Inside this issue:

Ethiopia launches National Neglected Tropica Diseases Master Plan

High level advocacy for greater commitment and collaboration to-wards improved health status 

WHO supports capacity building for Universal access to quality blood transfusion services 

Ethiopia commemorates World Blood Donor Day 

Count Down to polio eradication in Nigeria, July 2013

In a bid to fine-tune strategies for reaching more children during Immunisation Plus Days, polio survivors were engaged recently in Igabi Local Government Administration (LGA), Kaduna state as community mobilisers with special focus on non-compliant families and children found on the streets.

Serving as testimonials, polio survivors otherwise called victims of polio infection worked as forerunners of the street vaccination teams, educating parents on the dangers of rejecting polio vaccination.

30 July 2013 -- Only 37 countries, or 19% of those reporting, have passed laws reflecting all the recommendations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, according to a new WHO report published during World Breastfeeding Week. The Week is celebrated in more than 170 countries from 1 to 7 August.

24 July 2013 -- On World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, WHO is advocating action against the 5 hepatitis viruses that can cause severe liver infections and lead to 1.4 million deaths every year. Some of these hepatitis viruses can also lead to chronic and debilitating illnesses such as liver cancer and cirrhosis, in addition to loss of income and high medical expenses for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

On the 19th of July, 2013, the WHO Country Office handed over to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare vehicles to strengthen provision of Immunization services and distribution of medicines and medical supplies in the districts. The 24 vehicles handed over are worth a total of USD 714,457.86 equivalent to Tanzanian Shillings 1,180,284,384.

Banjul, 18th June 2013 -- World Blood Donor Day which is commemorated on 14th June every year has been marked this year with a global campaign that focused on the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

Blood transfusion is an important component of health care delivery as the threat to life due to insufficient blood stocks and the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections calls for safe and adequate blood supply for those in need.

Addis Ababa, 18 July 2013 -- A High level advocacy meeting to discuss modalities for strengthening Health sector Disaster Risk Management was held at Sheraton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 18th 2013.

During the meeting which was jointly organized by FMOH and WHO, the findings of the recently conducted health sector country DRM capacity assessment and the ten-year road map for strengthening the health sector DRM capacity were disseminated to over 35 participants from various Government sectors, the academia, public health associations, ERCS, national NGOs.

The Ministry of Health in Mozambique is currently finalising its Health Sector Strategic Plan (Plano Estratégico do Sector Saúde - PESS 2013-2017). 

The PESS is a comprehensive plan, which incorporates and prioritises all areas of the health sector. It aims at guiding the health sector in the most beneficial direction to achieve established goals. 

Maputo 31 May 2013 - The sun is setting over the city of Maputo. Shops are closing and the roads that were bustling just an hour earlier are now quiet and almost empty. Though most people are on their way home, security guard Lucas Jaime has most of his working day ahead of him. Next to him on a small table in front of the tall building where he works are a pack of cigarettes and a set of matches.

The WHO Representative, Dr. Olusegun Babaniyi conducted a familiarisation tour of the Lusaka Apex Medical University (LAMU) on Tuesday 16th July, 2013. During this visit, a donation was made to the school which included a reconditioned Toyota land cruiser Prado, a desktop computer and a Blue Trunk Library containing reference books on various health topics.

The donation to Lusaka Apex Medical University was intended to facilitate the smooth running of the institution in its quest to attain its objectives of increasing the numbers of health professionals in the country.