AGP Executive Report

Mpox Update: WHO says Africa drove about 75% of global mpox cases in July, with 11 African countries reporting active transmission and a low case fatality ratio of 0.6%. Kenya Nurses’ Strike: After a 43-day walkout, Kenyan nurses returned to work after government commitments from nearly a decade ago still haven’t been fully met. Digital Health in Togo: Clinicaa launched X-rayVision, a teleradiology platform to speed up imaging reports by linking facilities to remote radiologists. Neurology Access in Kenya: A smartphone-linked portable EEG trial in Kenya achieved 96% clinically interpretable results, cutting delays for suspected epilepsy diagnoses. Maternal Health Pressure in Ghana: UNFPA warns Ghana’s maternal health gains are at risk without stronger rural incentives. Specialist Care Camp (Tanzania/Egypt): A five-day medical camp in Mwanza will bring Tanzanian and Egyptian specialists to serve 300–400 people with brain, spine, nerve and ENT care. Health Financing (Nigeria): Nigeria’s health reform push is urged to shift from donor dependence to stronger domestic funding, with tax reforms flagged as key. Public Health & Climate: El Niño is strengthening toward a “very strong” event, raising health risks from extreme heat, floods and drought across the region.

Ebola Surge in DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo reports 7,022 Ebola cases and 3,398 deaths, with officials saying the peak may have passed as spread slows in some health zones. Diabetes Warning in Kenya: Experts warn of a “hidden” diabetes crisis, saying official numbers may be far below reality as obesity and chronic disease rise. Cosmetic Procedure Risk (Nigeria): A Nigerian-British influencer’s death after a penile enlargement procedure in Thailand is linked to fatal pulmonary embolism, reigniting debate on elective surgery safety. Cancer Imaging Breakthrough (US): FDA approval of Telix’s Pixclara (FET-PET) offers a new way to distinguish recurrent/progressive glioma from treatment changes. Health Tech in Saudi (KFSH): King Faisal Specialist Hospital rolls out AI that turns radiology reports into patient-friendly explanations in Arabic and English. Pharma Regulation Push (Egypt): Egypt’s PM backs efforts to strengthen local drug production and regulatory capacity, including WHO recognition progress. Nursing Workforce Crisis: International leaders warn unethical recruitment practices and highlight a far larger global nursing shortage than previously estimated. Lassa Prevention Shift (Nigeria): Experts urge continuous, not seasonal, prevention campaigns as Lassa risk persists. Ghana Domestic Violence Act Test: Commentary questions whether survivors can realistically access protection and support services. Drug Transit Alarm (Ghana): Reports of major cocaine seizures tied to Ghana raise concerns about trafficking routes and port security.

Ebola Watch (DR Congo): The DRC’s worst Ebola outbreak has surpassed 7,000 cases, with officials warning the spread is continuing across provinces and urging stronger response capacity. Public Health Nutrition: New research links adding a serving of nuts to daily meals with a lower risk of hypertension, reinforcing the role of diet in preventing heart and stroke disease. AI Governance for Health: South Africa’s President Ramaphosa urged BRICS to set up an independent mechanism to scientifically evaluate AI, warning that frontier systems must be governable to protect society, including healthcare. Air Quality Monitoring (Addis Ababa): Addis Ababa has deployed digital monitoring apps to track urban air pollution and target high-emission hotspots, citing an aging vehicle fleet as a major risk. Clinical Research Capacity (Kenya): Kenya mourns pioneering cardiologist Dr David Silverstein, credited with helping establish the first cardiac catheterisation lab at Kenyatta National Hospital and training early post-independence doctors. Health & Rights (Libya): Nigerian women and infants in Libyan detention have appealed for urgent evacuation and medical support, alleging malnutrition and extortion in overcrowded facilities. Youth, Work & Mental Health (Namibia): Namibia’s #BeFree Big Talk pushed youth unemployment solutions toward practical community-led SDG projects, including mental health and entrepreneurship.

