Countries launch synchronized cross border campaign to fight against polio: Somali region of Ethiopia alone to vaccinate over half million under 5 children

mOPV2 vaccination in Fafan zone of Somali region
Polio is a highly infectious, debilitating disease which affects children and causes permanent paralysis. Polio is not curable, and can only be prevented by vaccination. Families and communities must ensure their children are vaccinated both during polio campaigns and through routine immunization. The Horn of Africa is currently in emergency with imported poliovirus of circulating vaccine derived polioviruses placing polio eradication as unfinished business. Circulating vaccine Derived-Polio Virus (cVDPV) outbreak was reported recently from Somaliland and the first-round quick response has been conducted in July 2019. Since then four more cases have been reported in Puntland in Somalia, one in Bosaso district, one in Ufyan district, one on the border with Somali region in Ethiopia and one in Dollo Zone Bokh Wareda in Somali Region of Ethiopia.

Africa today heads into the last mile to be free of wild polio

Africa today heads into the last mile to be free of wild polio
Africa marks three years without a case of wild poliovirus, crossing a landmark that sets in motion a comprehensive evaluation to determine if the entire WHO African Region of 47 countries indeed can be declared to have eradicated wild poliovirus.

Ministerial gathering to shape Africa’s health agenda opens in Brazzaville

Group photo
The annual ministerial gathering shapes Africa's health agenda. During the five-day meeting ministers agreed to important decisions on improving disease surveillance and response, reducing malnutrition, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, controlling vector-borne diseases and strengthening district health systems.

Winners of inaugural WHO Innovation Challenge announced

Photo with the innovators | WHO/MONGE M.
The three winners of the first World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Innovation Challenge were honoured during an evening awards ceremony as part of the WHO Regional Committee meeting of health ministers taking place this week in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Nigeria moves to end Communicable Diseases among people who use drugs

Group Photograph during a 2-day workshop on needle and syringe exchange programme guideline finalization

Abuja, 19 August 2019 – “I have been injecting drugs for a long time and we share syringes,” says Ali who lives in the suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and recently diagnosed to be co-infected with Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. Consequent to difficulties of life in the streets, Ali was exposed to drug use as early as age 10 and started using injectable drugs when he was 14. “I wish I can stop now though, but It is very difficult” he laments. 

Malaria- Over 7.3 million long lasting insecticide treated nets distributed in Taraba and Kaduna States

The Governor of Taraba State Distributing LLINs to citizenry.png

Taraba, 13 August 2019 –  With support from the Global Fund (GF), the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Taraba and Kaduna State Governments distributed a total of over 7.3 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) to indigenes across 39 Local Government Areas (LGA).  From 19 to 23 July 2019, over 2.1 million LLINs were distributed across all 16 LGAs of Taraba State while in Kaduna, at least 5.2 million nets were disseminated to citizenry across 23 LGAs of the state from 02-07 August 2019. 

WHO donates Information Communication and Technology equipment to improve the availability of good quality data at all levels in South Sudan

Dr Olu handing over the ICT equipment to Dr Makur, Undersecretary, Ministry of Health

Juba, 15 August 2019 – With funding from Gavi, the Vaccine alliance, WHO donated Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) equipment this week (Wednesday, 14 August) to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of South Sudan.

The ICT equipment will support the expanded programme on immunization (EPI) data management and the roll-out of District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS 2) both at national and state levels including Abyei Administrative area of South Sudan.

WHO collaborates with Nigerian Government to update the country health workforce profile

Dr Clement Peter (OiC) making in Speech at the Validation event

Abuja, August 15, 2019 - The Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in collaboration with The World Health Organization(WHO) has successfully updated and validated Nigeria’s health workforce profile from 2012 to 2018 with funding from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) under the “Enhancing the Ability of Frontline Health Workers to Improve Health in Nigeria” project.