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MSF ends Marburg operations in Angola

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MSF's emergency operation against a Marbrug fever outbreak in Angola came to an end on Thursday July 7, just more than three months after the intervention started. The last members of the emergency team have left the town of Uige, the epicenter of the outbreak, in the northwest of the country.

Latest figures show there were 351 cases - 312 were fatal.

MSF was in charge of a specialized Marburg center and infection control in Uige provincial hospital and has handed over its activities to local health authorities, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). All surveillance activities in the community are now being performed by the Angolan Ministry of Health and the army, with the advisory support of the WHO.

A few new Marburg cases have been recorded in the last weeks and it is likely that some sporadic cases will appear in the town and in the province of Uige for some months. However, the Marburg center is running well and the local staff are capable of handling these sporadic cases.

MSF's considers its presence as no longer necessary. However the MSF coordination team in Luanda, the capital, along with other teams working on regular projects in Uige province will closely follow the situation and keep in direct contact with local health authorities.

Whenever needed, the MSF team in Luanda will continue to provide technical support to the Angolan doctors working at the Uige Marburg site.