^{_{By Vivian Mugarisi}}

Accra, 10 November 2023 – African lawmakers gathering for the continent’s first-ever parliamentary meeting on health security today agreed to support actions for stronger health systems to enable countries effectively prevent, prepare and respond to public health threats. 

Bahir Dar– The Addisalem Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) spans an impressive area of 300 square meters and caters to a substantial catchment area, home to a population of over 350,000. The CTC was built by the World Health Organization as a response center in a district with a history of reported cholera cases. 

The WHO Country Representative, Innocent Bright Nuwagira, led a team from AFRO and Africa CDC to brief Babatunde Ahonsi, the UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, about an ongoing scoping mission. This mission's primary objective is to bolster health security and emergency capacity for the successful implementation of the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) initiatives within the country.

Brazzaville – With one in five children currently missing crucial immunizations, African Immunization experts have pledged to address the pressing issue of vaccine access and equity. Following an intensive and collaborative meeting of the Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG) in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, over 150 immunization experts in the African Region committed to enhancing access and accelerating efforts to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Over 100 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their home countries due to conflict, violence, and persecution.

One such individual is 19- year old Espoir Safari who left his country of birth, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in hope of a better future. He arrived in Namibia in April 2021 and has been living at the Osire Refugee Camp in Otjozondjupa region.

^{By Vivian Mugarisi}

Luanda, 8 November 2023 – Today, Angola has taken a significant step in the fight against tuberculosis with the validation of the National Tuberculosis Strategic Plan for 2023-2027, convening influential partners such as UNICEF, the Global Fund, UNDP, and UNAIDS in Luanda. This initiative signifies an important moment in the country's strategy to tackle this curable and preventable disease, which remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

Malawi is the first country in Africa to utilize the recently updated Global Task Force for Cholera Control tool to identify priority areas for multi-sectoral interventions (PAMIs, also called hotspots) for cholera control. A timely approach as the country embarks on a roadmap to develop a multi-sectoral cholera control strategy.