Preparations are currently underway for a vast bed net distribution campaign in Sierra Leone. Planned for June this year, the campaign aims to distribute around 4.3 million insecticide-treated bed nets to households nationwide to help protect them against malaria, which remains one of the country’s leading causes of death and illness.

Brazzaville, 24 April 2017 - The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) announced today that Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi will take part in a WHO-coordinated pilot implementation programme that will make the world’s first malaria vaccine available in selected areas, beginning in 2018. 

Zanzibar, 24 April 2017 : WHO and partners supported the Zanzibar Island to conduct a Joint External Evaluation (JEE) for IHR Core Capacities. The event was officiated by the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Honorable Riziki Pembe Juma. Also present during the occasion were the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ms. Asha Abdala, Directors from the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Livestock, Disaster Risk Management, and, representatives of various sectors and agencies and the external evaluators.

Brazzaville /N’Djamena, 22 April 2017 – UN agencies, high level government officials, immunization partners and community leaders, with the support of the Organization of African First Ladies against AIDS (OAFLA) are launching today the African Vaccination Week (AVW), urging all people to protect their health by getting vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the WHO Country Office held a workshop on Adverse Event Following Immunization Surveillance and Causality Assessment from 21 to 22 February 2017 at Embasoira Hotel in Asmara-Eritrea. The workshop was modelled on the standard of WHO causality assessment course to strengthen monitoring of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), but modified to suit the country requirements.

Geneva, April 21, 2017 – With a drastic reduction in neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) during the past five years, the World Health Organization (WHO), donors, non-governmental organizations and government representatives of endemic countries are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to build on the gains that have been made and reaffirm their commitment to the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

Addis Ababa, 19 April 2017 – Ethiopia joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Health Day, on 7 April 2017, at Yeka Kotebe General Hospital, a newly inaugurated hospital with mental health services. This year’s commemoration was under the theme “Depression; Let’s Talk” with a special focus on three groups of the population, namely adolescents and youth, women and elderly.

Lusaka, 13 April 2017 - The government of the Republic of Zambia has called for increased investment in mental health and the integration of services at primary health care facilities in response to the need for people with depression to seek and get help. Speaking at the official launch of the World Health Day 2017 which was commemorated under the theme “Depression, Let’s talk”, the District Commissioner for Ndola District, Mr.