AGP Executive Report

Measles Alert: More than 50 measles-related deaths have been reported in the Central African Republic since April, with local officials citing 56 deaths in Ndjiffa alone in Vakaga—mostly children—raising urgent alarm for outbreak response and routine immunization. Cancer Care Training: Merck Foundation is expanding cancer capacity across Africa, including the Central African Republic, through clinical training scholarships and efforts to boost early diagnosis and specialist numbers. Ebola Preparedness Spillover: While not CAR-specific, regional Ebola measures repeatedly name CAR in travel-risk lists and preparedness updates, underscoring how quickly CAR communities can be affected by cross-border health threats. Maternal Health Under Conflict: A new report highlights how conflict and displacement are driving extreme maternal risk in the Central African Republic, where women face dramatically higher odds of dying in pregnancy or childbirth due to weak access to skilled care. Health System Context: UN peacekeeping coverage from CAR notes that medical support and community services are part of frontline operations—an indicator of how health needs often rise alongside insecurity.

Measles Alert: More than 50 people have died from measles in the Central African Republic since April, with local officials reporting 56 deaths in Ndjiffa village alone in Vakaga—most victims are children, and the government has not yet issued an official response. Maternal Health Under Strain: A new report highlights how Sudanese refugees in CAR’s remote Vakaga area are facing deadly gaps in maternity care as clinics close and funding cuts force reduced staffing—one woman described giving birth in the street with no doctor or midwife. Ebola Preparedness Ripples Regionally: While CAR isn’t reporting cases in the latest items, multiple countries are tightening Ebola travel screening and response planning, including advisories that list CAR among high-risk destinations—underscoring the need for readiness at borders and health facilities. Health System Capacity Building: Merck Foundation is expanding cancer care training across Africa, including scholarships and oncology education that cover CAR, aiming to address late diagnosis and specialist shortages. Water Safety Watch: A global drinking-water quality assessment flags unsafe water as a major public health risk across many African countries, reinforcing the link between sanitation and preventable illness.

Maternal Health Under Strain: AP reports Sudanese refugee women in CAR’s remote Vakaga province are facing rising risk of dying in childbirth as clinics close and US funding cuts reduce staffing, overnight coverage, and outreach—leaving more women to deliver without skilled help or life-saving drugs. On-the-Ground Human Impact: One case from Birao describes Maude Ahmad Fadala, weakened by typhoid, giving birth “in the street” after no camp delivery facilities and no money for transport. Ebola Response Push: UNICEF says it has dispatched over 100 metric tons of emergency supplies to the DRC for Ebola—PPE for frontline health workers, medicines, and WASH materials—while warning the situation is “highly concerning and dynamic.” Vaccine Race: CEPI has fast-tracked three experimental Ebola vaccine candidates for the Bundibugyo strain, which current vaccines can’t recognize, aiming for human testing within months. CAR Governance & Health Workforce: A HaPSNA meeting in Abidjan brings together CAR and other countries to strengthen community health programs through civil service systems and integrate health workers into national frameworks.

Ebola Response: UNICEF says it has dispatched over 100 metric tons of emergency supplies—PPE, medicines, and WASH materials—from its hub to the Ebola epicenter in eastern DRC, warning the response is a “race against time” and calling for urgent donor funding. Ebola Preparedness for CAR Neighbors: Multiple countries are tightening entry screening and quarantine planning as the Bundibugyo strain spreads; St. Vincent and the Grenadines lists CAR among high-risk destinations and stresses there are no cases locally yet. Vaccine Push: CEPI has fast-tracked three experimental Ebola vaccine candidates for trials, aiming to address a rare Bundibugyo strain that current vaccines don’t match. Maternal Health in CAR: Reports from Birao highlight how conflict and aid cuts leave pregnant women with no clinics, no transport, and unsafe delivery conditions—one refugee described giving birth in the street. Health System Strain from Displacement: Aid agencies warn that Sudanese refugee arrivals in CAR’s remote areas are overwhelming fragile maternity services, with clinic closures and reduced staffing raising the risk of preventable deaths. Governance & Violence: New coverage links CAR’s violence crisis to weak governance and impunity, documenting widespread abuses that keep civilians trapped and health services vulnerable. Community Health Workforce: A regional meeting in Abidjan focuses on strengthening community health programs by integrating health workers into civil service systems, with CAR among participating countries.

