WHO and Ministry of Health Launch the Minister’s Special Initiative on Maternal and Newborn Health in Maiwut
Upper Nile State – The Ministry of Health, together with WHO and partners, has officially launched the Minister’s Special Initiative on Maternal and Newborn Health in Maiwut, aimed at ensuring that mothers and newborns in hard-to-reach areas have access to basic emergency obstetric and newborn care services comparable to those available elsewhere in the country.
Reinforcing Multisectoral Collaboration for Improved Cancer Prevention and Care in The Gambia
On 22 April 2026, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) in the Gambia convened Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and national stakeholders in Banjul to reinforce collaboration under the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP). The meeting brought together key stakeholders to reinforce a shared commitment to a more integrated national response to cancer, spanning prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, surveillance, and research.
Preventive treatment for tuberculosis reaches more people in Mozambique
Maputo – The World Health Organisation, through its Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO), led an external mission to evaluate the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (PNCT) in Mozambique.
Data-driven, community-led vaccination is reaching the unreached children in Bauchi State, Nigeria
Bauchi, Data-driven, community-led vaccination is enabling children who have never received any vaccines (zero-dose) in Bauchi State to be reached, demonstrating how targeted action can close immunisation gaps at scale.
In Tumfafi Ward, Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Jamila Muhammad approaches a vaccination post, something she had previously avoided. Her decision reflects a wider shift across underserved communities, where integrated, primary health care–based vaccination is reaching children who have not received any routine vaccines.
Africa’s health workforce expands but shortages, unemployment and migration intensify: WHO report
WHO Response to the Hantavirus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship Off the Coast of Praia
Praia, Cabe Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO), in close coordination with the Government of Cape Verde and international partners, supported a rapid and coordinated response to a hantavirus outbreak identified aboard a cruise ship that remained off the coast of Praia between May 3 and 6, 2026.
Background
WHO response to the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship off the coast of Praia, Cabo Verde.
Praia, Cabo Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO), in close coordination with the Government of Cape Verde and international partners, supported a rapid and coordinated response to a hantavirus outbreak identified on board a cruise ship that remained off the coast of Praia between 3 and 6 May 2026.
Background
Zimbabwe National Polio and Measles Laboratory full accreditation Status renewed
Harare, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe has reached a significant milestone in sustaining strong disease surveillance systems following the successful Integrated Polio and Measles Accreditation Review of the National Virology Laboratory, conducted according to WHO standards. This achievement highlights the country’s leadership in supporting regional and global health priorities, particularly in polio eradication and measles and rubella elimination.
WHO and Ministry of Health partner with journalists to strengthen evidence-based health reporting
Maseru — The media plays a vital role in shaping public perceptions, influencing community behaviour, and ensuring accountability in health and other sectors. Recognizing this, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Lesotho Ministry of Health, hosted a one-day dialogue with the media in Maseru under the theme “Reporting Health Right: Standing with Science.”
The meeting engaged journalists and key partners to strengthen capacity for accurate, evidence-based, and ethical health reporting.