Maya Schaerer

Programme manager, epidemic preparedness, @IFRC.

[Uganda Red Cross Society @UgandaRedCross]

🛡️ In line with the ongoing prevention measures against Ebola, our office is implementing strict screening procedures for all persons accessing the premises.

✅ Compliance with these measures is mandatory for everyone.

We encourage all staff, visitors, and stakeholders to follow the Ministry of Health Uganda guidelines on Ebola prevention and control.

📞 Emergency Support: 0800211088

#EbolaResponseUG2026
@ifrc @IFRCAfrica @MinofHealthUG

[IFRC @ifrc]

Communities are at the heart of effective pandemic preparedness. Alongside #WHA79, the @IFRC was pleased to co-host a side event with @Health_IOM on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response and human mobility.
We highlighted the vital role of community health workers, volunteers and frontline actors in reaching migrants, displaced people and people on the move.

[IOM Migration Health @Health_IOM]

The @UNmigration and @ifrc are co-hosting a side event at #WHA79 on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response #PPPR and Human Mobility.

📅20 May 2026
⏲️8 to 9:30 AM CET
📍 IFRC HQ, Geneva (in person)

Spots are limited. Registration👉https://t.co/1G7Xv9c6h2 or scan the QR👇

[IFRC Americas @IFRC_es]

Hours before Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica, local Red Cross teams across the island are already on the ground — taking early action, supporting alerts and evacuations, and positioning relief for the most at-risk families.

https://t.co/rfsQRYuwoG

[Philippe Lazzarini @UNLazzarini]

Total impunity & lack of empathy have made life for Gazans an inferno.

The latest plague is a manmade #famine. It can be reversed : all it takes to change course is political will, open the gates & let us work.

In Cairo today, I called again for an immediate #ceasefire to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance into #Gaza and at scale.

@UNRWA alone has enough food + assistance- currently stuck in Egypt and Jordan- to cover the critical needs of the entire population for 3 months.

[IGAD Health & Social Development Division @IGADHealthS]

27 August – 2 days to go! 💡 No one left behind!

As we count down to the PREPARE Project Launch, #IGAD reaffirms its commitment to inclusive health systems that protect every community across the region.

📍 Kampala, Uganda | Launch 29 August 2025

🌟 Join Member States, partners, and experts in shaping a future where epidemics are prevented, and lives are safeguarded.

Read more:
🔗 https://t.co/HCAhmu9D48

In partnership with Member States, the Pandemic Fund, WHO, IFRC, and Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IGAD is advancing regional health security and resilience against pandemics.

#IGADPandemicPreparedness | #RisingWithIGAD | #RegionalIntegration

@Pandemic_Fund
@WHO
@WHOAfrica
@ifrc
@IFRCAfrica
@MinofHealthUG
@MOH_Kenya
@MOH_Somalia
@MoHRSS2011
@FMoEthiopia
@UgandaMFA
@ForeignOfficeKE
@MFAEthiopia
@MOFA_SouthSudan
@MoFASomalia
@Min_WaterUg
@MOWSI_KE
@MOEWRSo
@mowe_ethiopia
@MTWAUganda
@ugwildlife
@Min_TourismKE
@MAAIF_Uganda

[Philippe Lazzarini @UNLazzarini]

Months of warnings have fallen on deaf ears.

#famine is now confirmed in #Gaza city.

This is starvation by design & manmade by the Government of Israel.

It is the direct result of banning food & other basic supplies for months including from @UNRWA.

The spread of famine can still be controlled by a ceasefire + allowing humanitarian organisations to do their work & reach starving people with aid.

Time for political will!

#Famine_in_Gaza

[United Nations Geneva @UNGeneva]

"It is a famine. The Gaza Famine.

It is a famine that we could have prevented, if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel.

Everyone owns this. The #GazaFamine is the world’s famine."

- @UNReliefChief

[UNRWA @UNRWA]

Famine is confirmed by @theIPCinfo in #Gaza City and the surrounding areas.

They project that famine will spread further south by the end of September.

This is man-made.

For almost 6 months the Israeli Authorities have critically restricted food and other essential goods—including water, medicine, shelter and fuel.

Read their report: https://t.co/WjXAMcq8iH

#CeasefireNow

[World Health Organization (WHO) @WHO]

Wound washing saves lives!

If bitten by a dog 🐶, always seek immediate medical advice.

The wound must be immediately and thoroughly washed for at least 15 minutes with soap and water. Then visit a clinic, as you may need #rabies post-exposure vaccination!

[Maya Schaerer @Maya_Schaerer]

@IFRCAsiaPacific @palangmerah @KClarksonIFRC Congratulations to our PMI volunteers, and to all staff and volunteers who don't hesitate to jump into action and show what humanity is truly about each day, one small act of kindness at a time.

[IFRC Asia Pacific @IFRCAsiaPacific]

On World Humanitarian Day 2025 today, we unite with humanitarians around the world to honour people like Siti, who take the initiative to save lives — even while they themselves are affected by the same challenges.
👉 https://t.co/pDVi0lkckL
⛑️ @PalangMerah (Indonesian Red Cross)
#ActforHumanity

[IFRC Africa @IFRCAfrica]

On this #WorldHumanitarianDay, we remember the 50+ Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers killed in 2024–25 while serving their communities.

No one should lose their life for saving lives.

We stand together to #ProtectHumanity.

