“I was seated beside my friend when an unexpected wave of unease and fatigue washed over me. Abruptly, a sudden onset of slightly whitish and watery diarrhea, coupled with relentless vomiting, compelled me to rush to my backyard several times an hour” Mohammed Hadji Ahmed, a 30-year-old resident of the Cholera outbreak-affected Melkaoligadi kebele in Gasera Woreda, Bale zone of Oromia regional state in Ethiopia recalls his harrowing experience.

Brazzaville - The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have committed to strengthening collaboration towards the use of data analytics in the fight against diseases in the African region.

The commitment was made during a technical visit to the WHO Africa office in Brazzaville, Congo by a delegation from BMGF led by Jennifer Gardy, Deputy Director, Surveillance, Data, and Epidemiology from 8 to 10 January 2024.

By Vivian Mugarisi

Mrs Regina Diergaardt, school principal of the Gobabis Primary School, shares the story of how her school has remained a health promoting school through the years despite numerous challenges.  

“I have realized that if we take HPSI seriously, we will see a change in the behaviour of our learners who in return take what they have learned at school back to the society, and together we can promote good health in our communities.”

Omaheke Region is known for its agricultural potential especially in cattle raring, but its increasingly becoming popular for its milestone achievement in the Health Promoting School Initiative being the only region that has embraced this initiative in all its 47 schools.

The ICD, since inception a century ago has become an integral part of strategic health information providing comparable data on the extent, causes and consequences of human disease and death.  This information is invaluable especially for service planning, provision of quality care and health research.