Ebola Surge in DR Congo: Congolese authorities report 7,022 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,398 deaths, with spread now confirmed in a seventh province; officials say the outbreak may have peaked in early August, but schools in Ituri are seeing cases and health teams warn of undercounting in hard-to-reach areas. Gonorrhea & Antibiotic Resistance: A new focus on gonorrhea highlights how Neisseria gonorrhoeae is rapidly developing resistance, shrinking treatment options and stressing the need for better monitoring and new therapies. Health Systems & Transplants: King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH) says it completed 130 paired kidney transplants in 2025, the highest reported by a single center, using wider compatibility matching to reduce donor shortages. Media Freedom Under Pressure: Lesotho’s Newsday editor Kananelo Boloetse was abducted and beaten after reporting on education financing, underscoring risks to journalists and public access to information. Food Safety Watch: A UK food hygiene score roundup lists multiple Hertfordshire businesses with 1/5 ratings, renewing calls for stricter hygiene and oversight.

Ebola Surge in DR Congo: Congo’s Ebola outbreak has climbed past 7,000 confirmed cases, with 3,398 deaths reported and spread now reaching a seventh province, though authorities say the peak has passed and urge continued contact tracing and vigilance. Clinical Trials Boost: Africa CDC and CEPI launched a new public database linking vaccine developers to African Phase 1 trial sites, aiming to speed up outbreak vaccine testing across 17 countries. Health System Under Strain: A new report warns that drone strikes and hospital raids are pushing Ethiopia’s health system toward collapse, with health workers facing repeated attacks and looting. Diabetes & Obesity Drugs in Kenya: Ozempic and Wegovy have been introduced in Kenya for type 2 diabetes and weight management, but experts stress affordability and early diagnosis will shape real impact. Traditional Medicine Pathway: Kenya is urged to integrate traditional medicine into formal care with safety checks, documentation, and evidence that protects indigenous knowledge. Public Health & Policy: South Africa’s taxman is targeting a medical services firm tied to a major police health contract, while Nigeria’s NAFDAC leadership faces renewed scrutiny over protecting medicines and public health.

Ebola Surge in DR Congo: DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 7,000 cases with nearly 3,400 deaths, spreading to 62 health zones across seven provinces after a new case was confirmed in Sud-Ubangi. Cancer Care Upgrade in Africa: King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH) in Saudi Arabia says it has built local CAR-T cell manufacturing, cutting production time and cost versus imported therapy. Food Security Pressure in Kenya: Potato prices in Kenya jumped sharply as reduced supplies and higher transport costs hit markets, with retail prices rising to about Sh80 per kg. Public Health & Regulation Alarm in Nigeria: Commentaries warn that internal bottlenecks and corruption at NAFDAC are undermining protection of medicines and food safety. Drug Trafficking Spotlight: French customs seized nearly 3.9 metric tons of cocaine worth about €225m hidden in plastic-waste shipments from Ghana. Mental Health Inclusion: Ghana’s Mental Health Society urges disability inclusion in policy design, implementation and budgeting. Clean Air Push in Rwanda: Rwanda marked Clean Air Day with calls for collective action to protect health, especially children. Child Safety in Focus: Nigeria’s Abia police arrested a father over alleged severe abuse of his 13-year-old son, with the victim receiving medical attention.

Ebola Surge in DR Congo: Congo’s Ebola outbreak has crossed 7,000 confirmed cases with nearly 3,400 deaths, now affecting 62 health zones across seven provinces after Sud-Ubangi reported a fatal case linked to travel through multiple provinces. Africa CDC Warning: Africa’s top health body says cases are declining in Ituri but rising sharply in North Kivu and Haut-Uele, with insecurity, displacement, health worker strikes and population movement slowing response. Health System Strain: WHO says DR Congo needs 5,000 more health workers and additional treatment capacity to contain the fast-spreading outbreak. Clean Cooking Push: AP reports growing uptake of cleaner induction cooking in Kenya as households cut smoke exposure and costs, highlighting how limited access to cleaner fuels still affects nearly 1 billion people across Africa. Sickle Cell Hope: FDA-approved sickle cell gene therapy is offering long-term hope for patients, while community groups continue awareness and blood-donation drives. Governance & Health Data: Namibia rejects US demands for health data sharing tied to HIV funding, citing sovereignty and privacy as support is set to end after 2027. Election Rights Watch: Nigeria’s civil society group NDD urges review of El-Rufai’s prolonged detention, warning against due-process erosion. Climate Reporting Boost: MESHA selects six African newsrooms for a climate solutions journalism programme to shift coverage from problems to practical responses.

