Health topics | WHO | Regional Office for Africa

Plague

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. It is transmitted between animals through fleas.

Eye health

Vision impairment occurs when an eye condition affects the visual system and its functions. It affects people of all ages, although most people living with vision impairment are over 50 years of age.

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania.

Mpox (monkeypox)

Key facts Mpox (monkeypox) is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Two different clades exist: c…

Chronic respiratory diseases

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) affect the airways and other structures of the lungs altering how one can breathe.

Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Disease

Fourteen countries set to finalize their Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Annual Plans of Action with guidance from the World Health Organization’s Expanded Special Project on the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN).

Leprosy

Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatus, affecting the skin and peripheral nerves. It is curable with Multiple Drug Therapy (MDT), yet about 19 000 new cases are reported annually in the African region.

Ear Health

Ear health encompasses numerous conditions that include earaches, tinnitus, vertigo, Meniere’s disease, ear infections and hearing loss.

Health topics — Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control (DPC)