Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — March 2026 The World Health Organization (WHO) Ethiopia Country Office played a decisive role in the rapid containment of the Ethiopia ’s first-ever Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak, successfully interrupting transmission within a short period and enabling the official closure of the outbreak on 26 January 2026. The achievement marks a major milestone in Ethiopia’s public health response and demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated, multi-level emergency operations.

Kampala, Uganda: Uganda has taken a significant step in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) following the handover of 300 WHO AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic books to the National Drug Authority (NDA). The support comes at a time when the country, like many low and middle-income nations, continues to grapple with rising resistance to commonly used antimicrobials, a trend that threatens decades of medical progress.

Dodoma — The 25th Joint Annual Health Sector Technical Review Meeting (JAHS‑TRM) took place from 17–18 March 2026 in Dodoma, bringing together Government leaders, development partners, non‑state actors and the private sector to review health sector performance for 2025 and set priorities for the 2026/27 financial year. The meeting was held under the theme “Accelerating achievement of Universal Health Coverage through Transformative Leadership, Accountability and Digital Innovation in Ensuring a Healthy Society.” It was chaired by Prof.

In October 2025, a suspected polio case triggered an urgent alert in Malawi’s Mwanza District. The patient was a 9-month-old girl who had been brought to Thambani Health Centre with symptoms of paralysis. What made this case unusual was that the child was not from Malawi, she lived just across the border in Moatize District, Mozambique. This discovery set in motion a remarkable example of cross-border cooperation to protect communities from polio.

Just three years ago, Malawi faced a daunting challenge. A wave of emergencies including COVID-19, cholera, cyclones, floods, and even a wild polio virus outbreak that strained the health system. Immunization rates dropped, and thousands of children missed critical vaccines. Behind these numbers were real stories, of fathers that are unaware of the importance of vaccines, and of cultural norms that hindered women from seeking health care services.

For years, Malawi’s Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) laboratory has served quietly but decisively as the national hub for confirming measles and rubella cases. Its work underpins the country’s immunization programme validating suspected outbreaks, guiding vaccination campaigns, and helping health teams distinguish local transmission from imported cases. Until recently, this essential laboratory operated under provisional WHO accreditation, reflecting both its commitment and the journey still ahead to meet every global standard.

In 2025, Malawi undertook two major public health interventions to protect its population and strengthen health security. First, the Ministry of Health launched a nationwide HPV Multi-Age Cohort (MAC) campaign in October, targeting girls aged 9–18 years and transitioning to a one-dose schedule for 9-year-olds. This strategic move aimed to close coverage gaps and accelerate progress toward cervical cancer elimination.

Since October 2023, WHO has issued several Global Medical Product Alerts concerning oral liquid medicines contaminated with ethylene glycol (EG) and/or diethylene glycol (DEG). These incidents have been associated with the deaths of more than 300 children worldwide.

Kampala: Uganda’s ambition to transform Primary Health Care through resilient community health systems entered a decisive phase on 4 March 2026, when a cohort of 348 newly trained Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) was passed out in a high-profile ceremony held in Mbarara City and Rukungiri District.