Ebola Watch (DR Congo): Africa CDC says the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak is spreading beyond Ituri, with sharp rises in North Kivu and Haut-Uele amid insecurity, displacement and health worker strikes—WHO warns it could surpass the 2014-16 West Africa toll. Malaria Prevention (Nigeria): Nigeria has started local production of next-generation dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets to tackle insecticide resistance, targeting 10 million nets annually and creating 600+ jobs. Primary Care Support (Kenya): Kakamega hospitals received oxygen equipment under an “Oxygen as a Service” push, aiming to boost safe oxygen therapy in 10 primary facilities. Breast Cancer Risk Tool: A new Clinical Breast Cancer study backs MammaTyper® LRP as a quantitative prognostic score for early luminal breast cancer, potentially guiding chemotherapy decisions. Fertility Access (Nigeria): Experts call Nigeria’s rising IVF capacity “reverse medical tourism,” urging stronger regulation and more local production of fertility drugs. Health Systems & Workforce: WHO and partners report ongoing Ebola vaccine delivery and the need for thousands more frontline workers as outbreaks expand. Public Health Education: Parents are urged to spot early signs of Type 1 diabetes, while health groups push to reduce myths and stigma around epilepsy.

Ebola Response in DR Congo: Africa CDC says the eastern Congo outbreak is still spreading beyond its epicentre despite a downward trend in Ituri, with sharp rises reported in North Kivu and Haut-Uele amid insecurity, displacement and health worker disruptions. Immunisation Push in Nigeria: eHealth Africa reports 23 million children vaccinated against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases across 205,000+ settlements in the first half of 2026, using digital microplans and improved vaccine delivery. Diphtheria Alert in Yobe: Yobe health authorities report 511 diphtheria cases and 13 deaths since January, with vaccination and contact tracing efforts underway in affected local governments. Surgery Access in Ghana: Mercy Ships returns to Ghana after 19 years, offering 1,900–2,600 free surgeries and 1,600–2,000 dental treatments through June 2027. Tobacco Tax Drive (Southern Africa): Southern African governments are urged to raise tobacco taxes to cut use, protect families—especially women and children—and fund health services. AI and Skin Health Equity: A new report highlights how AI skin tools can misdiagnose when training data lacks diversity, risking poorer accuracy for people with darker skin tones. Obstetric Fistula (West Africa): ECOWAS and ISOFS plan a Dakar congress to accelerate progress toward eliminating obstetric fistula by 2030. Local Health Capacity (Africa): Africa’s top health body warns Congo’s Ebola outbreak is rapidly spreading beyond the epicentre, calling for more resources and frontline support.

El Niño Health Prep (Kenya): Kenya’s Ministry of Health has activated an El Niño contingency plan after past long-rains flooding that damaged roads, water and power—raising risks of cholera, typhoid and other diarrhoeal diseases. Malaria Control (Nigeria): Vestergaard says it has started local production of PermaNet Dual mosquito nets, aiming for 10 million nets a year and targeting insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. Ebola Funding (UK/DRC & Uganda): The UK boosted its Ebola response support to £78.7m, backing DRC and Uganda plus wider regional preparedness as cases and deaths continue to rise. Cancer Risk (Hot Drinks): A large UK study links very hot tea and coffee to about a three-fold higher risk of esophageal cancer, urging people to cool drinks. Drug-Resistant Ringworm (Global): A resistant ringworm strain has been confirmed across 29 countries, with lab identifications rising—prompting clinicians to reassess rashes that don’t improve on standard treatment. Child Protection (Nigeria): A viral video alleging repeated sexual abuse of two girls has triggered calls for immediate professional investigation and safeguarding. Genomic Care (KFSH): King Faisal Specialist Hospital highlights a genomic medicine model that expands testing and uses pharmacogenomic alerts to change treatment in many cases. Women’s Education (Togo): Togo launched a second school kit campaign for 150,000+ girls under SWEDD+, expanding coverage to more than 1,500 localities. Clean Air in Schools (Ghana): Six Accra schools will pilot waste segregation and cleaner-air practices through the SCAWS project.

Ebola Watch (DR Congo): WHO says the outbreak is becoming “increasingly heterogeneous,” with community deaths rising sharply to 75% in one reporting week, pointing to barriers in detection, referral and care-seeking. Mpox Update (Kenya): Kenya reports 19 mpox deaths and 1,298 cases, with seven counties flagged as high-risk along transport corridors and border crossings. Cancer Risk (Nutrition): A large study links drinking very hot tea/coffee to up to a threefold higher risk of oesophageal squamous cell cancer, urging people to let drinks cool. Local Care Upgrade (Kenya): Kisumu’s neurosurgery capacity is expanding, and a partnership is introducing vagus nerve stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy. Health Systems & Access (Tanzania): Tanzania’s PM warns Africa’s dependence on imported medicines and supplies leaves health systems exposed, calling for urgent local manufacturing investment. Digital Health & Equity (Africa): UNDP missions to India show how digital identity and payments can support services like healthcare and social protection. Medical Tourism (Ghana): Ghana Tourism Authority breaks ground with Africa’s Brain Bank on a Global Medical City in Ada to boost healthcare delivery, research and jobs. Public Health Advocacy (Climate): A new PR toolkit accuses health-linked communications agencies of also serving fossil fuel clients, raising concerns about health harms from pollution.

Climate & Health Preparedness: WHO says it’s working with Kenya to assess and prepare for health risks from the 2026/27 El Niño season, focusing on disease surveillance, early warning, labs, safe water and sanitation, risk communication, and keeping essential services running as floods could trigger outbreaks like cholera and typhoid. Ebola Response Watch: WHO reports DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak is becoming more uneven across provinces, with community deaths rising to 75% in the week of Aug 31–Sept 6, pointing to barriers in detection, referral, and access to care. Public Health Burden: A new analysis finds second-hand smoke exposure in sub-Saharan Africa nearly doubled since 1990, with 84,000 deaths linked to exposure in 2023. Cancer in Focus (Ghana): Ghana recorded an estimated 27,385 new cancer cases and 17,944 cancer deaths in 2022, underscoring the need to expand prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. Health Tech Innovation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital is using on-site 3D printing to turn patient scans into anatomical models and cutting guides to improve surgical planning. Rabies Breakthrough (China): China has started large-scale clinical use of Silevimig, a first-in-class bispecific antibody for urgent post-exposure rabies management.

Food Security & Health Costs: The UN FAO reports global food prices rose in August to the highest since late 2022, driven by extreme weather, El Niño fears, and war-linked supply disruptions—an early warning for nutrition and health budgets across Africa. Malaria Prevention: Nigeria’s Abia State will distribute 3.03 million insecticide-treated nets across 17 local councils, aiming to cut malaria illness and deaths after a long gap since the last mass campaign. Secondhand Smoke Burden: A Lancet Public Health study says nearly 3 billion people were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023, with 1.66 million deaths linked to it; sub-Saharan Africa exposure has nearly doubled since 1990. Ebola Preparedness: Canada extended Ebola-linked immigration restrictions for nationals from DRC, South Sudan and Uganda until Sept. 28, as health authorities stress low risk but ongoing outbreak vigilance. Cross-Border Health Response: South Sudan and Uganda signed an MoU to speed movement of health workers, vehicles and emergency supplies, strengthening joint disease surveillance and outbreak response. Cancer Screening Push: Georgia health officials warn prostate cancer is becoming more common and urge PSA screening—highlighting the need for earlier detection. Climate & Water Risks: Kenya’s Lake Baringo and Bogoria are at merger risk if water rises, threatening ecosystems, livelihoods, and potential health impacts as El Niño rains approach.

