Over the years, WHO has supported government strengthen maternal and child health services through a number of activities like immunization, Safe Motherhood, and implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI). 

Immunization programmes, started in 1983. At that time, measles was the leading cause of death among children. By 1987, after countrywide immunization against all childhood immunizable diseases, measles ceased to be an important cause of mortality in children and likewise the other diseases were reduced significantly.

25 April 2008, Kenya -- Agoro Sare High School in Rachuonyo District of Nyanza Province was the venue for the national commemoration of the 1st World Malaria Day whose theme is “Malaria –a disease without borders”. The Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Hon. Beth Mugo was the Chief Guest. She was accompanied by the Assistant Minister for Medical Services, Hon. Danson Mungatana, and the Permanent Secretary for Public Health and Sanitation, Dr. James Nyikal. 

25 April 2008, Kenya -- Agoro Sare High School in Rachuonyo District of Nyanza Province was the venue for the national commemoration of the 1st World Malaria Day whose theme is “Malaria –a disease without borders”. The Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Hon. Beth Mugo was the Chief Guest. She was accompanied by the Assistant Minister for Medical Services, Hon. Danson Mungatana, and the Permanent Secretary for Public Health and Sanitation, Dr. James Nyikal. 

Brazzaville, 21 April 2008 -- The WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with development partners and the Government of Burkina Faso, is organizing an International Conference on Primary Health Care (PHC) and Health Systems in Africa. The Conference coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration adopted in 1978 and the 60th Anniversary of WHO established in 1948.

Brazzaville, 21 April 2008 -- Thirty years after the emergence of the slogan “Health For All”, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with development partners and the Government of Burkina Faso, is organizing a major conference from 28 – 30 April in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to renew commitment to primary health care as the means to achieve improvements in health outcomes for the people of Africa.

Almost 6 million people in Mali were vaccinated against yellow fever in a large vaccination campaign this week. About 6 000 health-care providers and 2 000 volunteers were engaged to reach and vaccinate people at risk of contracting yellow fever across southern Mali.

This is the largest mass vaccination campaign ever undertaken. And, thanks to the support of the GAVI Alliance, it is the first to be conducted at such a scale in one of Africa’s largest and most under-developed countries.

In close cooperation with the WHO Department of Making Pregnancy Safer (MPS), the Government of Senegal has developed a roadmap to reduce the maternal and child mortality rates in the country. As a result, more trained staff have been recruited in district health centres in recent years and more pregnant women have gained access to essential obstetric care.

WHO Good Governance for Medicines Programme Conducts the Second Inter-Regional Training Workshop on Assessment of National Medicines Programmes - ZAMBIA

8th April, 2008

Brazzaville, 7 April 2008 -- The 57th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, proposed that a consultation on male circumcision and HIV prevention in the African region be convened. The consultation was convened in Congo, Brazzaville from April 2-4, 2008. The meeting brought together delegates from 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, principal investigators of the 3 randomized controlled trials on male circumcision that took place in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, researchers and technical experts.

The objectives of the meeting were:

The Honorable Minister for Health, Major (Rtd) Courage Quashigah has commended the World Health Organization for being outstanding in its role as the technical advisor to member countries on health and in keeping down the trend of major childhood killer diseases. He said the Organization has been very instrumental in the development of vaccines and drugs to combat diseases that afflict people of all ages.