Update on Wild Poliovirus Type 1 Outbreak - Southeastern Africa, 2021-2022.

Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) began in 1988, the number of wild poliovirus (WPV) cases has declined by >99.99%. Five of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions have been certified free of indigenous WPV, and WPV serotypes 2 and 3 have been declared eradicated globally (1). WPV type 1 (WPV1) remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan (2,3). Before the outbreak described in this report, WPV1 had not been detected in southeastern Africa since the 1990s, and on August 25, 2020, the WHO African Region was certified free of indigenous WPV (4). On February 16, 2022, WPV1 infection was confirmed in one child living in Malawi, with onset of paralysis on November 19, 2021. Genomic sequence analysis of the isolated poliovirus indicated that it originated in Pakistan (5). Cases were subsequently identified in Mozambique. This report summarizes progress in the outbreak response since the initial report (5). During November 2021-December 2022, nine children and adolescents with paralytic polio caused by WPV1 were identified in southeastern Africa: one in Malawi and eight in Mozambique. Malawi, Mozambique, and three neighboring countries at high risk for WPV1 importation (Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) responded by increasing surveillance and organizing up to six rounds of national and subnational polio supplementary immunization activities (SIAs).* Although no cases of paralytic WPV1 infection have been reported in Malawi since November 2021 or in Mozambique since August 2022, undetected transmission might be ongoing because of poliovirus surveillance gaps and testing delays. Efforts to further enhance poliovirus surveillance sensitivity, improve SIA quality, and strengthen routine immunization are needed to ensure that WPV1 transmission has been interrupted within 12 months of the first case, thereby preserving the WHO African Region's WPV-free status.

Determinants of uterine rupture among cases of Adama city public and private hospitals, Oromia, Ethiopia: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia is among the ten world countries with highest maternal death rates that accounts for more than 59% of global maternal deaths. Uterine rupture is one of the dangerous obstetric problems with high potential of causing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The case fatality rate of uterine rupture is high and hence identifying factors associated with uterine rupture remains important to guide decision makers and practitioners. The study aimed to identify factors associated with uterine rupture among clients managed in Adama city public and private hospitals during January 2011 to December, 2015. METHODS: Unmatched case control study design was employed. The sample size was determined using computer software considering the basic statistical assumptions and accordingly a total of 432 women, (144 with uterine rupture as cases and 288 with spontaneous vaginal delivery as controls) managed in all hospitals during the study period were included in the study. A data collection tool that contains available variables was designed and used to extract data from log books and client cards. Data were entered into EPI-Info-7 and exported to Stata-12 for cleaning and analysis. The study participants were characterized using descriptive statistics. The associations between uterine rupture and independent variables were modeled using binary logistic regression analysis. The association between independent variables and uterine rupture was estimated using odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals. The statistical significance of the association was declared at P-value < 0.05. RESULTS: The odds of having a uterine rupture were found to be more than six times higher among rural residents (AOR = 6.29; 95% CI: 3.39, 11.66) compared to urban. Other independent predictors include gravidity of five or more (AOR = 27.89; 95% CI: 8.42, 92.34), having a history of cesarean section scar (AOR = 9.94; 95% CI: 3.39, 11.66) and not having an antenatal care visit (AOR = 9.64; 95% CI: 4.37, 21.29). CONCLUSION: Rural residence, multigravidas, cesarean section scar and not having an antenatal care visit were independent predictors of uterine rupture in the current study. Therefore, improving access and strengthening essential obstetric care, antenatal and family planning services with complete packages are crucial interventions in the reduction of the odds of having uterine rupture. In addition, the strengthening of the referral system is mandatory for women residing in rural areas.

Polio Surge Capacity Support Program Contributions to Building Country Capacities in Support of Polio Outbreak Preparedness and Response: Lessons Learned and Remaining Challenges.

Despite coordinated efforts at global level, through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), poliomyelitis disease (Polio) is still a major public health issue. The wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and new circulations of the WPV1 were confirmed in southeast Africa in 2021, in Malawi and Mozambique. The circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV) are also causing outbreaks worldwide. The Task Force for Global Health (TFGH)'s Polio Surge Capacity Support Program, established in 2019, is an effort to reinforce the existing partnership with the GPEI to strengthen countries' capacities for polio outbreak preparedness and response. In four years, its coordinated efforts with GPEI partners have resulted in a remarkable improvement in the early detection of poliovirus circulation and reducing the missed children gaps in many countries. However, these encouraging results cannot hide an increasingly complex programmatic environment with numerous funding and operational challenges.

Contact Tracing during an Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the Western Area Districts of Sierra Leone: Lessons for Future Ebola Outbreak Response.

INTRODUCTION: Contact tracing is a critical strategy required for timely prevention and control of Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks. Available evidence suggests that poor contact tracing was a driver of the EVD outbreak in West Africa, including Sierra Leone. In this article, we answered the question as to whether EVD contact tracing, as practiced in Western Area (WA) districts of Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2015, was effective. The goal is to describe contact tracing and identify obstacles to its effective implementation. METHODS: Mixed methods comprising secondary data analysis of the EVD case and contact tracing data sets collected from WA during the period from 2014 to 2015, key informant interviews of contact tracers and their supervisors, and a review of available reports on contact tracing were implemented to obtain data for this study. RESULTS: During the study period, 3,838 confirmed cases and 32,706 contacts were listed in the viral hemorrhagic fever and contact databases for the district (mean 8.5 contacts per case). Only 22.1% (852) of the confirmed cases in the study area were listed as contacts at the onset of their illness, which indicates incomplete identification and tracing of contacts. Challenges associated with effective contact tracing included lack of community trust, concealing of exposure information, political interference with recruitment of tracers, inadequate training of contact tracers, and incomplete EVD case and contact database. While the tracers noted the usefulness of community quarantine in facilitating their work, they also reported delayed or irregular supply of basic needs, such as food and water, which created resistance from the communities. CONCLUSION: Multiple gaps in contact tracing attributed to a variety of factors associated with implementers, and communities were identified as obstacles that impeded timely control of the EVD outbreak in the WA of Sierra Leone. In future outbreaks, early community engagement and participation in contact tracing, establishment of appropriate mechanisms for selection, adequate training and supervision of qualified contact tracers, establishment of a well-managed and complete contact tracing database, and provision of basic needs to quarantined contacts are recommended as measures to enhance effective contact tracing.