UN Supports Ethiopia Amid Suspected Deadly Virus Outbreak

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (file)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Ethiopia as the country faces a suspected viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak in the south, the UN agency said on Thursday.

So far, eight possible cases have been reported in the South Ethiopia Region, and laboratory testing is ongoing to determine the exact cause. Health workers are among those infected, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet.

What is viral haemorrhagic fever?

Viral haemorrhagic fevers are a group of epidemic-prone diseases caused by several distinct families of viruses, including Marburg and Ebola virus diseases, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, and Lassa fever.

They range from relatively mild to severely life-threatening and are characterised by sudden onset of muscle and joint pain, fever, bleeding, and shock from blood loss. Severe cases may involve bleeding from orifices and internal organs. Transmission varies by disease, including contact with symptomatic patients, exposure during slaughtering practices, and direct contact with rodents or their droppings, as in Lassa fever.

Medical response and support

“WHO has deployed experts to the affected towns, along with medicines and other materials to support care for people in need, and personal protective equipment for health workers,” Tedros said.

The 11 technical officers will assist in areas including disease surveillance, investigation, testing, and infection prevention and control. The agency is also providing essential supplies, including a rapidly deployable isolation tent to enhance clinical care and management capacity.

Tedros released $300,000 from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies to provide immediate support to national authorities.

“WHO’s offices in Ethiopia and South Sudan are collaborating closely to prevent potential cross-border transmission,” he added. The agency “is ready to scale up support as and when needed.”