1.4 million vaccines from global stockpile support yellow fever control in Nigeria.

Picture showing a girl being vaccinated for yellow fever during the reactive vaccination campaign in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abuja, 04 December 2017 - Reactive vaccination is continuing in high risk states to contain a Yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on vaccine provision for yellow fever has provided 1.4 million vaccine doses for an immunization campaign that starts to help control an ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria.

Supporting breastfeeding to boost child survival

The BFHI aims to promote an enabling environment and support new mothers in breastfeeding

FREETOWN, December 4 2017 --- This November, Sierra Leone’s Directorate of Food and Nutrition with support from WHO and UKAid organised a five-day training for hospital staff on the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), which is an initiative pioneered by WHO and UNICEF to help maternity facilities become trusted centres of breastfeeding and mother/baby bonding support. 

Dr Moeti calls for greater commitment to access, diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS

 Dr Moeti calls for greater commitment to access, diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS
At the margins of the ICASA 2017, the WHO Regional office for Africa in collaboration with the WHO headquarters and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) as well as other members of the AIDS FREE working group (UNICEF, PEPFAR, CIFF, ELMA) gathered in Abidjan. With the participation of delegations from the 21 priorities countries, they assessed progress, identified remaining gaps and shared good practices for accelerating efforts to scale up timely diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents living with HIV. “Indeed, we have made remarkable progress. This progress is a result of meaningful community engagement, increased knowledge of HIV status of our population and strong leadership, ownership and commitment from governments and partners. However, considerable gaps remain. We have to invest more in HIV services that will reach populations and locations in greatest need. In order to achieve the targets we set ourselves to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Agenda, , we have to address the big challenges head-on’, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa.

HIV experts take stock of progress and challenges in tackling HIV among children and young adults, ahead of ICASA 

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As thousands of international delegates converge in Abidjan, Côte d’ Ivoire for the bi-annual Conference on International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) from December 4 to 9, the scene has been set, with some of the key issues that will be deliberated and discussed. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) today convened a special forum on accelerating efforts to scale-up timely diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents living with HIV.

The biggest AIDS Conference in Africa, opens in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire

ICASA 2017

04 December 2017 - The 19th ICASA International Conference for Africa opens today in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire on the theme “Africa: Ending AIDS-delivering differently”. The conference will be opened by his Excellency Mr  Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.
 

Message of the Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on World AIDS Day 2017

world-aids-day-2017-infographic1

As we mark World AIDS Day on 1 December, whose theme this year is “Right to Health”, I would like to share the story of Alex, a 14 year old high school student who lives with his grandmother in Douala, Cameroon. He was diagnosed with HIV in 2016, a year after his mother died of tuberculosis. “My family gave me support, love and care and the doctors gave me medicines. The medicine will make me live a normal life and strengthen my body. I love going to school and studying and I hope to become a doctor one day so that I can look after other HIV positive people.”

WHO deploys mobile laboratory to support Marburg outbreak response

The Minister of Health Dr Aceng (Purple outfit) and the WHO representative Dr Jack Abdoulie (black outfit) listen to Dr Thomas Strecker from WHO during the commissioning of the mobile laboratory at Kapchorwa District Hospital

Kapchorwa 2 December 2017:- The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the European Union and the US Center for Disease Control deployed the EU mobile laboratory bringing together experts from Marburg University and Berharndt Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine at Kapchorwa District hospital to improve sample testing and enable real-time reporting of results during the Marburg outbreak.