Located in the African meningitis belt, Niger is one of the 26 ‘hyperendemic’ African countries for meningitis. The country is currently facing a rapid increase in the number of cases, with a 50% rise on the previous year.

 In week 16 of 2024, Niger reported a total of 2012 cases of meningitis with 123 deaths, representing a case-fatality rate of 6.1%. This is a worrying increase compared with the same period last year, when 1,389 cases were recorded, with 72 deaths (case-fatality rate: 5.2%).

Botswana is making strides in combating HIV/AIDS through a comprehensive review of its National HIV Testing Services (HTS) Guidelines, conducted with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). The mission, spanning multiple sessions from June to September 2024, is a collaborative effort to align Botswana’s HIV testing strategies with the latest global recommendations, ensuring more targeted and effective intervention. 

The Ugandan Ministry of Health has today received an ambulance worth USD 47,378.48, equivalent to UGX 178,598,866, to support prehospital care in Karamoja sub region. The ambulance was donated by the Embassy of Ireland in Uganda, through World Health Organization, as part of their health partnership towards the regionalized Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system.

Juba, 30 April 2024 - This year, as the world commemorates World Immunization Week from April 24 to April 30, South Sudan joins the global community in celebrating the monumental 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). This milestone highlights the transformative power of vaccines, which have significantly decreased child mortality rates globally. They lead to elevated health standards by reducing or eradicating the prevalence of critical diseases, such as eradicating smallpox and reducing the wild poliovirus to two countries.

Mapangano Jeremiah, a truck driver from Nkope in Mangochi, crisscrosses the borders of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa as part of his work. Recently, he received his third Covid-19 vaccine during the recent nationwide vaccination campaign supported by the WHO in February 2024. Having experienced the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic firsthand, Mapangano reflects on the loss of many friends and the profound impact it had on his life.

The recently designated World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa, formally presented his credentials to H.E. Melaku Bedada, Director General of Protocol Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marking the official commencement of his tenure in Ethiopia.

Offering a warm reception to Dr. Kaluwa, the Director General, H.E. Melaku Bedada, expressed deep appreciation for WHO's strong commitment in deploying expertise and resources towards attainment of universal health coverage in Ethiopia.

On 25 April 2024, six-month-old Zainab Conteh became the first child in Sierra Leone to receive the WHO-approved malaria vaccine, during the campaign launch at the State House in Freetown. This marked the beginning of a significant public health milestone in Sierra Leone's fight against malaria. Since the rollout commenced on April 12, 2024, over 17,572 children across 15 districts have been immunized.