On 3rd March 2014, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the World Health Organization, held the stakeholders’ meeting introduction of HPV vaccine in Kilimanjaro Region in preparation for the launch of the HPV Demonstration Project. The HPV Demonstration Project aims to demonstrate how the HPV vaccine targeting girls aged 9 to 13 years can be delivered in routine settings while looking at implications on coverage, feasibility, acceptability and cost.

Addis Ababa. 28 February 2014 – Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed between the FMOH and six training institutions, namely, Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, and Universities of Mekelle, Jimma, Hawassa, Bahir Dar and Haramaya on 21 February 2014 at a Mental Health Forum held in Addis Ababa. The MoUs have formalized the role of the training institutions in the scale up process.

28 February 2014 -- WHO estimates that over 5% of the world’s population – 360 million people - has disabling hearing loss. The highest prevalence is found in the Asia Pacific, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. About half of all cases of hearing loss worldwide are easily prevented or treated.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation launched the Cholera Multi-Year Multi-Sectoral Plan and other three surveillance documents (National Sierra Leone National Disease Surveillance and Response Strategic Plan 2012 – 2017, Rapid Response Teams Operational Guidelines and Post Epidemic Evaluation (The 2012 Cholera Outbreak) on 27 February 2014 at the Presidential Lounge of the National Stadium.

Borno State of Nigeria has been facing security challenges because of stiff insurgency, resulting into loss of lives and property, crippling economic, social as well as commercial activities. The health sector is not spared and it is on record that some health workers made the ultimate sacrifice during one of the insurgents’ attacks.  The negative fallout necessitated the postponement of the March 2013 Polio Immunization plus Days (IPDs) round by the State government.

Harare, 25 Feb 2014 -- The Government Counselor for External Relations of the Principality of Monaco, M. José Badia and IST/ESA Coordinator, Dr David Okello signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the 2nd phase of the accelerated malaria control towards pre-elimination in East and Southern Africa by 2015 project.

22 February 2014, Lilongwe,Malawi: Dr Eugene Appiah Nyarko, the new WHO Representative (WR) to Malawi, on 28 January 2014 presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Honorable Ephraim Ng’ande Chiume MP, at the Minister’s Capital Hill office. Dr. Nyarko, served in the Republic of Botswana prior to his new assignment in Malawi.

22 FEBRUARY 2014 | GENEVA - WHO is working with the South Sudan Government and partners to provide vaccines to protect nearly 140 000 people living in temporary camps in South Sudan against cholera.

The vaccines come from an emergency stockpile managed by WHO, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UNICEF. It is the first time the stockpile, created in 2013 by WHO, is being activated.

Brazzaville, 21 February 2014 -- The World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo has urged governments to accelerate efforts towards ensuring that all people are able to access quality health services - including the appropriate mix of preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care, without suffering fi

Cluster RSU Management Officers, ISTs Management Officers and HR Officers, Operations Officers from DRC and South Africa, including HR Assistants from Angola and Kenya are attending a training workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, to enhance their core competencies and develop skills and strategies for managing their work. It is expected that on completion the training, the attendants will have a more coordinated effort in: