ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Mon 10 Jan 2011
Source: AllAfrica, The Monitor (Uganda) report [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/
Close to 50 people have died [from yellow fever virus infections; YF] with
another 190 infected in the past couple of weeks since the disease was
first detected.
Even as Uganda struggles to cope with an outbreak of yellow fever, some
conmen are selling vaccination cards to people who have not been
vaccinated, a Daily Monitor investigation has shown. At the South African
embassy for example, 6 out of 10 yellow cards presented as part of
requirements for visa applications, are found to be fake --creating the
risk of the disease being spread to countries not infected. At Kampala City
Council Hospital, just next to the imposing White Hall that houses the
council's offices, the illegal trade in yellow fever cards is lucrative and
bustling. The "hawkers", casually dressed unlike their tattered-trouser
donning counterparts downtown, are busy; hovering in the hospital compound
on the look out for clients to buy the vaccination cards at a give-away
price. Under normal circumstances, vaccination and a card for proof costs
Shs 46 000 [USD 19.64] at this facility - -but if you bargain with these
"hawkers", you could get one for as low as Shs 15 000 [USD 6.40], without
even being vaccinated. Our reporter was charged Shs 25 000 [USD 10.57] for
the card.
The South African high commissioner to Uganda, Mr Jon Qwelane, says the
black market in vaccination cards is a serious problem. He does not just
fear the spread of the disease to his country but the blatant abuse of
ethical standards of disease control.
Of the 53 countries in Africa, 39 are at a high risk of transmitting yellow
fever [virus], including Uganda.
[byline: Flavia Lanyero]
--
communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[The 31 Dec 2010 edition of The Monitor
(<http://allafrica.com/
were 12 new YF cases (dates not given), with no deaths, bringing the total
number of YF cases to 190 with deaths remaining at 48. This is not good
news. When the 2-week delay in the delivery of vaccine was first announced
recently, no new cases were reported. Apparently, and not surprisingly,
transmission of YF virus continues, making the initiation of the
vaccination campaign more urgent than ever. The only immediate good news
coming out of the outbreak is that it continues to be confined to 10
districts in northern Uganda. With ongoing YF virus transmission and the
large proportion of African countries at risk should the virus be
introduced, the selling of fake YF vaccination cards raises the specter of
spread through movement of viremic individuals, putting large populations
of susceptible people at risk in an environment where YF vaccine is already
in short supply. One hopes that Uganda officials will crack down
immediately on the sale of fraudulent cards and that health and immigration
officials in other countries are vigilant for holders of these fake cards
by passengers arriving from Uganda.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. The districts can be seen on the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Mon 10 Jan 2011
Source: AllAfrica, The Monitor (Uganda) report [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/
Close to 50 people have died [from yellow fever virus infections; YF] with
another 190 infected in the past couple of weeks since the disease was
first detected.
Even as Uganda struggles to cope with an outbreak of yellow fever, some
conmen are selling vaccination cards to people who have not been
vaccinated, a Daily Monitor investigation has shown. At the South African
embassy for example, 6 out of 10 yellow cards presented as part of
requirements for visa applications, are found to be fake --creating the
risk of the disease being spread to countries not infected. At Kampala City
Council Hospital, just next to the imposing White Hall that houses the
council's offices, the illegal trade in yellow fever cards is lucrative and
bustling. The "hawkers", casually dressed unlike their tattered-trouser
donning counterparts downtown, are busy; hovering in the hospital compound
on the look out for clients to buy the vaccination cards at a give-away
price. Under normal circumstances, vaccination and a card for proof costs
Shs 46 000 [USD 19.64] at this facility - -but if you bargain with these
"hawkers", you could get one for as low as Shs 15 000 [USD 6.40], without
even being vaccinated. Our reporter was charged Shs 25 000 [USD 10.57] for
the card.
The South African high commissioner to Uganda, Mr Jon Qwelane, says the
black market in vaccination cards is a serious problem. He does not just
fear the spread of the disease to his country but the blatant abuse of
ethical standards of disease control.
Of the 53 countries in Africa, 39 are at a high risk of transmitting yellow
fever [virus], including Uganda.
[byline: Flavia Lanyero]
--
communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[The 31 Dec 2010 edition of The Monitor
(<http://allafrica.com/
were 12 new YF cases (dates not given), with no deaths, bringing the total
number of YF cases to 190 with deaths remaining at 48. This is not good
news. When the 2-week delay in the delivery of vaccine was first announced
recently, no new cases were reported. Apparently, and not surprisingly,
transmission of YF virus continues, making the initiation of the
vaccination campaign more urgent than ever. The only immediate good news
coming out of the outbreak is that it continues to be confined to 10
districts in northern Uganda. With ongoing YF virus transmission and the
large proportion of African countries at risk should the virus be
introduced, the selling of fake YF vaccination cards raises the specter of
spread through movement of viremic individuals, putting large populations
of susceptible people at risk in an environment where YF vaccine is already
in short supply. One hopes that Uganda officials will crack down
immediately on the sale of fraudulent cards and that health and immigration
officials in other countries are vigilant for holders of these fake cards
by passengers arriving from Uganda.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. The districts can be seen on the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
