Feature Stories

Brazzaville – The Republic of the Congo is one of 15 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region where the mpox outbreak remains active. The country has made risk communication and community engagement central to its response strategy. As of April 9, Congo had recorded 50 confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak, with only five active cases remaining and no deaths reported.

Luanda ‒ Manuel Domingos, community leader of the Mussenga neighbourhood in Icolo e Bengo province in northwest Angola, recalls a time when the water supply to his community was serviced by a “unreliable water tank.” This situation is common across Angola, where, according to government data, around 44% of the population has no access to safe drinking water and only 55% has adequate sanitation. In rural areas, these figures are even lower, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera.

Brazzaville – Congo is intensifying efforts to reduce maternal mortality by introducing innovative tools, including the labour monitoring guide. Also known as the partogram, this is used to monitor the well-being of both mother and baby during active labour. 

In use in the Republic of the Congo since 1993, the partogram supports decision-making in the event of complications, and helps reduce avoidable risks and deaths. In 2022, a simplified version was rolled out to 12 health districts, making it more accessible and easier for maternity staff to use.

Dakar – Ndèye, 29, mother of three children and living in Guédiawaye in the outskirts of Dakar, says she has always had difficult pregnancies. “I gave birth at home for my first two pregnancies, and for my last child, the beginning was difficult. I was dizzy all the time and felt very tired, and yet I told myself that it would pass, that it was normal,” she explains.

Niamey – When 19-year-old Aichatou, from Birni in the Dosso region, found out she was pregnant with her first child in 2023, her hope was for a smooth pregnancy and safe delivery. But she was reluctant to visit a health centre. “My sisters told me the staff don’t pay enough attention to women during antenatal checkups, and that the care is often slow,” she says. 

Abidjan – In Côte d'Ivoire, nearly 90% of cervical cancer screenings are conducted through self-testing, empowering women to take charge of their health. This approach allows for detection in a private, convenient way – an especially critical advancement given the alarming rise in cervical cancer cases in the country. 

Brazzaville – Salomon*, in his 30s, arrives for his consultation with an envelope containing the results of his laboratory tests and an x-ray of his lungs, which he hands to Amélie Makoundou, public health assistant at the Brazzaville Tuberculosis (TB) Centre. After a thorough inspection, Makoundou says: “It’s okay, you’re cured.” Salomon remains impassive, as if he hasn’t heard what the assistant said. She repeats: “You can stop treatment, you are cured.” Salomon, who has just completed six months of treatment, thanks Makoundou and leaves with a broad smile.

Brazzaville – Significant progress has been made in TB diagnostics in the past decade as countries in the African region embrace new technologies. However, many people still have no access to modern testing, which are often limited to major laboratories in large cities and leave out many due to high costs. Dr Jean de Dieu Iragena, a WHO expert on TB diagnostics in the African Region, discusses these technologies and how to bring them closer to people, so that challenges like multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) can be properly managed and controlled.

Lomé – In January 2024, Yao*, a 67-year-old farmer living in Agou, about 100 kilometres north-west of Lomé, experienced unusual discomfort that led him to seek medical attention. These included chest pains and unexplained intense fatigue that lasted for a fortnight. Following tests, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). “I was surprised and very sad to find out that I had the disease. I had suffered too much and I wanted to be cured by any means necessary,” he recalls. 

Kagera, Tanzania ‒ Domitina Kahira, a resident of Biharamulo District in Tanzania’s north-eastern Kagera Region, is treading a difficult path to recovery after losing her husband to Marburg virus disease in early January 2025.