Childhood is meant to be a time of joy, growth, and development, free from violence, abuse, and exploitation. This is however not the case for over 39.6% of Namibian girls and 45.0% of Namibian boys experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional violence in their childhood according to the 2019 Violence against Children and Youth Survey.   

The Namibian government’s commitment to improving public health efforts in the last 33 years has yielded positive outcomes resulting in an increase in the country’s life expectancy by 12 years since 2001.

In 2001, the average lifespan of a Namibia was 51 years but in 2020 this increased to 63 years. Furthermore, investment in HIV pandemic control has also paid off significantly with a 65 percent decline in new infections. HIV-related deaths in Namibia also declined by 74 percent since 2004.

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.”

World Health Organization (WHO) has donated emergency medical supplies to the Ministry of Health in response to the fuel tanker disaster that has fatally affected over 80 persons.

Brazzaville – The landmark decision by World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize noma (cancrum oris) as one of the neglected tropical diseases will help boost efforts to end the devastating disease especially in the African region which bears the highest burden globally.

Basse Santa Su, The Gambia - In a transformative initiative, community health workers in The Gambia are undergoing specialized training facilitated by a dedicated team of psychiatric nurses. The focus of this program is to equip these frontline heroes with the skills and knowledge outlined in the WHO Mental Health GAP (mhGAP) Treatment Intervention Guide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) raises concerns about Ethiopia's escalating public health needs. According to the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023, 17.4 million people across the country are affected by a prolonged El Niño-induced drought, floods, and conflicts, with the Somali, Afar, Oromia, Central Ethiopia, South Ethiopia, and Southwest areas experiencing the most significant impact. The dire circumstances have triggered a surge in disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever, along with alarming levels of acute malnutrition.
 

Maternal Mortality remains a key issue affecting women of reproductive age across the African Region. The current Maternal Mortality Ratio for Lesotho is 566/100,000 live births. This is categorized as very high and is above the regional average of 545/100,000 live births