Harare – From August 1 to 7, the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and optimal early childhood development, providing babies with their first immunization and all the nutrients required for their optimal brain development and growth. However, many mothers and infants lack the necessary support to start and continue breastfeeding successfully. Globally, only 44 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life.

An oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign was launched to protect at-risk populations in cholera-affected woredas (districts) across eight regions: Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Central Ethiopia, South Ethiopia, Sidma and Somali. Covering 89 woredas, including Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugee camps (Sudan), the campaign achieved 98.4% coverage, vaccinating over 10,196,575 people.

Malawi has been experiencing frequent cholera outbreaks since it reported the first case in 1973. The most significant outbreaks occurred in the cholera seasons of 1998/1999 and 2001/2002. The worst outbreak occurred recently in 2022/2023 with 53,020 cases and 1,586 deaths (3%CFR). These outbreaks have been common around lake Chilwa in Machinga, Zomba and Phalombe, the Lower Shire in Chikwawa and Nsanje and Lakeshore districts from Mangochi up to Karonga.

WHO joined Uganda Cancer Institute, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Ministry of Health and other partners in Kampala to develop the five-year child and adolescent cancer control strategy, under the theme, ‘The Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer - Curing children and adolescents with cancer in Uganda’.

Abuja, 5 August, 2024 - Embarking on a transformational journey towards improving Primary Healthcare services in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) have officially launched a groundbreaking collaboration under the "Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme" (ADHFP).

Maputo – Mozambique today reached an important milestone in malaria prevention among children with the introduction of the R21 vaccine, which will help reduce malaria cases and save thousands of children’s lives each year. In Africa, one child dies from malaria every minute.

Abakaliki, 5 August, 2024 - It was a warm Wednesday morning when the outreach team set up their makeshift clinic at the Ebonyi State Secretariat in Abakaliki Local Government Area in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria. 

The magnitude and frequency of disease outbreaks and health emergencies in Africa, coupled with the expansion of diseases such as cholera, Ebola Virus Disease, and Lassa fever, underscore the urgent need for robust preparedness and capacity building among WHO AFRO Member States. Furthermore, persistent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, meningitis, and yellow fever, along with zoonotic diseases such as Rift Valley fever and anthrax, highlight the importance of maintaining operational readiness.