World Health Day was nationally commemorated under the theme “Urbanization and Health” on the 11th of April 2010 at the Bahti Meskerem Square, in the capital city, Asmara.

The message from the Minister of Health was delivered by Dr Mismay Gebrehiwet, Advisor to the Minister. Dr Mismay said that this year’s theme arises from the fast growing health hazards associated with the rapid urban growth. These demand for a timely and careful urban planning which have the potential to meet the needs of the growing populations’ for basic public health and other services.

Brazzaville, 25 April 2010 – WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, on Sunday made a passionate appeal for increased engagement of communities to support ongoing malaria prevention and control efforts, and its eventual elimination as a major public health problem in the African Region.

25 April 2010 -- Zambia joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Malaria Day (WMD) on 25th April under the theme “Counting malaria out”. The focus on the importance of engaging communities in the fight against malaria characterised the commemoration in Zambia.

Dakar/Brazzaville, Friday 23 April 2010 -- More than 77 million children in 16 countries will be vaccinated against polio from tomorrow (Saturday) in the critical second round of a synchronized effort to stop a polio outbreak across west and central Africa.

However, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone have postponed their campaigns until 7 May after vaccine delivery was delayed by the closure of airspace in Europe due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Existing stockpiles in the other 16 countries will allow this vaccination campaign to go ahead.

The continuing spread of the Wild Polio Virus in West African remains a threat to the interruption of WPV transmission mid 2010. In an effort to respond to this situation, WHO Regional Office for Africa working with partners proposed three rounds of National Immunization Days (NIDs) within the region.

Sierra Leone joined the rest of the World to commemorate World Health Day on the theme "Urbanization and Health". The task-force that was set up by the Ministry of Health and sanitation to coordinate the commemora-tion organized a number of activities.

Statement from the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation Honorable Mohamed Koroma was broadcast on National TV and Radio while the message from the Regional Director Dr Luis G. Sambo was read by the WHO Rep-resentative Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu. 

WHO donates 1 Ambulance, 4 Vehicles, Blood Banks, Refrigerators, Laboratory Equipments, Teaching AIDS, Motor Bikes and other supplies to Ministry of Health and Sanitation

Monrovia, Liberia 14 April 2010 -- President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia has urged African governments to step up efforts in partnership with other multilateral and bilateral institutions to address the issue of women’s health, gender and human rights in order to achieve a tangible impact in Africa.

She made these remarks at a ceremony to launch the Commission on Women’s Health in the African Region today in Monrovia, Liberia.

Harare, 12 April 2010. The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is holding a joint review and planning meeting for the upcoming National Immunization Days (NIDs), and Child Health Days (CHDs) from 12 – 16 April 2010 at the Rainbow Towers in Harare.

The meeting has brought together EPI officers, child health officers, and health promotion/social mobilisation officers from all provinces and cities, and representatives from the 3 major EPI partners; WHO, UNICEF, and Helen Keller International to review disease surveillance and plan for the upcoming CHDs.

Harare, 12 April 2010. The Zimbabwean malaria control programme was given a boost on 8th April, when WHO handed over vehicles, malaria commodities, and medicines to strengthen malaria control activities, and EPI disease surveillance, to the Minister of Health and Child Welfare.