In the West Nile region of Uganda, Dawa Zubeda, a mother of five, has been on a harrowing journey to improve her youngest son's health. Her story mirrors the struggle of many parents facing the harsh realities of severe malnutrition.

Zubeda’s journey to the health facility was fraught with uncertainty and fear. “When I took my son to the hospital, I thought he had malaria. He was weak, with a swollen body and no appetite,” she recalled.

In a concerted effort to enhance the quality of healthcare services in Namibia, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other key stakeholders, has made significant steps in the development, launching and dissemination of the National Quality Policy and Strategy (NQPS) in 2022. The NQPS aimed at ensuring that the provision of quality healthcare services is a fundamental principle of the healthcare delivery system in Namibia.

Experts from the World Health Organization in Angola conducted a high-level advocacy session for members of the 6th Commission of the National Assembly of Angola. The event focused on the three major endemics affecting the country: Malaria, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, aiming to enhance understanding and essential knowledge for making informed and effective decisions.

Dar es Salaam - “It was on 27th March 2024 in the evening.  I got a call from my wife that my daughter was very sick. She was vomiting and having watery diarrhea. My daughter was dehydrated, and she looked pale and tired. Few hours later, I also started feeling the same symptoms. My sons realized that this was Cholera symptoms and they quickly rushed us to the nearby health facility where we got treatment and recovered on the following days.

Brazzaville – World Health Organization (WHO) in the African Region today released groundbreaking new guidance to help strengthen efforts to address the growing threat of sickle cell disease in the region.

Significant for their integrated and holistic approach, the new technical documents offer detailed, actionable strategies and insights to support countries to improve quality of care, make treatment more accessible and boost overall health outcomes.

Dar es Salaam - Effective management of infodemics help reduce its impact on the global as well as national efforts that are tailored to prevent and respond to public health emergencies. The overflow of information that surges across the digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak causes confusion and risk-taking behaviors that normally intensity or lengthen outbreaks, particularly when people are unsure about what they need to do to protect themselves.

Context

Kwekwe - Every year on 14 June, Zimbabwe joins the global community in commemorating World Blood Donor Day, as a moment to honor those who selflessly donate their blood to save lives. This year's commemoration holds special significance, marking a milestone of reaching two decades of global promotion of this selfless act of blood donation.

One such dedicated donor is 43-year-old Isaac Bheta.

By providing affordable access to quality health services, Primary Health Care (PHC) forms the cornerstone for advancing towards universal health coverage (UHC) and ultimately for improving people’s health and well-being across the life-course.

Bulawayo – The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) in Zimbabwe with support from the World Health Organization and UNICEF conducted an Intra Action Review (IAR) of the current cholera response in the country from 3-7 June 2024. This IAR served as a platform for key responders to collaboratively assess strategies, share experiences, pinpoint challenges, and identify successful actions. These insights will be used to refine programme decisions and control the outbreak more effectively.