GLIC Early Warning Report Series 2.16 (02 – 06Dec. 2024)
International Public Health
Cameroon
Health Cameroon Cracks Down on Counterfeit Drugs: A Public Health Emergency
In a circular dated November 5, 2024, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie, ordered an immediate halt to the distribution, dispensation, and administration of counterfeit Litacold tablets (containing chlorphenamine maleate, phenylephrine hydrochloride, caffeine, and paracetamol). The directive followed reports of counterfeit Litacold circulating within Cameroon, despite the absence of authorization for marketing (Amm) from the Ministry of Public Health. The authentic Litacold is approved under authorization number 1138201, issued on October 22, 2018, and manufactured by Generic Healthcare Pvt Ltd, India. Litacold is not the only counterfeit product flagged by the Ministry. On November 4, 2024, the Minister also alerted the public about fake versions of Cyteal Foaming Solution (250 ml bottles) on the market, based on a notification from the pharmaceutical company Pierre Fabre.
Cameroon Concord: https://www.cameroon-concord.com/health/cameroon-cracks-down-on-counterfeit-drugs-a-public-health-emergency
Ethiopia
Ethiopia Intensifies Battle Against Antimicrobial Resistance Amid Global Crisis
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a silent yet devastating global health crisis, has emerged as one of the most pressing threats to public health, rendering once-effective drugs ineffective and putting millions of lives at risk. The phenomenon, where bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs, has made critical treatments increasingly ineffective, jeopardizing lives and straining global health systems. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO), drug-resistant pathogens claim 1.3 million lives annually and contribute to nearly five million more deaths worldwide. Children under five bear the brunt, with one million succumbing each year—a figure surpassing the combined fatalities from HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
Uganda
Health Uganda reports 3 more mpox deaths as confirmed cases hit 784
Henry Kyobe Bosa, incident commander at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, told Xinhua over the phone that two deaths were recorded at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, about 40 km south of Kampala. Kyobe said those deceased include an eight-month-old baby boy and a 23-year-old woman from the central district of Wakiso, and a 40-year-old man from the mid-western district of Kikuube. Uganda confirmed and registered its first death in October in the mid-western district of Masindi. The latest situation report issued on Monday showed that the cumulative number of confirmed infections had hit 784. Authorities have intensified preventive measures, including enhanced surveillance, case management, risk communication and community engagement, and public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the virus.
Source: https://english.news.cn/africa/20241203/aee2ff1b3ebe42118a9457e23c5e65dc/c.html
East and Southern Africa
51 million children at epicenter of overlapping crises across Eastern and Southern Africa
At least 51 million children across Eastern and Southern Africa are at the epicenter of multiple crises, including relentless climate shocks, public health emergencies, conflict, and economic impacts. This is a sharp increase of 6 million children in need compared to the previous year, signaling a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region. To support its regional response, UNICEF is appealing for USD 1.2 billion in vital, flexible funding to prioritize the needs and rights of underserved children and communities in the region.
International Security
Chad and Senegal
Chad breaks off military pact with France; Senegal wants French troops out
Against a backdrop of Russia’s ambitions to expand its foothold on the African continent, Chad’s government abruptly ended a defense cooperation agreement with former colonial power France. Chad’s decision will require French troops — around a thousand are reportedly stationed there — to leave the landlocked Central African country. Chad is the latest nation asking France to withdraw its forces, after Paris was forced to pull its military out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following military coups. Just a few hours earlier, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said France should close its military bases in his country.
Mediterranean, Africa
Russia is evacuating its military fleet from Syria following an offensive by rebels
Russia has begun withdrawing ships from its naval base in Tartus, Syria, after a rapid advance by Islamist rebel forces. On December 2, the tanker “Yelnya,” crucial for supporting Russian forces in the Mediterranean, departed Tartus. Other vessels may have left the base along with it. The Russian naval group in Syria consists of five ships and one submarine, including two “Admiral Gorshkov” class frigates, one “Admiral Grigorovich” class frigate, an upgraded “Kilo” class submarine, and two auxiliary vessels. There’s a real possibility that the withdrawal is linked to the deteriorating situation in Syria,” said maritime analyst Droxford Maritime. Following the withdrawal of Russian ships, the Tartus base may be abandoned, with Russia likely to send the ships to the Baltic Sea. They could stop at ports in Algeria or Libya along the way.
Odessa Journal: https://odessa-journal.com/russia-is-evacuating-its-military-fleet-from-syria-following-an-offensive-by-rebels
Iran
Iran close to nuclear weapons – France
Iran could acquire a nuclear weapon within months, Nicolas Lerner, the head of the French Foreign Intelligence Service, has claimed. Lerner made the remarks in Paris alongside Richard Moore, the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service. He described Tehran’s nuclear program as one of the greatest concerns for Paris and London. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and that it does not seek to develop a weapon. However, Tehran has increased uranium enrichment to 60%, according to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To be used in a nuclear bomb, it must be enriched to more than 90%.
Russia Today: https://www.rt.com/news/608457-iran-close-nuclear-weapons/
Climate Change and Environmental Security
USA
7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes California |
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items off grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents described a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries from the quake, which was the most powerful temblor to hit California since a magnitude 7.1 quake hit Ridgecrest in 2019.
AP News: https://apnews.com/article/california-earthquake-tsunami-warning-e1c73514097b78dfc082e40f98d0d426
Spain
Spain’s flood fury: Thousands of furious protesters rally in Valencia
Thousands of heated protesters have poured into the streets of Valencia, marking a month since floods ravaged towns and killed 222 in the region alone. The catastrophic rainfall saw homes and businesses demolished as well as thousands of cars piled up in the muddy streets of the eastern region of Spain on October 29. The floods, which were the worst in a generation, killed 230 in total in the country, with telephone alerts reaching residents when water was already raging through towns. Many have been demanding that Valencia’s President, Carlos Mazon, step down with Spaniards furious that the government hadn’t alerted citizens until it was too late.
