At Makawa Primary School, where more than 5,000 children fill classrooms each day, the morning of 24 March 2026, the first day in Malawi’s round 1 nationwide polio vaccination campaign, carried a quiet urgency and a powerful sense of hope.

By 10 AM, over 1,600 children had already received their polio vaccine. The numbers tell one story. People behind them told another: one of trust, coordination, and a shared commitment to protect every child.

Bujumbura – Under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health and with the support of the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), Burundi has just launched, on April 29, 2026, the vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer.

Angolares - On 29 April, the city of Angolares hosted the official launch of African Vaccination Week (AVW) 2026 in São Tomé and Príncipe. Led by the Ministry of Health, the initiative runs from 29 April to 6 May and aims to strengthen routine immunization, reach the most vulnerable populations, and reduce the number of zero-dose and under-immunized children.

Even before dawn, Maria left her home in the municipality of Cazenga with her feverish son on her back. The child was promptly treated by health professionals at the Kalawenda Health Center, where the diagnosis confirmed severe malaria. He survived because he received treatment in time. Unfortunately, for many other families, the outcome is different.

Bissau—The World Health Organization (WHO) in Guinea-Bissau and the Ministry of Public Health signed the 2026–2027 Biennial Workplan and Budget on 29 April 2026, during an official ceremony held at the Ministry of Public Health in Bissau.

On a warm morning in Chembe Village, along the shimmering shores of Lake Malawi in Cape Maclear, laughter travels faster than the breeze. It belongs to two inseparable friends Caroline and Madalitso—whose bond is as strong as their shared courage.

The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), supported the Government of Botswana in April 2026 to orient multidisciplinary teams from 14 schools across three districts on the implementation of the Global Standards for Health Promoting Schools.

Kampala, Uganda: For many years, the Busoga sub-region struggled with some of the weakest health outcomes in Uganda. Mothers gave birth in overcrowded rooms, clinics lacked basic equipment, and young people had little access to reliable information about their bodies and well-being. The situation was especially difficult in the five districts of Bugiri, Buyende, Iganga, Kamuli, and Mayuge.

The Ministry of Health, through the National Directorate of Public Health (DNSP), in partnership with the World Health Organisation, is holding a national training workshop on electronic surveillance, taking place from 22 to 27 April in Luanda. The initiative focuses on the use of eSurv Companion, a digital tool that strengthens surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and the monitoring of post-vaccination adverse events.

Lilongwe – Phase 2 of the polio vaccination campaign is now underway across all districts in Malawi, targeting children under the age of 10 from 27–30 April 2026.

This second round follows a polio case detected in Blantyre earlier this year, highlighting the urgency to boost immunity and protect every child.