Africa sets course for affordable, quality medicines with new 10-year roadmap

Africa sets course for affordable, quality medicines with new 10-year roadmap
African leaders and global partners have agreed on a bold 10-year regional vision to redesign how essential health products are financed, produced, and delivered, marking a major step toward ensuring that everyone in the African Region can access affordable, quality-assured medicines and health technologies.

WHO supports Mauritius in developing its first National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy

HO supports Mauritius in developing its first National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy
Mauritius, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), completed a three-day national consultative workshop from 17 to 19 November 2025 to develop its first comprehensive National Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Policy. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with technical assistance from WHO AFRO, WHO Headquarters, and in-country partners. Infant and young child feeding is central to the survival, growth, and long-term wellbeing of children. Although Mauritius has strong programmes such as the National Action Plan on Breastfeeding (2022–2027) recent analyses have highlighted the absence of a unified national IYCF policy. This gap has led to: •    Fragmented interventions across health, labour, education, and social sectors •    Limited enforcement of breastfeeding protection and maternity entitlements •    Insufficient guidance for supporting preterm and low-birth-weight infants •    Variations in feeding counselling and community support •    Lack of a structured response to IYCF during emergencies and disease outbreaks Given Mauritius’ increasing number of preterm births and the need to strengthen early childhood development, a national policy is essential to provide one coherent, evidence-based framework that protects, promotes, and supports optimal feeding for all infants, including the most vulnerable.

Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe Chart $18.6M Climate-Resilient WASH Plan to Protect Health and Water Security

WHO convenes proposal writing workshop to advance climate-resilient WASH solutions for countries

WHO convenes proposal writing workshop to advance climate-resilient WASH solutions for countries

Lusaka, Zambia - As floods, droughts, and rising temperatures threaten water security, energy, and public health across Southern Africa, governments and partners are taking bold steps to protect vulnerable communities through climate-resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) systems.

Advancing Health Equity for people with disabilities in Tanzania

Group photo from stakeholder engagement on Equity for Persons with Disabilities

Dar es Salaam—Tanzania’s health system is strengthening its ability to routinely identify and respond to the health needs of persons with disabilities through the use of disability-disaggregated data, an important step towards more equitable, inclusive and accountable Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Congo hosts Africa’s first simulation exercise on antimicrobial resistance surveillance

Congo hosts Africa’s first simulation exercise on antimicrobial resistance surveillance

Brazzaville—Health officials from the Republic of the Congo and World Health Organization (WHO) experts today conducted a simulation exercise on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), making the country the first in the region to host such an activity to provide practical, hands-on experience on assessing how well countries can detect, report and respond to drug-resistant infections.

Early health preparedness protects families during seasonal floods in Adamawa State

1A WHO volunteer at the field providing health services to women and children at a camp for people displaced by flood in Adamawa State

Yola, In flood-prone Adamawa State, north-east Nigeria, early health preparedness helped protect thousands of vulnerable people from preventable disease outbreaks during the 2025 rainy season.

Through a government-led intervention coordinated by the Adamawa State Ministry of Health (SMOH) with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), health teams were deployed ahead of peak flooding in seven high-risk local government areas: Yola South, Yola North, Numan, Girei, Lamurde, Fufore and Demsa.

WHO hands over two ambulances and oxygen equipment to strengthen emergency referrals in The Gambia

WHO hands over two ambulances and oxygen equipment to strengthen emergency referrals in The Gambia

Banjul — The World Health Organization (WHO) has handed over two fully-equipped ambulances and oxygen concentrators to the Ministry of Health (MoH), boosting The Gambia’s capacity to provide timely emergency referrals and lifesaving care.

The donation, valued at approximately USD 200,000 (about GMD 15 million), was presented during a ceremony attended by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh; the WHO Representative, Dr Nathan Bakyaita; senior MoH officials; and frontline health workers.

The support includes:

Nigeria Launches First National Antimicrobial Resistance Survey

Nigeria Launches First National Antimicrobial Resistance Survey

Abuja, Nigeria has launched its first nationally representative survey on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), marking a milestone in the country’s public health response. Supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, the initiative will generate critical data to guide evidence-based policies, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen health system resilience.