Sierra Leone targets cervical cancer mortality by vaccinating girls

Sierra Leone HPV Vaccine launch
Freetown – An age-old social belief that “what goes on under the cloth should remain under the cloth” is killing women in Sierra Leone. “People are dying in silence,” says Dr Desmond Maada Kangbai, the head of the country’s immunization services. He explains that most women affected by cervical cancer are not willing to talk about their condition or even present themselves for screening and thus possibly get a diagnosis early enough to change the course of the disease and their life.

World Health Organization and Ministry of Health calls for support to contain cholera outbreak before rainy season.

Media briefing

Malawi is battling a protracted cholera outbreak that begun in March 2022 in districts affected by Tropical storm Anna and Cyclone Gombe in the Southern region of the Country. The current outbreak is unprecedented, spreading to districts in central and northern regions that have not experienced cholera in over a decade. From March up to Mid-August the country had 1000 cholera cases with 10 districts affected.

WHO embraces older persons in Tanzania

Dr. Yoti handing over assistive products to the Guest of Honor

Zanzibar & Mainland: Each year, we commemorate the “International Day of Older Persons” on 1 October to raise public awareness about the opportunities and challenges presented to the ageing populations and to mobilize the families, community groups and stakeholders to address the difficulties faced by older people.

Forging stakeholder collaboration for improved healthcare for persons living with epilepsy and other neurological disorders

Participants at the EPinA meeting

Neurological disorders are a significant contributor to the global mortality and morbidity. They are responsible for close to 9 million deaths per year. Whilst it is estimated that globally, about 50 million people suffer from epilepsy alone.  Out of this number, 80% live in low- and middle-income countries where only 1 out of 4 has access to treatment.

In Ghana, it is estimated that 1% of the population live with epilepsy, representing 270,000 people, with a treatment gap of 85%.

Countering myths and misconceptions about cholera in Katavi

WHO staff interacting with a community member during the supportive supervision mission

Tanganyika District, Katavi Region - Cholera epidemic is a recurrent disease in developing countries with poor environmental sanitation and inadequate supply of potable water. Wrong perception and myths surrounding the real causes of cholera disease can hinder acceptance and accessibility to launch effective operational response to affected communities during an outbreak.

Uganda Defines Priorities and Needs in Its Ebola Response Plan

Health Workers in the Mubende Regional Referral Hospital where Ebola cases from Madudu district have been managed

Kampala - The Ministry of Health and health development partners in Uganda, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have launched the country's Ebola response plan highlighting planned activities, priority needs and gaps.

Bringing together the country's health diplomatic corps, the high-level meeting discussed the current status of the outbreak, the country's preparedness to respond and contain the outbreak, and outlined the priorities and needs of the Ebola response as outlined in the national response plan.

Mothers adopt Seasonal Malaria chemoprevention drugs to keep malaria at bay in Adamawa State

Hajara a caregiver, administering malaria drug to her eligible child

Yola, 30 September, 2022 - Sitting on a wooden stool in front of her house at Dobeli community in Yola North Local Government Area (LGA), Hajara Yusuf, a (27 years old mother of three) was coaxing her sons to take the seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) drugs. 

“I usually look forward to when they administer the periodic malaria drugs because I have seen first-hand how it prevents children from falling ill. Previously, I used to refuse the drugs because I was not sure what it was until a community health educator explained the benefit.