Feature Stories

Asmara—Eritrea’s mountainous central region is home to seasonally migratory populations. Nomadic lifestyle complicates access to basic services, especially among women and children who face higher health risks such as maternal mortality and immunization gaps due to geographic isolation, mobility and at times cultural norms.

Lomé—When his daughter developed a high fever, Jean did not hesitate: he went straight to the health centre. A farmer from Agokpo, in the Plateaux region about 100 kilometers north of Lomé, he recalls the day his 8 year old daughter Adèle was admitted. Beyond the speed of care, what struck him most was the warm welcome and the clarity of the explanations. “As soon as we arrived, she was tested. The health workers explained that it was malaria. They gave us the treatment, and apart from paracetamol, everything was covered,” he recounts.

Kinshasa / Luanda / Windhoek -  “Just two drops. Two miraculous drops that prevent paralysis. Let’s all vaccinate our children,” said Dr. Silvia Lutucuta, Minister of Health of Angola, as more than 10 million children were vaccinated against polio last month across Angola, Namibia and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a coordinated regional effort to stop the spread of the virus across borders.

Dakar—“Before, I stayed at home. Now I am happy to go back to school,” says 15-year-old Boubacar Barry. This return marks a decisive turning point in his life. For nearly nine years, he lived with severely limited mobility, which restricted his movements and kept him on the margins of school life.

Niamey—In the Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) simulation room at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey, future specialists train to manage complications before facing real-life situations. Among them, Dr Amina Garba Amadou, a fourth-year obstetrics and gynecology resident, spends several hours each week practicing on a neonatal mannequin. This tool reproduces critical situations and concretely transforms her learning.

Campo—In Campo, a humid forest town in southern Cameroon, daily life revolves around fishing and farming. Some vector borne diseases, despite having declined sharply, still persist—including sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis. Caused by a parasite transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly, the disease can affect the nervous system and become fatal if left untreated.

Douala —Along with Senegal, Cameroon is implementing the “Healthy Food Market” project in the city of Douala through two pilot markets: New Deido and Ndogpassi. Coordinated by the urban municipality, this project aims to strengthen the prevention of foodborne diseases and improve hygiene, sanitation and food safety, with the goal of gradually spreading these good practices to all markets in the city.

Nouakchott—In the Hodh El Chargui region in eastern Mauritania, where mental health services were previously limited, a listening and psychosocial support space has gradually been established in Timbedra town’s health centre. Today, it offers dedicated support to those who wish to talk about their difficulties in a safe environment. Set up in May 2025 with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), it responds to a long‑expressed need from the communities.