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175 cases of H1N1 influenza reported in Africa
News - Africa news
H1N1 influenza. At least 175 laboratories have confirmed human cases of H1N1 influenza in 12 African countries. However,they has been no death, according to a statement from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO).
Out of the 12 countries, South Africa is the worst affected with 119 cases confirmed as of 22 July 2009 followed by Kenya with 22 cases.
Other countries on the list are Algeria (9 cases), Uganda (7), Cape Verde (4) and Ethiopia (3) as well as five others countries with two cases each and Tanzania with a single infection.
The five nations recording two cases each are C?te d?Ivoire, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia and Seychelles, says a WHO/AFRO update accessed by PANA on Friday.
The Brazzaville-based WHO Regional Office for Africa explains that all countries in the region have activated their national emergency preparedness and contingency response plans.
Crisis management teams have been put in place at the Brazzaville headquarters and sub-regional levels to work closely with countries to boost their disease surveillance and ensure that any suspected case of the H1N1 pandemic is promptly detected, it says.
At the sub-regional level the inter-country support teams are based in Zimbabwe, Gabon and Burkina Faso.
Also, it adds, stockpiles of relevant medicines have been dispatched to all countries in the region as well as mapping laboratory and human resources capability at country and regional levels.
This is meant to enable WHO to help its member states respond rapidly to any suspected outbreak.
Advising the public "not to panic", it recommends instead the necessary preventive measures such as washing if hands and respiratory etiquette in households, communities, health care facilities as well as in other settings where people gather.
Dakar - 24/07/2009