Nearly 23 million people will be vaccinated against polio in the DR Congo

Kinshasa (April 28, 2011). By organizing the National Immunization Days (NIDs) which occurs at the same time with the African Immunization Week (VAS), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took another opportunity to eradicate polio throughout its territory, thanks to a synchronized campaign with its two neighboring countries: Angola and Congo.

Dr Bjorn-Inge Larsen, the World Health Organization Executive Board member, visited Malawi from 12 to 15 April 2011. Dr Larsen who is also the Chief Medical Officer of Norway visited the WHO Malawi country office (WCO) on the 12th April and shared the objectives of his visit with staff members.

Together with his entourage from the Norwegian Embassy, Dr Larsen had a briefing session on the support that the WCO provides to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Kinshasa, 28 April 2011 -- The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Mr. Adolphe Muzito, today in Kinshasa launched, the first African Vaccination Week and Polio National Immunization Days in DRC. Urging everyone to get immunized, he said, “Vaccination provides protection. The vaccines are available. We should go for vaccination without hesitation”.

World Malaria Day was commemorated in Sierra Leone on the global theme “Achieving Progress and Impact”. A national Slogan “Kick malaria. always sleep under insecticide treated net” was selected to raise awareness on malaria prevention and control. The purpose of celebrating malaria day is to recognize the global effort to provide effective control of malaria. Various speakers from the MOHS and partners delivered statements committing their respective organizations to join hands in the fight against malaria.

Windhoek, 20 April 2011 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, says that countries in the region are making “significant progress” in the fight against HIV/AIDS but warns that several challenges and bottlenecks are impeding Universal Access.

“Countries have stabilized or significantly slowed down the rate of new HIV infections and we are seeing a return on investments in HIV prevention efforts”, Dr Sambo told participants at a Working Lunch on Universal Access to HIV Interventions held on 20 April in Windhoek, Namibia.

Banjul, 15 April 2011: Unlike previous years, this year’s WHD was observed with renewed partnership with the mass media for health promotion.

The WCO was able to negotiate with the various media houses to serialize at no cost information and advocacy materials developed in support of the Day

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Life in Côte d'Ivoire is slowly returning to normal after four months of post-electoral violence. The western part of the country was most affected by the months of inter-communal violence that spread to much of the country in March and early April 2011.

New global and country estimates published in Lancet Series

Brazzaville, 14 April 2011 -- Some 2.6 million stillbirths occurred worldwide in 2009, according to the first comprehensive set of estimates published today in a special series of The Lancet medical journal. About a third of these still births occur in Africa where the number of still births is estimated to be around 900,000.

Marking World TB Day 2011, South Africa’s Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, gave South Africa's fight against TB a major boost when he unveiled a new TB diagnosis innovation, the GeneXpert machine. The machine tests for TB much faster and more accurately than microscopic tests that are used to diagnose the disease, which could take between three to five months to produce results. This new technology is able to complete TB testing in 2hrs. The equipment has been purchased to improve turn-around times in the testing of the human specimen of TB.

Windhoek, 13 April 2011 --  “The worst flooding in decades has cut off thousands of people from health services”, said WHO Representative, Dr Magda Robalo, following a mission with Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi to assess the health sector response thus far and areas requiring additonal support. The high-level team over this last weekend visited several health facilities in the four most affected flood regions: Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto.