Feature Stories

Arba Minch, South Ethiopia Region—March 2026 will forever be etched in the memory of 40-year-old Datare Debebe Dasho. A resident of Genata Village in Gacho Baba Woreda (District) in South Ethiopia Region, Datare is a survivor of catastrophic landslides that occurred between 9 and 10 March.

Heavy and continuous rainfall triggered multiple landslides and flooding across eight woredas in Gamo Zone, South Ethiopia Region, leaving widespread destruction and loss of life. At least 125 deaths have been reported, with 81 bodies recovered so far.

Busuma, Burundi—Burundi is facing a growing humanitarian emergency as thousands of people fleeing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to cross the border, placing increasing strain on health services and infrastructure in refugee-hosting communities.

Freetown—Sierra Leone has scored a major public health milestone by exceeding national targets in a recent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, helping to accelerate progress towards eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat by 2030.

Blantyre—Around 1.3 million children in Malawi have been vaccinated against polio in a four-day campaign following the detection of a new circulating variant polio case in late January 2026. This variant polio case is the first reported in the country since 2022, when wild poliovirus — genetically linked to an outbreak in Pakistan — was confirmed in Malawi.

Juba—South Sudan’s sustained cholera outbreak response has reduced new cases and prevented around 94 000 deaths since the confirmation of the outbreak more than two years ago in September 2024.  

Maputo—Health authorities in Mozambique have intensified emergency response to assist hundreds of thousands of people devastated by severe flooding in the southern and central regions since mid-December 2025. 

The flooding has affected more than 720 000 people, with 75% residing in Gaza Province. Around 100 000 people are being housed in 113 temporary accommodation centres in Gaza, Maputo, Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambezia provinces, and Maputo City. 

Ouagadougou ‒ “When I heard the town crier announce that health workers were coming for free screening, I felt afraid: if they told me I had the disease, how would I get treated? But I thought of my children and decided to go,” says Awa, 48, a mother of six living in Ipendo, in Burkina Faso’s Centre-West region.

Freetown—In the past, cervical cancer diagnosis meant Sierra Leonean women had to travel to neighbouring countries for treatment, if they could afford it. Today, thanks to strong leadership of the Ministry of Health, working in close collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO), UNFPA, Friends of Africa and international partners, lifesaving prevention and care is becoming more available at home. South-South partnerships with Zambia and China have strengthened national capacity, giving women hope and saving lives.

Antananarivo — Julien Ranjaivonirina, a 63‑year‑old farmer living in the Fitovinany region, smiles as he reflects on his journey. Standing in front of his wooden house, he recounts how the hydrocele he had for several years limited his movements and prevented him from working as he wished. Today, after receiving care, he is gradually regaining his pace and daily activities. “It feels like I’ve been given a second life; I can finally resume my days as before.” 

Ambatoboeny—In Madagascar, leprosy remains a major public health concern. Each year, between 1500 and 2000 new cases are reported, placing the country among the 23 priority countries for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against leprosy. The disease remains endemic in 37 remote districts across 16 of the country’s 24 regions. In 2024, a total of 1713 new cases were recorded. Almost 350 people (20% of all cases) are living with permanent disabilities caused by leprosy, which indicates late diagnosis.