May 31 2017 --- On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization is highlighting how tobacco threatens the development of nations worldwide, and is calling on governments to implement strong tobacco control measures. Globally tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, which is one death every five seconds. 

No longer ashamed

Uganda commemorated the Fourth UN Global Road Safety Week with a call to Ugandan drivers to reduce speed on roads, respect road rules and signage as well as to be considerate to other road users.

Mbabane, Swaziland 25 May - The Kingdom of Swaziland completed a two weeks long first ever joint review of four programmes; Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB), Viral Hepatitis prevention and control as well as Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV(PMTCT). This is in line with the country’s plan to strengthen integration of the four programmes. Currently the programmes have separate strategic plans. For example: the HIV Health Sector Response Plan runs from 2014 – 2018 and the TB National Strategic Plan runs from 2015 – 2019.

Eritrea conducted a workshop on Stakeholders on the process for the development and implementation of National Action Plan for the Prevention and Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance using the “One Health Approach” on April 2017 at Embassoira Hotel in Asmara.

Victoria, Seychelles, 25th May 2017 - A group of 30 Managers from different cadres within the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Seychelles have been oriented on the Workload Indicator for Staffing Needs (WISN) methodology developed by the WHO, during a five day workshop at the MoH Headquarters. Three WHO Consultants under the leadership of Dr Magdalene Awases from the Regional Office’s Inter-Support Team facilitated the workshop.

24 May 2017, Juba, South Sudan – The Government of Japan and the World Health Organization (WHO) are to establish the first Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in Juba.  The USD 0.45 million project that comprises PHEOC’s infrastructure and equipment comes on top of Japan’s multi-year contribution to scaling up of blood transfusion services. The objective of establishing the PHEOC is to strengthen preparedness and response capacities for public health emergencies in line with the International Health Regulations of 2005.

Abuja, 24 May 2017 - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control, (CDC) Foundation, have bestowed posthumous ‘Bob Keegan Polio Eradication Heroes Awards’ on two fallen polio heroes in Niger and Benue states. The Bob Keegan Polio Eradication Hero Award comprise of a plaque-certificate and cash donation of USD$2,000 to each of the awardees.

Using tools developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of Health (MoH), Seychelles has recently conducted two surveys to generate evidence for future planning and managing of its health system. The two surveys conducted in the country are the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) and the Patient Safety Situational Analysis (PSSA).

May 22, 2017 Addis Ababa: Conference on implementation and up-dating of the National Strategy and Plan of Action (NSPA) for pharmaceutical manufacturing development in Ethiopia organized by Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Health and World Health Organization to review the implementation of 2016 plan and up-date the NSPA Pharma.