Feature Stories

Biharamulo, Tanzania – A team of public health emergency experts from World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed to Tanzania’s north-western Kagera region to support the health authorities strengthen response to an outbreak of Marburg virus disease.

Juba ‒ Nyaboth Gai, a 28-year-old resident of Rubkona, county in the north of South Sudan, is grateful to be alive after her family was severely affected by cholera, an infectious disease that can quickly lead to death if it is not detected and treated early. “All four members of my family got infected and I thank God for giving me another chance to live,” she says. “I am grateful for the treatment we have been receiving in the health facility.”

Yaounde – Ndzie Daniela and Ngah Daniel, twins, were the first children to receive the malaria vaccine when it was introduced in Cameroon on 22 January 2024. They have now received three doses of the vaccine and are both thriving. “My children are in excellent health. Since birth, they have never had malaria. Better still, I'd say they've never fallen sick,” says their mother Hélène Akono. “I must admit they've had a few teething problems, but nothing serious.”

N'Djamena – Judith Haltebaye, a midwife with 15 years of experience, has spent the past seven years serving at the Abena-Atetip Health Centre in central N'Djamena. Over the years, she has supported hundreds of women throughout their pregnancies and beyond. For some, her care involves highly specific follow-ups, as in the case of 34-year-old Menodjie, who is living with HIV. "Menodjie came for a consultation in January, and through routine tests, we discovered she was living with HIV. At the time, she was expecting her second child," Judith recounts.

Algiers – Brahim, a 14-year-old student, has been visiting the local health centre in Cherchell every week for a year to participate in individual therapy sessions and receive career guidance. “I came to seek help for my addiction to cannabis and tobacco,” he confides. “It was very difficult at first. I had trouble communicating with others. But week after week, the staff at the centre helped me gain confidence in myself. They encourage me not to drop out of school and not to lose hope.”

Bata – Juan de Dios, a nurse in the emergency unit of the hospital in Bata, a port city in Equatorial Guinea, still remembers the frequent calls for help that echoed through the corridors: “There’s no oxygen!” “It was a race against time to procure and deliver the oxygen on time. On account of its high cost, the hospital was forced to charge families, even low-income ones, for its use. It was terrifying not knowing if we could save a life because of all this.”

Brazzaville – “Previously, I avoided going to the integrated health centre (IHC) due to the high cost of care and poor reception," says Christine, 58, who lives in Nzalangoye, in Ouesso District in northern Congo. 

In 2021, only 13.82% of the Congolese population had access to health services. Barriers such as lack of information, high cost of services, insecurity and geographical isolation, restricted access.

Nairobi – Five years ago, Esther Omagwa was one of only two nurses at the Railways Health Centre in Kisumu County, western Kenya. The immense workload often exhausted her, forcing her to turn away clients.

Today, the scene at the community health centre is remarkably different. With the nursing staff now expanded to a team of four, Omagwa and her colleagues are better equipped to deal with the load.