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On 13 October 2025, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) officially launched its Strategic Plan for 2025/26–2029/30 together with Namibia’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Policy in Windhoek. The launch marked a significant milestone in the country’s health reform agenda, underscoring a renewed commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and partnership. It also advanced the national vision of “World Class Health for All,” anchored in the fundamental right of every Namibian to access quality health services without financial hardship.

Yaounde ‒ For the first time ever, a circulating variant poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) was fully sequenced in Cameroon, marking a major milestone in Africa’s efforts to detect and respond  faster to polio outbreaks. 

Poliovirus has three types: 1, 2, and 3. Although wild polio type 3 was declared eradicated in 2019, variant type 3 can still appear where immunity is low, making quick detection and response essential to contain outbreaks. 

Abuja, Nigeria's government launched a national strategy to strengthen nursing and midwifery, aiming to expand access to quality health services and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

21 October 2025 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Ethiopia has officially launched the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, becoming the 23rd African country to introduce a malaria vaccine into its routine immunization program. This historic step marks a significant advancement in the country’s efforts to reduce the burden of malaria and protect vulnerable populations, particularly children under five.

Wau, WBG State – The Minister of Health, Hon. Sarah Cleto Rial and the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to South Sudan, Dr. Humphrey Karamagi, conducted a two-day high-level field visit to Wau to reaffirm government and partner commitment to strengthening health services in the region.

In Turmi Woreda, Southern Ethiopia, Bethelhem Kuma vividly remembers the terrifying moment her baby girl, Marta, fell gravely ill. At just eight months old, Marta was scorching with fever, had vomiting, became restless, and unable to sleep. Bethelhem believed it was just a common cold and cared for her at home for three days. But when Marta’s condition worsened and she nearly collapsed, a concerned neighbor suggested it might be malaria—a diagnosis that came too late to prevent her suffering.

Addis Ababa, October 6, 2025 — The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have signed a landmark framework of collaboration to strengthen their partnership on disease prevention and control, health security, and universal health coverage across the African continent.

Article by Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan

As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary on 24 October under the theme “Building Our Future Together,” South Sudan also stands at a defining moment. This young nation holds immense potential, yet one still carrying the weight of recurring crises. In such moments of uncertainty, health becomes more than a service, it becomes the foundation for peace, resilience, and hope.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world’s gravest health threats, undermining progress in treating infections, threatening lives, livelihoods, and economies. In Ghana, where AMR touches human health, agriculture, and the environment, translating research into action is critical. Yet too often, valuable scientific findings remain locked in journals, inaccessible to those who shape policies and practices.

As cholera continues to threaten lives and livelihoods across the African Region, government representatives from water and health sectors, scientists, and partners are gathering in Livingstone, Zambia, from 20–22 October 2025, to chart a renewed path toward ending the disease.

The Regional Expert Consultation on Cholera Prevention and Control, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, marks a pivotal moment in the continent’s collective drive to eliminate cholera by 2030.