The West and Central Africa Advantage

Smallpox eradication in West and Central Africa.

The history of smallpox eradication in the 20 countries of West and Central Africa from Mauritania to Zaire is recounted, including background, evolution of strategy, assessment, maintenance, costs, and significance of the campaign. Smallpox was endemic in these countries, peaking each year at the end of the spring dry season, usually occurring in isolated villages only periodically. The aver...

The Taeniasis-cysticercosis Complex in West and Central Africa

Taenia solium is present in most of the countries of West and Central Africa with the exception of strict Muslim areas, where pigs are not raised and pork is not eaten for religious reasons. Although the first reports about human and porcine cysticercosis date from the fifties, extensive surveys have only been carried out in a few countries such as Benin, Cameroon, and Togo. However, a lot of c...

Monkeypox and whitepox viruses in West and Central Africa.

Prospects for the eradication of smallpox are now highly encouraging. With the cessation of man-to-man transmission, the question of possible animal reservoirs of smallpox becomes increasingly important. During the period 1970-1975, 20 cases of a smallpox-like disease were detected in smallpox-free areas of tropical rain forest in West and Central Africa. Epidemiological and virological investi...

Emergence of Monkeypox — West and Central Africa, 1970–2017

The recent apparent increase in human monkeypox cases across a wide geographic area, the potential for further spread, and the lack of reliable surveillance have raised the level of concern for this emerging zoonosis. In November 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with CDC, hosted an informal consultation on monkeypox with researchers, global health partners, ministries...

Study on Migration Routes in West and Central Africa