Ebola Preparedness: Africa CDC and WHO launched a joint Ebola continental preparedness and response plan for the Bundibugyo outbreak, aiming to boost surveillance, labs, infection control, clinical care, community engagement, and logistics across one coordinated “one plan, one budget, one team” effort. Ebola Vaccine Race: Researchers say experimental Ebola vaccine candidates are being fast-tracked because the current Bundibugyo strain isn’t covered by existing Zaire-focused shots, with trials moving toward human testing. CAR Maternal Health Under Strain: A new report highlights how conflict and shrinking aid are pushing pregnant women in CAR—especially refugees from Sudan—toward home births and preventable deaths, with one case describing a woman giving birth on the roadside after clinics and transport failed. Water Safety: A global assessment flags unsafe drinking water as a major public health risk, with many African countries suffering from weak infrastructure and limited sanitation. Governance & Accountability: Reporting on CAR’s violence crisis points to a dangerous impunity trap, where weak state policy and poor human rights protections help abuses persist. Community Resilience in MINUSCA Zones: UN peacekeepers describe shifting from firefights to community rebuilding, including medical support and even football matches that help reunite divided groups.

Maternal Health Under Strain in CAR: AP reports Sudanese refugee women in CAR’s border areas are facing rising childbirth risk as clinics close and US funding cuts reduce staffing, medicines, and emergency obstetric care—highlighted by cases like a woman who “gave birth in the street” after being unable to reach a facility. Ebola Preparedness and Vaccine Race: Multiple updates track the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC/Uganda, with Africa CDC and WHO pushing a joint continental preparedness plan and CEPI fast-tracking experimental vaccines because no licensed shot targets this strain; CAR is repeatedly flagged as a high-risk country for screening and travel precautions. Water Safety Gap: A new Environmental Performance Index assessment flags unsafe drinking water as a major public health risk, with many African nations among the lowest-ranked—driven by weak infrastructure, sanitation gaps, and reliance on unprotected rural water sources. Governance and Violence: Reporting underscores how CAR’s violence crisis is sustained by weak governance and impunity, leaving civilians exposed to repeated rights abuses and attacks on communities and humanitarian workers. Regional Health Workforce Policy: HaPSNA’s high-level meeting in Abidjan brings CAR and other countries together to strengthen community health programs through civil service systems and better health workforce integration.

Safe Water Risk: A new Environmental Performance Index assessment flags unsafe drinking water as a major public health threat, with many of the world’s lowest-ranked countries in Africa—often due to weak infrastructure, poor sanitation, and reliance on unprotected rural water sources. Ebola Preparedness for CAR Neighbors: As Ebola spreads in the DRC and Uganda, Africa CDC and WHO-backed plans are being funded and rolled out, while multiple countries are tightening border screening and quarantine rules—CAR is repeatedly listed among high-risk destinations. Ebola Vaccine Race (Bundibugyo strain): CEPI has fast-tracked experimental vaccine candidates because the current Bundibugyo strain doesn’t match existing shots, with suspected cases reported above 1,000 and response efforts struggling to keep pace. Maternal Health Under Pressure in CAR: Reporting from Birao highlights how conflict and displacement leave pregnant women without clinics, transport, or skilled care—aid cuts and overstretched services are pushing more births into dangerous conditions. Aid Cuts & Refugee Maternity Care: Agencies warn that reduced US funding is forcing clinic staffing and outreach cutbacks near the Sudan-CAR border, raising fears of preventable pregnancy and childbirth deaths. Governance & Violence Accountability (East Region): CAR’s MINAT leadership says post-election calm is holding while warning that those behind violence and illegal mining will be held accountable—an indirect health factor as stability affects access to care. Regional Displacement Neglect: A Norwegian Refugee Council ranking calls Sudan and the DRC the world’s most neglected displacement crises, with CAR repeatedly appearing in patterns of underfunded, worsening humanitarian needs. Health Workforce Policy: A HaPSNA meeting in Abidjan focuses on strengthening community health programs by integrating health workers into civil service systems, including CAR.

