance between the Government and opposition groups during April.

Monthly Highlights

• IOM established 3 new PoE EVD screening sites in Western Equatoria State.

• Deployed a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Mobile team to assist 1,806 new arrivals from Kuajena, Jur River County with psychosocial first aid (PFA)

• Provided training to four water management committees in Juba and Twic on water point maintenance and management to ensure the sustainability of the water sources

EBOLA RESPONSE

IOM continued to carry out EVD preparedness activities due to the ongoing EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In April, IOM operationalized three new PoE sites, which contributed to a 37% increase in the number of people screened compared to the previous month. A total of 122 travelers were recorded as non-EVD fever cases and were subsequently referred to the nearest health facility of each respective PoEs for further assessment and management.
No alert cases have been reported so far

As delivered

Firstly, thank you very much indeed for inviting us to your beautiful city and these lovely islands. And thank you very much Minister, we greatly admire and appreciate Spain’s leadership and passion for the Safe Schools Initiative.

Spain has been very consistent in supporting education. As the next chair of the group of countries which supports my office, we look forward to your leadership in steering countries on their commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration.

We are all here to talk about keeping students, teachers, schools, universities and higher education institutions safe during conflicts.

In a sense, we are here to talk about our future – the future of our world. Schoolchildren like Greta Thunberg are already engaged with the future – of the planet.

For millions of students, though, the future is simply drowned by the horror of the present. Stuck in conflicts, their immediate concern is daily survival – and of maybe being able to go to school one day.

Students like Khaled, a 10-year-old I met in Homs in Syria last year, who, along with his family, was displaced by the conflict. He told me - and lots of other children I meet in humanitarian crises tell me - how much they would love to go to school.

Unfortunately for children like Khaled, modern conflict increasingly see men with guns and bombs deliberately attacking schools, universities and higher education institutions. And it’s gotten worse over the last five years, according to new research by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.

In the last five years, more than 14,000 attacks on education were reported in 34 countries.

Often the death, damage and destruction result directly from the use of explosive weapons. In Yemen, for example, some 2,000 schools are inoperable now, including 256 that have been destroyed by air strikes or shelling and more than1,500 that were damaged by air strikes and shelling.

In countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, out-of-school children face a higher risk of recruitment by armed groups, they face a higher risk of kidnappings, they face a higher risk of enslavement, they face a higher risk of child marriage and they face a higher risk of early pregnancy.

Girls caught in conflicts are particularly affected – they are more than twice as likely as boys to be out of school.

In at least 18 countries over the past five years, women and girls have been targets of attacks on education both as victims of sexual violence, and because armed groups oppose women and girls getting an education.

We know all this because of the Education Under Attack reports, for which I commend the UN’s education lead, UNESCO, which launched the first report 12 years ago in 2007. These reports monitor attacks on education, including higher education.

I am an optimist; I think we will not let these children and youth down. Countries are taking on the responsibility of protecting their future. So I think it’s very good that so far, 89 States have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration.

The signing of the declaration has some effect on how States behave. So for example since the Yemeni Government signed the declaration, they have been trying to raise awareness of the need to maintain schools as safe spaces.

The Government of Burkina Faso has drawn up a new strategy for the protection and continuation of education.

Last year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo participated in a review to work out how it could improve its compliance with the declaration.

We also have seen some positive steps in the United Nations.

The UN Security Council for example has included attacks on schools as grounds for targeted sanctions against the people who commit them, for example by imposing travel bans and by seizing the assets of the men who order the men with guns to attack schools.

I would encourage all UN Member States here to work together to develop a political declaration to build on the steps already taken in the Security Council.

Funding for education in protracted crises, including conflict, is also massively below what is needed to get children into school. That is one of the reasons why, from the funds that I manage – the Central Emergency Response Fund and the Country-Based Pooled Funds – I have this year made education a priority.

I have asked all the Humanitarian Coordinators working for the UN around the world to give me more proposals of how they can protect schools and support education through the funds we manage.

The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, which includes our partners in the UN and the humanitarian community, has also been working with governments to protect schools and the rights of students. And we see some results from that. Aid partners’ concerted efforts in South Sudan led to 27 schools which had been occupied by men with guns being vacated by Government armed forces in 2015.

These organizations are often working in very difficult conditions. In the past year, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Kasai region affected by conflict, where scores of schools were attacked or destroyed, my colleagues at UNICEF provided education to more than 270,000 girls and boys despite the difficulties of access and funding.

But we have to do a lot better than what we are doing at the moment. Especially on three key priorities.

Firstly, we need every country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.

Secondly, when countries sign up for the declaration, they have to implement the obligations under it. For every good example – like the one I mentioned before from the Government of South Sudan leaving schools – we are seeing too many examples of forces occupying schools. That has to stop.

And thirdly, we need consistent and longer-term funding of the education in humanitarian response plans. In 2018, while sixty per cent of the total of the humanitarian activities in the humanitarian response plans the UN coordinates were financed, which meant that we raised a record amount of money, US$15 billion, only eleven per cent of the funding needed for education were financed.

