New data released today by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and WHO shows that community engagement efforts reached more than 20,950 households over seven months in 2016, approximately 117,000* people,  through community meetings, events, door to door visits and vibrant peer support groups.

Harar, 30 December 2016 – The Qulubi Gebreal celebration that brings together more than half a million pilgrimage participants across the nation took place on 28 December 2016. This colorful ceremony has always been there twice a year on 28 July and 28 December each year. In such a situation where people are gathered, many are at risk of contracting communicable diseases especially AWD (Acute Watery Diarrhea). As a result, WHO Country Office in Ethiopia took part in the preparation and implementation of preventive measures against AWD and similar public health hazards.  

A mass vaccination campaign to protect more than 4 million children (4 766 214) against a measles outbreak in conflict-affected states in north-eastern Nigeria is planned to start this week.

The two-week campaign, which starts on 13 January, will target all children aged from 6 months to 10 years in accessible areas in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

10 January 2017, Geneva - Policies to control tobacco use, including tobacco tax and price increases, can generate significant government revenues for health and development work, according to a new landmark global report from WHO and the National Cancer Institute of the United States of America.

Adam Abukari, 37 years old, a Ghanaian man from Savelugu/Nanton located in the Northern Region of Ghana, did not know that the seizure he was having was epilepsy until the day when doctors diagnosed him as having it. Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures. “I grew up before I started experiencing the seizures probably at the age of 20. I used to have about seven or five seizure episodes in a month,” he explains.

Juba, 21 December 2016 – An armed man attacked a passenger vehicle on a main road outside Juba, on Tuesday, 21 December 2016, killing Mr James Leke Kuji, a World Health Organization (WHO) health worker on the spot.

Brazzaville, 19 December 2016 – With millions of people in Africa predicted to die from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO), African Region has supported countries to carry out surveys to identify the main causes of this rising trend.

Sierra Leone has just recently wrapped up its final Maternal and Child Health Week campaign for 2016, known locally as 'Mami en Pekin Welbodi Week', which targeted 95 percent children under five with lifesaving vaccines. Earlier campaign rounds achieved up to 97 percent coverage to protect children against polio, measles and other major childhood diseases. 

On 18th December HE the President of Sierra Leone recognized individuals who made an exceptional contribution in the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone. The following 6 WHO staff members were among  those on the honour roll

Gold Medal:

Abuja, 15 December 2016 - The new World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative(WR), Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu formally assumes duties on 15 December, 2016 with the presentation of his Letters of Commission to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honorable Geoffrey Onyeama. The presentation which took place in Abuja, was witnessed by dignitaries from the ministry and WHO country office.