Polokwane, 22 September 2015 - The WHO Representative in South Africa, Dr Sarah Barber, has issued a statement of support to the National Department of Health which is holding a two-day conference in Polokwane to commemorate World Environmental Health Day (WEHD) on 26 September. The Country Office also provided technical support for this meeting which over 600 environmental health professionals and key stakeholders are expected to attend.

Harare, 21 Sept. 2015 :  The Honorable Minister of Health and Child Care Dr. David Parirenyatwa, in conjunction with WHO, UNICEF, and other partners, launched the National Immunization Days (NIDs) on 21 September in Harare. NIDs are selected days when measles vaccines as well as vitamin A supplements are given to children between the ages of 6 – 59 months, irrespective of vaccination status, and are extra doses which supplement and do not replace the doses received according to routine immunizations.

Harare, 21 Sept. 2015 - WHO Representative to Zimbabwe, Dr David Okello yesterday paid a courtesy call to the new Deputy Minister for Health and Child Care, Mr Aldrin Musiiwa at his Kaguvi Building office.  Prior to his appointment, Mr Musiiwa has been a Member of Parliament for Chakari Constituency in Mashonaland West Province, and was a member of the Health Portfolio Committee in Parliament. The new Deputy Minister assumed his new position earlier this month following the recent cabinet reshuffles.

17 September 2015 - Malaria death rates have plunged by 60% since 2000, translating into 6.2 million lives saved, the vast majority of them children, according to a joint WHO-UNICEF report released today.
The report – “Achieving the malaria MDG target” – shows that the malaria MDG target to “have halted and begun to reverse the incidence” of malaria by 2015, has been met “convincingly”, with new malaria cases dropping by 37% in 15 years.

Entebbe, 17 September 2015:- Day 3 of the workshop focused on delivering HIV & AIDS services through a continuum of care, Community Engagement and Participation and Strategic information; monitoring and evaluation.

Delivery of HIV & AIDS services through a continuum of care

Panel on WHO recommendations on Legal and Ethical Considerations

Entebbe, 16 September 2015:- Day two of the workshop focused on sharing country guidelines, opportunities and addressing challenges and solutions faced by the different Sub-Saharan countries in delivering HIV & AIDS treatment and care to children and adolescents.

WHO is helping Sierra Leone to mobilize all its experience and partners to ensure that any new cases of Ebola are investigated and transmission of the disease stopped as rapidly as possible. Sad news that a 16-year old girl had died from Ebola in Bombali district, a part of the country that had a large outbreak 6 months ago, sparked an immediate inter-agency rapid response. Partners sent people with the skills and equipment needed to stop further infection in Bombali.

The 13th Africa Traditional Medicine Day was commemorated under the theme “Regulation of Traditional Health Practitioners in African Region” in August 31, 2015 in a workshop organized by WHO and the Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control Authority. On this occasion, Ms Heran Gerba, Deputy Director General of Food Medicine and Healthcare Administration and Control Authority (FMHACA) while delivering an opening remark highlighted the valuable contribution of the traditional medicine in Ethiopia where 80% of the people use the traditional medicine.

Entebbe, 15 September 2015:- The African Regional Workshop on HIV & AIDS in Children  and Adolescents has today opened at Imperial Golf View Hotel under the theme  “Stepping up the case for HIV & AIDS care and treatment among children and adolescents in the African Region”, to review country progress in addressing HIV among children and adolescents.