This Operations Update presents the extent of the operation timeframe until 23 December 2016, and the launch of an emergency Appeal in July 2016 that seeks a total of CHF 1,443,961 to support scale up of social mobilization activities around the expanded nationwide vaccination campaign, community based surveillance, vector control environmental sanitation and National Society Capacity building.
DG ECHO has supported the replenishment of this operation. The major donors and partners of the DREF include the Red Cross Societies and governments of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA, as well as DG ECHO, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) the Medtronic and Zurich Foundations and other corporate and private donors.
The Emergency Appeal since its launch on the 1st of July has received pledges from the Canadian Government through the Canadian Red Cross Society and the Japanese Red Cross Society. The IFRC, on behalf of the Cruz Vermelha de Angola would like to extend many thanks to all partners for their generous contributions.
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
The largest outbreak of yellow fever in 30 years in Angola is currently ongoing. The outbreak was detected in Luanda, Angola in late December 2015, with the first cases being laboratory confirmed on 19 January 2016. An immediate response was launched by the Angolan Ministry of Health and its partners. Despite initial efforts, the outbreak rapidly increased in size and scale, spread across the country and resulted in exportation of cases to at least 4 other countries.
This exportation resulted in confirmed local transmission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including the capital city of Kinshasa. The response to the yellow fever outbreak in Angola is complicated by both the limited vaccine supply and the ongoing outbreaks in DRC and a concurrent but separate outbreak that is ongoing in Uganda. The risk for further cross border transmission, extension of the outbreak in Angola and DRC, as well as the potential spread of yellow fever to other countries increases the complexity and urgency of the response to the outbreak in Angola and the surrounding countries.
The Angola Yellow Fever outbreak is diminishing in intensity as result of massive vaccination campaign. As of the 15th of July and according to the WHO Situation Report there have been a total of 3,116 suspected cases (877 laboratory confirmed) and 361 (CFR 10.0%) deaths reported among suspected cases. Laboratory confirmed cases have been confirmed in 16 of Angolas 18 provinces and in 79 out of 125 districts Currently, transmission has been documented in 44 districts and 11 provinces of Angolas 18 provinces.
Based on the census data for these districts the population identified for vaccination was 13,309,786.
Independent monitoring undertaken by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicated that the population data to calculate vaccine coverage may have been heavily underestimated, which may explain ongoing transmission in areas thought to be a 100% covered by vaccination. The population data for coverage has since been expanded to 15,289,549 people now being targeted.
Vaccination response has been carried out since late January. Selected areas of Luanda started a mop-up campaign to address pockets of low coverage detected by independent monitors. As of the 15th of July, 83% of this population were vaccinated (12,697,188). In recent weeks’ suspected and confirmed cases have decline suggesting the vaccination campaign is having the desired effect of breaking transmission. No district has reported new yellow fever case in the week preceding the 15th of July. To help address these issues a ‘mop up’ campaign has been planned in Luanda in the coming weeks, as well as additional vaccination in new areas identified with cases of local transmission, or at risk for further spread.