Ebola Preparedness: Africa CDC and WHO launched a joint continental Ebola preparedness and response plan for the Bundibugyo outbreak (June–Nov 2026), targeting surveillance, labs, infection prevention, clinical care, community engagement, logistics, and essential health services. Vaccine Race: CEPI fast-tracked three experimental Ebola vaccine candidates because the current Bundibugyo strain differs from the Zaire strain, leaving no licensed vaccine or treatment; suspected cases have topped 1,000. Regional Risk & Screening: Several countries are tightening border screening and travel advisories, listing CAR among high-risk destinations; Africa CDC warns that lack of licensed tools plus cross-border movement could fuel spread. Maternal Health Under Strain: In CAR’s border refugee areas, women fleeing Sudan face clinic closures and funding cuts, with reports of childbirth without skilled care and rising pregnancy risks. Governance & Health Systems: A HaPSNA meeting in Abidjan focused on strengthening community health programs through civil service systems, with CAR among participating countries. Diaspora Services: Kenya’s embassy in Kinshasa urged Kenyans in CAR (and DRC, Congo, Gabon) to register to improve consular and emergency support.

Ebola Preparedness: CEPI has fast-tracked three experimental Ebola vaccine candidates after the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda surged with the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which existing Zaire-focused vaccines don’t work; suspected cases are now past 1,000, and Africa CDC warns that lack of a licensed vaccine plus intense cross-border movement could fuel spread. Border Screening & Travel Alerts: Several governments are tightening entry checks and advising against travel to high-risk countries; St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Kitts and Nevis both flagged CAR among places under enhanced screening and possible quarantine. Maternal Health Under Pressure: In CAR’s border areas, Sudanese refugee women face rising childbirth risk as clinics close and aid funding cuts reduce staffing and supplies; one account describes a woman giving birth in the street after being unable to reach care. Maternal Mortality in Conflict: Reporting highlights how violence and fragile health systems make pregnancy and childbirth far more deadly in CAR, especially for displaced women. Governance & Accountability: New coverage links CAR’s violence crisis to weak governance and impunity, arguing that without justice and accountability, abuses and insecurity keep repeating. Health Workforce Reform: A regional HaPSNA meeting in Abidjan is pushing to integrate health workers into national civil service systems, with CAR among participating countries. Displacement Neglect: The Norwegian Refugee Council again ranks Sudan and the DRC among the world’s most neglected displacement crises, underscoring how underfunding worsens health risks for refugees.

Maternal Health Under Strain: In CAR’s Birao area, Sudanese refugee women are giving birth without skilled care as clinics close and US funding cuts bite, with one mother saying, “I gave birth in the street” after being stranded and weakened by typhoid. Violence & Impunity: A new look at CAR’s violence crisis highlights how killings, torture, sexual violence, child recruitment, and attacks on civilians and aid workers persist where accountability is weak and abuses go unpunished. Ebola Watch for the Region: Africa CDC says the DRC’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has surpassed 1,000 suspected cases, with CAR listed among countries at high risk due to cross-border movement and limited response capacity. Health Workforce & Systems: A continental meeting in Abidjan focuses on strengthening community health programs by integrating health workers into national civil service frameworks, with CAR among participating countries. Governance & Stability in CAR’s East: The East Region’s MINAT leadership reports post-election calm while warning illegal miners and those behind violence will be held accountable.

Maternal Health Under Strain: In CAR’s remote border areas, Sudanese refugee women are giving birth without skilled care as clinics close and US funding cuts bite—one mother in Birao said, “I gave birth in the street,” after being stranded with typhoid and no transport. Ebola Risk for CAR: Africa CDC and WHO warn the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo is accelerating, with suspected cases topping 1,000 and multiple countries flagged at high risk—including the Central African Republic—while vaccine and treatment gaps and cross-border movement threaten spread. CAR Violence & Impunity: Reporting highlights a deadly cycle where human rights abuses, weak state policy, and impunity reinforce each other, trapping civilians and aid workers in repeated harm. Regional Governance & Security: In Cameroon’s East Region, officials say post-election calm is holding while illegal mining and violence suspects are to be held accountable—an indirect reminder of how security and health access can rise or fall with stability. Health Workforce Policy: A HaPSNA meeting in Abidjan brings CAR and other countries together to strengthen community health programs through civil service systems and better health worker integration.

Ebola Alert for CAR: The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has surged past 1,000 suspected cases, with Africa CDC warning that the Central African Republic is among 11 countries at high risk as cross-border movement and weak surveillance threaten spread. Maternal Health Under Aid Cuts: In CAR’s border areas, Sudanese refugee women face rising childbirth risk as clinics scale back staffing and outreach amid US funding reductions—highlighting how preventable deaths can follow when antenatal care and emergency obstetric services thin out. “I Gave Birth in the Street” (CAR): A refugee mother in Birao described giving birth roadside with no doctor or midwife after walking while ill with typhoid, a stark snapshot of how conflict, displacement, and fragile health systems turn pregnancy into a deadly gamble. Regional Health Workforce Push: CAR joined a HaPSNA meeting in Abidjan focused on strengthening community health programs through civil service systems and integrating health workers into national frameworks. Violence & Impunity: Reporting on CAR’s violence crisis links civilian harm to weak governance and lack of accountability—conditions that also undermine health access and safety for responders.