[Maya Schaerer @Maya_Schaerer]

Congratulations and huge thanks to all our staff, volunteers and partners. You have made this program a resounding success and a fabulous journey! 🙌❣️👏 #Epidemic#Preparedness

[IFRC @ifrc]

Early detection. Early action. Healthier communities.

For 8 years, the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) empowered communities to stop deadly disease outbreaks before they could spread. 🚨🌍

From training local volunteers to building rapid response systems, CP3 has saved countless lives, and its impact will be felt for years to come.

Thank you to everyone who made this programme possible. ❤️

Read the full story 👇
https://t.co/orMGkiHzO2

[Global Health Security 2026 (9 June - 12 June) @GHS_conf]

Registration and abstract submissions for #GHS2026 are officially open!
Do you have research, insights, or innovative work to share in advancing global health security? Submit your abstract and join us in KL to be part of this vital global conversation.

👉https://t.co/ndJ486hw2X

[Maya Schaerer @Maya_Schaerer]

Very proud of what this program became and was able to achieve, thanks to thousands of amazing staff and volunteers, as well as our committed partners and donor. Congratulations, and huge thanks to everyone who contributed to making it a success! #EpidemicPreparedness 👏🏽🫶🏽🙏

[IFRC @ifrc]

Early detection. Early action. Healthier communities.

For 8 years, the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) empowered communities to stop deadly disease outbreaks before they could spread. 🚨🌍

From training local volunteers to building rapid response systems, CP3 has saved countless lives, and its impact will be felt for years to come.

Thank you to everyone who made this programme possible. ❤️

Read the full story 👇
https://t.co/orMGkiHzO2

[IFRC Africa @IFRCAfrica]

Persistent Diphtheria outbreak in Puntland.

482 confirmed cases, 27 deaths (Case Fatality Rate: 5.7%) – with Galkayo, Iskushuban & Garowe internally displaced persons (IDP) camps hardest hit.

Somali Red Crescent Society (#BishaCas) and partners are intensifying response efforts by:
🔎 Strengthening case management protocols.
💉 Ensuring availability of Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT).
🏥 Prioritizing vulnerable populations in affected regions.

#HealthEmergency #Diphtheria #Vaccination

[Supriyaa Bezbaruah @supriyabez]

Please do join us for the next @WHO #EPIWIN webinar on ” #Plague in the 21st century: new #evidence to control a #reemerging #zoonotic disease,” Wednesday 23 July 2025, 13.00 - 14.00 CEST.

• Title: Plague in the 21st century: new evidence to control a re-emerging zoonotic disease
• Date and time: Wednesday, 23 July, 2025, 13:00 – 14:15 CEST (Geneva)
• Link to register: https://t.co/JStFd79drS
• EPI-WIN webpage: https://t.co/7XlMYo4Fz2

Background

Plague, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has affected humans for thousands of years and has been responsible for three major pandemics in human history, causing millions of deaths. Considered a re-emerging disease today, plague is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected fleas and is associated with high mortality rates, especially in endemic, resource-limited settings. Therefore, early identification and prompt management of cases are crucial to ensure improved clinical and public health outcomes and inform the implementation of appropriate control measures. Recent data from a randomized controlled trial on bubonic plague offer valuable insights into plague treatment strategies and may be used to support global control efforts.

Objectives

• To present an overview of the WHO global strategy for plague control, illustrating current technical guidance on surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, clinical management, and coordinated outbreak response mechanisms.

• To disseminate the key findings from a recent randomized controlled trial on bubonic plague treatment, with a focus on comparative efficacy and safety profiles of two antibiotic regimens, as well as the diagnostic performance of laboratory and point-of-care tests.

• To engage international and national partners in a technical conversation on the public health implications of the study findings and to discuss evidence-informed next steps programmatic action.

Speakers

Opening remarks: Dr @mvankerkhove Van Kerkhove, Director a.i., EPM, WHO

Plague control: a global overview and current WHO recommendations: Dr. Nicolò Binello, WHO HQ

IMASOY: a randomized control trial on bubonic plague: Prof. Piero Olliaro, University of Oxford, UK

Dr. Rindra Vatosoa Randremanana, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar,

Dr. Mihaja Raberahona, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, Madagascar

Panel discussion and Q&A: Dr. Lorenzo Pezzoli, WHO HQ (moderator)

The WHO Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN) strengthens community resilience to health emergencies through sharing of emerging key knowledge/evidence between global experts, countries and the public in a way that is relevant and accessible. This helps communities, decision makers, health workers and others make informed choices for evidence-informed actions.
@Chikwe_I @NedretEmiroglu @gabbystern @Nyka_eh @WHOGOARN

[UNRWA @UNRWA]

UNRWA has enough food for the entire population of #Gaza for over three months stockpiled in warehouses–including this one in Al Arish, Egypt–awaiting entry.

The supplies are available. The systems are in place.

Open the gates, lift the siege, allow UNRWA to do its work and help people in need among them 1 million children.

[World Organisation for Animal Health @WOAH]

We're back with June's avian influenza update:

— The total number of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry has seen a decline globally, but this has been accompanied by an increase in the number of outbreaks in non-poultry animals, especially in Europe.
— 15 new outbreaks in poultry and 45 outbreaks in non poultry have been reported.
— New outbreaks occurred in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
— 372,430 poultry birds were lost, mostly in the Americas.

Read the report: https://t.co/IoQtCy0Lz9