Brazzaville, 31 May 2012 –- Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) should continue to sensitize people in the region to the dangers of tobacco use while intensifying their efforts to protect tobacco control policies from interference by the tobacco industry and its allies.

Pretoria, 31 May 2012 -- The Acting World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative in South Africa, Dr Francis Kasolo, called on participants at the closing ceremony of the WHO Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Regional Consultation, held in Pretoria, South Africa, to intensify action against cancer in their respective countries, in line with the 58th session of the World Health Assembly resolution on cancer prevention and control, that calls upon Member States to implement Cancer Control through: prevention (HPV vaccination and screening), early detection, diagnosis & trea

Sierra Leone commemorated World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2012 under the theme “Tobacco Industry Interference” on 31 May. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in collaboration with WHO and with support from other partners coordinated the commemoration.
The purpose was to raise awareness on the global tobacco epidemic and to mobilize the public to support smoke free environment.

The mass vaccination campaign against Meningoccocal Meningitis « A » will take place in Ghana from 2-12 October, 2012.

This campaign concerns Ghana’s three northern regions and will target more than 4 million people between the ages of 1 and 29.

In preparation for this important public health event, the national authorities in partnership with their financial and technical partners, decided to launch the preparation phase of this campaign.

Pretoria, 28 May 2012 -- More than 200 million women aged 15 years or older are at risk of developing cervical cancer in the African Region. Annually 71,000 cases are diagnosed, resulting in 62,000 deaths.

“Move for Health Initiative”

Banjul, 25 May 2012 -- Hundreds of people from different walks of life - students, teachers, Ministry of Health and WHO staff, volunteers, media personnel, community and opinion leaders, men and women – took to the streets of Brufut town yesterday to participate in a five-kilometer walk marking the launching of “Move for Health Initiative”.

This initiative, conceived by SCANAID Senior Secondary School, is one of the bye-products of the recently concluded WHO Health Academy Project in the Gambia.

Rwanda launched officially the rotavirus vaccine (Rotateq) in its routine immunization program on 25th May 2012. The launching ceremony took place in Musanze District, Northern Province, alongside the Mother and Child Health Week with has been organised from 24 to 25 may 2012. The Guest of Honour of this ceremony was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.

The United Nations Agencies was represented by WHO Representative in Rwanda, Dr Delanyo DOVLO, who delivered the speech on behalf of all UN agencies and for GAVI.

Harare, 24 May 2012 -- Traditional medicine has an undeniable potential that should be developed particularly through improving the safety, efficacy and quality of traditional medicines and through protecting intellectual property and African biodiversity as well as promoting South-South partnership.

Professor Thérèse N'Dri-Yoman, Minister of Health and HIV/AIDS control of has been elected as the as the World Health Assembly's new president. Five vice presidents were also appointed from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, and Solomon Islands, representing their respective regions.

The Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority (SLRTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, WHO and other stakeholders in the Road Transport Industry held a three day workshop in Bo from 22-24th May 2012. The objective of the Workshop was to develop a Road Safety Policy for the country and eventually a National Road Safety Strategic Plan as part of efforts to address the rising road crashes in the country.