The choices of what gets financed and what doesn’t gets financed are made by donors. The agencies and the UN present a plan. The governments and the donors decide what to finance. And one of the things we all have to do is to persuade governments that in the future they need to finance education more.

So, for the sake of Khaled, that little boy I met in Homs, and countless of other children I went to talk to over the two years I have been in this job, we have to leap up our efforts to do much better both for them, but also as a wise investment for our own future.

Thank you.

This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 73 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including:

• Anthrax outbreak in Guinea
  
• Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  
• Humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic
  
• Humanitarian crisis in Nigeria
  
• Yellow fever in Uganda.

For each of these events, a brief description, followed by public health measures implemented and an interpretation of the situation is provided.

A table is provided at the end of the bulletin with information on all new and ongoing public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as recent events that have largely been controlled and thus closed.

Major issues and challenges include:

• The humanitarian crises in both Central African Republic and North East Nigeria continue, with healthcare delivery disruption through directly targeted attacks or as a result of collateral damage. Healthcare staff, partners and local authorities continue to provide care in these insecure environments and should be commended. However, increased support from the local and international community in terms of both human resources, interventions to improve security measures, as well as funding, is much needed to ensure the appropriate humanitarian assistance is provided to the affected populations.

• Cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) continue to be confirmed in North Kivu and Ituri provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at an alarming rate, with security problems and community resistance a continuing problem. The announcement this week of a new UN Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator to oversee the coordination of international support for the Ebola response and ensure that appropriate security and political measures are in place to enable the Ebola response is a positive move. Working to support the Government in strengthening political engagement and operational support to negotiate access safely to communities in all areas and increase support for humanitarian coordination will be key to controlling the outbreak.

Summary

The ongoing and escalating Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains a serious public health threat to South Sudan. Since the outbreak in DRC was announced in August 2018, the Government of South Sudan and its partners have been working collectively to carry out activities in high-risk locations1 to prevent the spread of EVD to the country, and to enhance readiness to respond in the event of an outbreak.

Between August 2018 and March 2019, under the first iteration of the EVD Preparedness Plan, South Sudan’s preparedness has improved significantly, as recognized by the findings of successive Joint Monitoring Missions (JMMs). Generous and timely donor contributions have enabled, amongst others, the setting up of 24 functioning screening sites at border points of entry; the establishment of four isolation units with dedicated ambulances; the training of 900 frontline health care workers and community volunteers on signs, symptoms and protective measures, including infection prevention and control; the training and equipping of 28 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to respond to alerts; and the pre-positioning of personal protective equipment (PPE) in high-risk locations including screening and surveillance points.

This second iteration of the EVD Preparedness Plan, covering the period from April to September 2019, consolidates and sustains achievements to date, while prioritizing other critical activities to prevent and control a possible Ebola outbreak in South Sudan.

An additional $12 million is required to reach the required preparedness thresholds.
Priorities include:

1. Maintaining improvements made in surveillance and screening; enhancing supervision of isolation units; and continuing the training cadres of health professionals through on the job mentoring and regular supportive supervision;

2. Strengthening and expanding risk communications and community mobilization; increasing targeted training of health and community workers; upgrading three holding units to establish three additional phase two isolation unit status; enhancing coordination structures; and consolidating information management and reporting; and

3. Improving community surveillance; and putting in place a 72-hour response plan.

The plan has been developed by the EVD National Task Force (NTF), based on inputs from respective Technical Working Groups (TWGs). It is intended to inform all stakeholders about the focus and prioritization of prevention and preparedness activities to be conducted over the coming six months, guiding the deployment of technical and financial resources.

BURKINA FASO

GUNMEN KILL FOUR IN CHURCH ATTACK

Armed men on 26 May opened fire on worshipers at a church in Toulfé area near the northern Djibo town. They killed four people and wounded several others.
The attack is the fifth of its kind since April. Four people were killed on 13 May when armed attackers ambushed a church procession. A day earlier six others were shot dead when gunmen attacked a Sunday mass congregation.
Armed violence and insecurity have worsened in northern Burkina Faso since the start of the year, forcing more than 170,000 people to flee their homes, and sparking an unprecedented humanitarian emergency.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

GUNMEN KILL 34 CIVILIANS

Armed men killed at least 34 civilians on 21 May in villages near the north-western Paoua town, the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA reported. Some of the victims were reportedly tied up before being killed. The attack drew strong international condemnation. The killings were the single largest loss of life since the Government and armed groups signed a peace agreement in February.

ATTACKS ON AID WORKERS PERSIST

Between January and April, 90 incidents of insecurity against humanitarian workers were recorded. About half of the incidents were robberies, others were acts of aggression as well as the killing of three aid workers. While the overall number of incidents has remained the same compared with January-April 2018, the proportion of physical assaults has increased. The highest numbers of incidents were in Bambari, Batangafo, Bria and Kaga-Bandoro towns.

CHAD

FOUR KILLED IN FARMER - HERDER CLASHES

Clashes between herders and farmers on 21 May claimed three lives in Doba locality in southern Chad. A fourth person was killed in a similar clash near Gore locality, also in the south of the country. So far this year, four separate farmer-herder clashes have been reported in southern Chad, where such clashes are recurrent. Droughts, restricted transhumance and diminishing pastures are some of the triggers.

DR CONGO

OVER 130 ATTACKS AGAINST EBOLA TEAMS

Some 132 attacks or violent acts against Ebola response staff and facilities were recorded between August 2018 and 20 May 2019, the Ministry of Health said in a 24 May report. Four people were killed and 38 injured.
Insecurity and community mistrust of the response operations have hampered the efforts to bring the outbreak under control. As of 25 May, the virus had claimed more than 1,200 lives, with over 1,800 cases recorded.

NIGERIA

OVER 1.2 MILLION VACCINATED AGAINST MEASLES

WHO, UNICEF, Gavi Alliance and health authorities have vaccinated more than 1.2 million children against measles in the north-eastern Borno state. More than 28,000 suspected cases and 89 deaths have been reported since the start of the year. Borno has been the worst affected with over 15,000, according to WHO.

BURKINA FASO

ATTAQUE CONTRE UNE ÉGLISE,
QUATRE PERSONNES TUÉES

Le 26 mai, des hommes armés ont ouvert le feu sur des fidèles dans une église de Toulfé, près de la ville de Djibo, dans le nord du pays.
Ils ont tué quatre personnes et en ont blessé plusieurs autres. Cette attaque est la cinquième du genre depuis avril. Quatre personnes ont été tuées le 13 mai lorsque des assaillants ont tendu une embuscade à une procession religieuse. La veille, six autres personnes ont été tuées par balle lorsque des hommes armés ont attaqué une assemblée de messe dominicale. La violence armée et l'insécurité se sont aggravées dans le nord du Burkina Faso depuis le début de l'année, forçant plus de 170 000 personnes à fuir leur foyer et provoquant une urgence humanitaire sans précédent.

RÉPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE

DES HOMMES ARMÉS TUENT 34 CIVILS

Des hommes armés ont tué au moins 34 civils le 21 mai dans des villages près de la ville de Paoua, dans le nord-ouest du pays, a rapporté la mission de maintien de la paix des Nations unies, MINUSCA. Certaines des victimes auraient été ligotées avant d'être tuées.
L'attentat a suscité une forte condamnation internationale. Il s'agit de la plus grande perte en vies humaines depuis que le Gouvernement et les groupes armés ont signé un accord de paix en février.

PERSISTANCE DES ATTAQUES CONTRE LES HUMANITAIRES

Entre janvier et avril, 90 incidents de sécurité contre des travailleurs humanitaires ont été enregistrés. Environ la moitié des incidents étaient des vols qualifiés, d'autres étaient des actes d'agression ainsi que l'assassinat de trois travailleurs humanitaires. Bien que le nombre total d'incidents soit demeuré le même qu'en janvier-avril 2018, la proportion d'agressions physiques a augmenté. Le nombre d'incidents le plus élevé a été noté dans les villes de Bambari, Batangafo, Bria et Kaga-Bandoro.

TCHAD

QUATRE MORTS LORS D’AFFRONTEMENTS ENTRE AGRICULTEURS ET ÉLEVEURS

Des affrontements entre éleveurs et agriculteurs le 21 mai ont fait trois morts dans la localité de Doba, dans le sud du Tchad. Une quatrième personne a été tuée lors d'un affrontement similaire près de la localité de Gore, également dans le sud du pays. Depuis le début de l'année, quatre affrontements entre agriculteurs et éleveurs ont été signalés dans le sud du Tchad, où de tels heurts sont récurrents. Sécheresses, transhumance restreinte et diminution des pâturages sont quelques-uns des facteurs déclenchants.

RD CONGO

EBOLA : PLUS DE 130 ATTAQUES CONTRE LE PERSONNEL MEDICAL

Quelque 132 attaques ou actes violents contre le personnel et les installations de la riposte contre Ebola ont été enregistrés entre août 2018 et le 20 mai 2019, a indiqué le Ministère de la santé dans un rapport du 24 mai. Quatre personnes ont été tuées et 38 blessées. L'insécurité et la méfiance de la communauté à l'égard des opérations de réponse ont entravé les efforts visant à maîtriser l'épidémie. Au 25 mai, le virus avait fait plus de 1 200 victimes, avec plus de 1 800 cas enregistrés.

NIGERIA

PLUS DE 1,2 MILLION DE PERSONNES VACCINÉES CONTRE LA ROUGEOLE

L'OMS, l'UNICEF, l'Alliance Gavi et les autorités sanitaires ont vacciné plus de 1,2 million d'enfants contre la rougeole dans l'État de Borno, au nord-est du pays. Plus de 28 000 cas suspects et 89 décès ont été signalés depuis le début de l'année. Borno a été le plus touché avec plus de 15 000 personnes, selon l'OMS.