Ebola Response Under Strain (DR Congo): WHO warns Congo’s Ebola fight is bottlenecked by staff shortages, limited partners and funding, even as treatment capacity expands—yet thousands more beds and health workers are still needed. Tobacco Harm (Global): A Lancet study estimates 2.7 billion people, including 767 million children, are exposed to second-hand smoke, driving about 1.66 million premature deaths in 2023. Medical Innovation (Nigeria): Nigeria LNG’s 2026 Science Prize goes to GenScan AI, an AI MRI reconstruction tool aimed at cutting scan times and easing diagnostic backlogs. Cross-Border Health Security (South Sudan & Uganda): The two countries sign an MoU to boost disease surveillance, lab readiness and coordinated outbreak response along their shared border. Access to Care (South Africa): A report says 8.79 million South Africans who can afford contributions still lack medical scheme cover, pushing many into costly out-of-pocket care. Public Health Readiness (Africa): African health ministers adopt a WHO-backed framework to strengthen emergency medical teams by 2030, shifting from reaction to readiness. Health Awareness for All (South Africa): A disability-inclusive workshop in Soweto boosts HIV, TB and STI knowledge with accessible communication support. Transport & Health Systems (Malawi): Malawi signs another Chinese MoU to modernise Lake Malawi transport, including Monkey Bay shipyard upgrades and new vessels.

Ebola Response: WHO is coordinating an expansion of the Lita Ebola treatment centre in DR Congo, adding 42 beds as the outbreak tops 3,000 deaths and 6,186 cases, with the virus spreading across six provinces. Public Health & Safety: Africa CDC urges communities to manage rumours during outbreaks after “genital theft” misinformation in Kenya’s coast region led to deadly violence. Air Quality: Nigeria moves to tighten vehicle and generator emissions after ranking among Africa’s most polluted countries, linking dirty air to major health and economic harm. Cancer Burden: Ghana reports 27,385 new cancer cases and 17,944 cancer deaths in 2022, with calls for a comprehensive cancer centre in Kumasi to cut late diagnosis and costly medical travel. Maternal Health: Namibia launches Safe-Birth Africa training to improve early detection and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage, targeting preventable maternal deaths. Zoonotic Risk: South African researchers warn rabid Cape fur seals have bitten at least 176 people, with fears the fatal disease could spread to other marine mammals. Oil Governance: Ghana and Uganda deepen upstream petroleum cooperation through regulator peer learning on governance, safety, environment and local content. Tech for Development: BRICS countries are pushing South-South AI sharing focused on practical problems like bringing medical expertise closer to rural communities.

Medtech Expansion: Cyrix Healthcare, backed by Somerset Indus Capital Partners, has acquired Blue Star E&E MedTech Solutions to boost medical imaging services across CT and MRI lifecycles in India, the Middle East and Africa. Vaccine Manufacturing Push: Ghana signed an agreement to join the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), aiming to make vaccine and pharmaceutical output easier to scale with steadier demand across the continent. Malaria Diagnosis Upgrade: Benin is rolling out an AI malaria test (miLab MAL) after a 2025 clinical evaluation showed very high sensitivity and specificity, with results in under 20 minutes. Ebola Response Strain: Ebola burial teams in DR Congo say they’re reaching limits as workload grows and communities respond with fear and hostility, raising risks for safe burials. Climate & Health Risk: NOAA warns a very strong El Niño is likely, with Southern Africa facing heat and drought and parts of East Africa at higher risk of heavy rain and flooding. Public Financial Management Leadership: Nigeria joined a Gates Foundation-backed programme to strengthen leadership and peer learning for senior officials driving public financial management reforms. AI Safety Gap: A report warns AI safeguards may not work equally well in Africa and other non-English-speaking regions, where language and context differences can cause harmful mistakes.