Brazzaville – The landmark decision by World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize noma (cancrum oris) as one of the neglected tropical diseases will help boost efforts to end the devastating disease especially in the African region which bears the highest burden globally.

Basse Santa Su, The Gambia - In a transformative initiative, community health workers in The Gambia are undergoing specialized training facilitated by a dedicated team of psychiatric nurses. The focus of this program is to equip these frontline heroes with the skills and knowledge outlined in the WHO Mental Health GAP (mhGAP) Treatment Intervention Guide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) raises concerns about Ethiopia's escalating public health needs. According to the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023, 17.4 million people across the country are affected by a prolonged El Niño-induced drought, floods, and conflicts, with the Somali, Afar, Oromia, Central Ethiopia, South Ethiopia, and Southwest areas experiencing the most significant impact. The dire circumstances have triggered a surge in disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever, along with alarming levels of acute malnutrition.
 

In a landmark event, the World Health Organization (WHO) organized a ‘historical’ workshop on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) for selected member states in the African region.

Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from December 12th to 14th, 2023, with the theme ‘Health Technology Assessment for Priority Setting to Achieve Universal Health Coverage,’ the workshop aimed at tackling critical issues related to the systematic evaluation of healthcare technology and its role in decision-making processes.

Maternal Mortality remains a key issue affecting women of reproductive age across the African Region. The current Maternal Mortality Ratio for Lesotho is 566/100,000 live births. This is categorized as very high and is above the regional average of 545/100,000 live births  

The African region celebrates the 3 years of the global movement to eliminate cervical cancer:
Benin hosts the event under the sign of disease prevention and control to save lives

Bishoftu - The World Health Organization (WHO) proudly launched the Health Transformation Leaders training program on December 18, 2023. High-level representation from national and regional levels, including state ministers of health, heads of regional health bureaus, director generals, and deputies of agencies, was in attendance, making this event a resounding success. 

_{^{By Vivian Mugarisi}}

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - For many Zimbabweans, access to affordable surgical care remains a distant dream. Simple surgical procedures like hernia repair, tonsillectomy and benign tumor excision can become insurmountable obstacles due to exorbitant costs and limited access to specialized surgeons.