Marrying Public Health with Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Dr. Shangula and WHO Representative, Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses joined by partners at the launch of the National eHealth Strategy.

Imagine a woman in a remote setting needing to return to the nearest health facility for follow-up treatment receiving a reminder on her mobile phone or a patient needing the next prescription of her hypertension medication receiving this by email without the physical contact at a health facility. Although these may seem small, it makes a difference in improving equitable access to health care to remote and underserved communities without the financial ruin or impoverishment. 

World AIDS Day 2021: Confronting inequalities through concerted actions between the authorities, NGOs and civil society

Marking World AIDS Day 2021 in Mauritius
Mauritius marked World AIDS Day 2021 on 01 December 2021 at the Yves Cantin community hospital, Black River under the theme “End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemic”.  This year’s theme is of utmost importance at a point in time where the COVID-19 pandemic has further widened inequalities among the world populations.  The HIV/AIDS national campaign was launched by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Hon Kailesh Kumar Jagutpal in the presence of the WHO Representative, Dr Laurent Musango, the National HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Dr Mungala Devi Soyjauda, Mrs S. Kalasapatan-Chellen, Ag Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dr A. Dinassing, Director Public Health and other personalities. 

Botswana is first country with severe HIV epidemic to reach key milestone in the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission

Botswana is first country with severe HIV epidemic to reach key milestone in the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission
Botswana has become the first high-burden country to be certified for achieving an important milestone on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by the World Health Organization (WHO). High-burden HIV countries are defined as those with more than 2% of pregnant women living with the virus. Botswana has achieved the “silver tier” status, which moves it closer to eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission. WHO awards this certification to countries which have brought the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate to under 5 %; provided antenatal care and antiretroviral treatment to more than 90 % of pregnant women; and achieved an HIV case rate of fewer than 500 per 100,000 live births.

Jigawa State distributes over three million treated nets to vulnerable populations

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umaru Namadi presenting ITN to a beneficiary at the flag-off

Dutse, 12 December, 2021 - The Jigawa State Government, as part of its malaria prevention/elimination strategies, has begun the distribution of 3.7 million Insecticide Treated Nets to vulnerable households in the state.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Namadi, at the inauguration of the 12-day distribution exercise on 17 November 2021, in Madobi village, Dutse Local Government Area (LGA), said that the goal is to encourage everyone to sleep inside the net, especially the malaria vulnerable populations (pregnant women and children under 5 years).

HIV/AIDS services must remain crucial during the COVID-19 outbreak

HIV testing

This year’s commemoration of World AIDS Day occurs in a complicated terrain where essential services have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the theme "End Inequality, End AIDS. End pandemic" this day is more than a call for a balance in health interventions to give all patients the chance to have equitable access to health services.

WHO Malawi holds a consultation meeting with the Ministry of Health to plan for 2022-2023 biennium

group photo of WCO Malawi and Ministry of Health officials

World Health Organization Malawi Country Office (WCO) held a consultation meeting with Ministry of Health on 26th November 2021 at Sunbird Hotel in Blantyre to plan for a new biennium. The aim of the meeting was to align country priority areas with WHO workplans for 2022-2023 programme budget. The WHO planning and budgeting runs in two-year cycles (biennium) and the current biennial plan 2020-2021 ends on 31st December 2021.