Maternal Health Under Strain in CAR: In Birao and other border areas, Sudanese refugee women are giving birth without skilled care as clinics scale back and US funding cuts bite. One mother described walking through the night in labor with no midwife or transport, while aid groups warn more women may deliver at home without life-saving drugs. Violence and Impunity Fuel Health Crises: Reporting on CAR’s violence crisis highlights how killings, sexual violence, forced labor, and attacks on civilians and aid workers persist when accountability collapses—keeping health systems and communities trapped in fear. Ebola Alarm Across the Region: Ebola fears are rising as suspected cases in eastern DRC pass 1,000 and Africa CDC warns the Central African Republic is among high-risk countries due to cross-border movement and weak surveillance. Ebola Response Race: Vaccine developers and regional health leaders are pushing to speed up Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine trials, but the lack of licensed tools and funding gaps remain major hurdles. Public Health Governance: A HaPSNA high-level meeting in Abidjan brought CAR and other countries together to strengthen community health programs through civil service systems and better health workforce placement.

Maternal health under pressure: In CAR’s border refugee camps, childbirth is becoming a crisis of access, not just risk—one Sudanese mother, weakened by typhoid, walked for hours and delivered “in the street” because there was no clinic, transport, or skilled help. Aid cuts worsening outcomes: Agencies warn that US funding reductions are forcing clinics in northeastern CAR to cut staffing and outreach just as refugee arrivals surge, raising fears of more home births without life-saving drugs. Ebola threat across borders: As the DRC’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak surpasses 1,000 suspected cases, Africa CDC flags CAR among countries at elevated risk, citing weak surveillance, limited lab capacity, and intense cross-border movement. Ebola response needs more than medicine: WHO and partners stress that conflict, displacement, and mistrust are blocking contact tracing and early care—conditions that can turn outbreaks into regional emergencies. Public health travel measures: Several governments are tightening entry rules and screenings for travelers linked to high-risk countries, including CAR, as authorities try to slow spread.

CAR Violence & Accountability: A new report highlights how Central African Republic’s violence keeps feeding itself through weak governance and impunity, with documented abuses including killings, torture, sexual violence, child recruitment, arbitrary detention, looting, forced labor, and attacks on civilians and aid workers. Maternal Health Under Aid Cuts: In northeastern CAR, Sudanese refugee women face rising childbirth risk as US funding cuts force clinics to reduce staffing and outreach, leaving more deliveries without skilled care and life-saving supplies. Street Births in Refugee Camps: A refugee mother in Birao described giving birth on the street after walking for hours with typhoid and no midwife or doctor, underscoring how conflict and fragile services turn pregnancy into a crisis. Ebola Threat Looms for CAR: Africa CDC warns the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC has surpassed 1,000 suspected cases and that CAR is among countries at elevated risk due to cross-border movement and limited vaccine options for this strain. Regional Health System Strain: WHO and regional partners stress that conflict, displacement, and mistrust are slowing Ebola contact tracing and care—conditions that also weaken CAR’s already fragile health access.

Maternal Health & Refugee Crisis: In CAR’s Korsi refugee camp near the Sudan border, pregnant Sudanese women are facing life-threatening gaps in care as clinics close and transport money runs out. One woman, Maude Ahmad Fadala, went into labor with typhoid after sunset, couldn’t reach a district hospital, and gave birth on the roadside without a doctor or midwife—highlighting how US funding cuts are forcing facilities to reduce staffing and outreach just as needs surge. Ebola Preparedness & Cross-Border Risk: Africa CDC says suspected Ebola cases in the DRC have surpassed 1,000, with the outbreak driven by the Bundibugyo strain—no licensed vaccine or targeted treatment—while cross-border movement and surveillance gaps raise the risk for neighboring countries, including CAR. Public Health Governance: A HaPSNA high-level meeting in Abidjan brought together health and civil service leaders from multiple countries, including CAR, to push for stronger community health programs through national civil service systems and health workforce planning. Nutrition & Food Security: A new report warns that wild meat remains a key protein source for rural Central Africans, and that outright bans could worsen food security where transport and livestock options are limited.