BRAZZAVILLE/28 February 2019 –The World Health Organization (WHO) is deeply concerned about the recent attacks on the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-run Ebola treatment centres on 24 February in Katwa and on 27 February in Butembo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Such attacks are deplorable for their immediate impact on lives and for the risk of spreading the disease further. They are profoundly disrespectful of the dedicated work of local, regional and international responders.…
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa
Today marks 6 months since the 10th outbreak of Ebola was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Before I say anything else, I want to recognize and thank our WHO and partner colleagues in the field for their courage, commitment and professionalism. They make us all proud. I also want to acknowledge the steadfast leadership of the Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry of Health and other colleagues. No country would wish to face…
The World Health Organization was saddened to hear this morning about the sudden death of a dear colleague in Beni, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The colleague was deployed from a neighbouring country to Beni to work in the Ebola response, where he supported the administrative team. The exact cause of death is still under investigation, but a preliminary medical report has ruled out Ebola and violence.
Currently, there are 500 WHO staff deployed in the DRC to support the Ebola…
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa writes about the cost of pollution for Africa. This opinion piece was published in the Financial Times.
The beginning of November in Dakar, Senegal, marks the end of the rainy season and the start of the peak in air pollution levels that the dry season brings. While August and September are the best months for breathing in the city, the pollution levels from December to March are, on average, above recommended safety levels.…
Op-Ed by Dr. Matshidiso Moeti
Over the past six and a half years, we’ve witnessed an extraordinary international endeavour to stamp out Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), a group of dangerous, destructive conditions that threaten the lives and well-being of more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. NTDs earned their name because they were relatively unknown and overlooked for decades. But that is rapidly changing, thanks to the coordinated efforts of governments, health and development…
Op-Ed by Adelheid Onyango and Bibi Giyose
When faced with a crisis, our natural reaction is to deal with its immediate threats. Ateka* came to the make-shift clinic with profuse diarrhoea: they diagnosed cholera. The urgent concern in the midst of that humanitarian crisis was to treat the infection and send her home as quickly as possible.
But she came back to the treatment centre a few days later – not for cholera, but because she was suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Doctors…
WHO expresses concern over damage to Ebola treatment facilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Statement on Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo
WHO expresses sadness over the death of a colleague working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cleaning up Africa’s air would pay for itself in economic gains: Pollution is dragging down the continent’s GDP and harming its children
Africa: The Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases Is Finally Within Reach
Health is more than the absence of disease: adequate nutrition is a critical part of the equation