Feature Stories

Brazzaville – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. About4.71 million deaths were linked to bacterial AMR in 2021 alone, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for highest mortality rates.

Bujumbura – The biomedical laboratory is a critical component of outbreak response efforts. In Burundi, it serves as a cornerstone in addressing the current mpox outbreak. When the outbreak was declared on 25 July, the country faced a shortage of qualified staff to manage the laboratory pillar effectively. As of 17 November, Burundi is the second most affected country in the African Region, with 2003 confirmed mpox cases. 

Windhoek – “The injury pattern did not match the father's account, so I involved a social worker,” recounts Julia Kaiyamo, a doctor at Katutura Health Centre in Windhoek, Namibia, of a recent case she treated. Kaiyamo’s assessment was informed by training she received on addressing child maltreatment.

Abuja – Borno state, in northeastern Nigeria, has been severely impacted by recent floods, which have displaced more than 400 000 people and led to 37 deaths. The flooding, mostly affecting the municipal area of Maiduguri, the state’s capital, has also caused significant damage to agricultural land and infrastructure, including health facilities. Almost 90 000 vulnerable people have been forced to take shelter in temporary camps with limited access to food, clean water and health services.

Juba – Health authorities in South Sudan have declared a cholera outbreak in Renk, a county located on the northern border of Sudan and the main point of entry for refugees and returnees fleeing the ongoing armed conflict in that country. A total of 50 suspected cases with six confirmed cases were reported among refugees, returnees and the host community as of 28 October 2024.

Brazzaville  - The African region, declared free of indigenous wild poliovirus in August 2020, faces an urgent threat: the intense transmission of type 2 variant poliovirus (cVDPV2). This year alone, 290 poliovirus detections have been reported in 23 African countries.

Nairobi/Kampala – Between October 3 and 6, 2024, more than 6.5 million children were vaccinated in a successful synchronized polio campaign between Kenya and Uganda. This cross-border achievement began with a coordinated launch in Bungoma District, Kenya, and Mbale District, Uganda. 

Juba ‒ South Sudan is witnessing some of its worst flooding in decades that has caused widespread devastation in several parts of the country and has so far left more than 226 000 people displaced, homes, livelihood impacted with roads and key infrastructure submerged and several communities devastated.

Brazzaville – Access to mental health services in the African region is still inadequate despite recent progress. While countries have made advancements including increasing the number of mental health specialists, investment and policy development, challenges ranging from poor awareness to stigma and insufficient services continue to undermine effective mental health care. Dr Naeem Dalal, a mental health emergency response consultant for WHO in the African Region, discusses some of the common barriers to this critical care.