Imagine. A deadly disease is stalking terrified mothers, fathers, children and grandparents. People are sick. Many are dying. An information vacuum is overflowing with rumour and misinformation. Suspicion and lack of trust are rife. Hospitals and health centres are overwhelmed even though many of the sick are reluctant to seek medical help. Families believe the best thing for loved ones is care at home. As things spiral out of control, the rest of the world goes about its business.

Sound familiar? This was the dangerous cocktail that helped fuel the Ebola crisis in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people and took more than two years to contain. Disturbingly, these same conditions seem to be emerging in Angola, where an outbreak of yellow fever is threatening to surge out of control.

The current yellow fever outbreak began in Angola in December 2015. Since then it has grown and spread further. Today, more than five months on, some 2,900 suspected cases have been recorded and 328 people have died. The disease has already spread, including to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, China and Kenya, and suspected cases are being investigated in other countries. Anyone familiar with the West Africa Ebola crisis might be experiencing some “déjà vu”.

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