Uganda Simulates Ebola Outbreak and Identifies Gaps in Preparedness and Response

Health workers evacuate a suspected Ebola patient at Entebbe International Airport during the SIMEX

Kampala, 24th April 2019:- Uganda’s Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) preparedness and response have capacity gaps that need urgent attention to be able to effectively respond to a potential outbreak of the disease. The gaps were identified during a Simulation Exercise (SimEx) that was conducted recently in Wakiso (Entebbe) and Kasese (Mpondwe and Kagando) districts.

Malaria vaccine pilot launched in Malawi

Malaria vaccine pilot launched in Malawi
Malawi launches the world’s first malaria vaccine, becoming the first of three African countries in which the vaccine, known as RTS,S, will be made available to children up to 2 years of age. Ghana and Kenya followed weeks later.

UNCT Family Retreated in Seychelles Over One Week Activities

The UNCT Family Retreat spread over one week, with the participation of delegates from diverse UN Organisations and Government Officials uniting for the first time to achieve as ‘Delivering as One’.
The UNCT Family Retreat, held at the Savoy Hotel in the idyllic island of Seychelles, spread over one week, with the participation of delegates from diverse UN Organisations and Government Officials uniting for the first time to achieve as ‘Delivering as One’.  The retreat aimed at building on the lessons learnt from the previous years, agreeing on the UNCT’s collective strategic engagement within the context of regional framework, UN reform and support both countries to achieve SDGs.   Given the high level of engagement of the stakeholders and the regional dimension of the event, the UNCT retreat this year welcomed a panoply of personalities namely, Heads of Agencies, Agencies Focal Persons, Regional Directors, Regional Coordinators and WHO Representatives from four countries of the sub-region.

Nepal’s high level delegation from Ministry of Health and parliament paid a visit to Ethiopia

L to R:H.E. Mr Upendra Yadav, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population of Nepal and H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
The Nepal high level delegation which was led by H.E. Mr Upendra Yadav, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population of Nepal and three members of the Nepal Parliamentarian of Federalism paid a visit to Ethiopia. The Nepal delegation stayed in the country from 15 - 19 April 2019 and they visited the Ethiopian Health system to learn from Ethiopia’s experience on a federally structured health system. This experience sharing visit was aimed to overview overall administrative and political structure of Ethiopia with an emphasis of federalism focusing to the health system and to understand the processes used to design the federal structures and the impact on human resources management, oversight, accountability and financing in a decentralized system.

Zambia commits to strengthening Primary Health Care as a vehicle for advancing Universal Health Coverage.

The WHO Representative, Dr. Nathan Bakyaita, The PS, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kennedy Malama and Esther Bouma from the European Union

On 9 April 2019 Zambia commemorated the World Health Day under the global theme of Universal Health Coverage. The commemoration had a particular focus on Primary Health Care as a means for advancing progress on achieving the 2030 SDG target on Universal Health Coverage under Goal number 3 on health. The commemoration was held under the local theme: “Universal Health Coverage, my responsibility”.