Representatives from 12 countries in Africa are convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a two-day regional summit on responsible and appropriate use of antimicrobials.

By Vivian Mugarisi

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania marked the World Malaria Day on 25 April, with top leadership of the country showcasing commitment to uplift the agenda to end malaria by 2030. The Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, representing the President at the commemorations in Dar es Salaam initiated the national End Malaria Council.   

“We have come a long way in the national effort to end malaria, it we supercharge our efforts, we will surely eliminate malaria in Tanzania. We should not relax because of the success we have got,” said t he Prime Minister.

• The measles campaign aims to vaccinate more than 2.7 million children against the highly infectious disease, and is integrated with efforts to deliver Vitamin A supplementation and deworming.
• Between January 2022 and 1 February 2023, health authorities in South Sudan reported an outbreak of measles, with over 4,000 suspected cases and 46 deaths across the country
• The campaign will use a combination of fixed and outreach vaccination sites, with a focus on reaching under or unvaccinated children aged between 6-59 months in hard-to-reach areas.

With the theme “Together let’s End Malaria in South Sudan”, South Sudan joined the rest of the countries in the world to celebrate the 2023 World Malaria Day with calls for robust multisectoral actions to reduce malaria morbidity by 80 percent in 2025 as outlined in the 2021-2025 South Sudan Malaria Strategic Plan.

With the theme The Big Catch Up, South Sudan joined the rest of the countries in Africa Region to celebrate the 2023 African Vaccination Week (AVW) from 24 to 30 April 2023.

This initiative is led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and implemented by countries in the region to promote the use of vaccines and highlight the collective action needed to protect people of all ages against vaccine preventable diseases.

Osun - In accordance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate of improving public health services in Nigeria, over 500 residents of Osogbo community, benefitted from a free medical outreach programme at the Orisunbare Market in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State located in South-West Nigeria. 

The programme was organized with support from the Department of Community Medicine Osun State Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUN) Osogbo and the Osun State Ministry of Health. 

Basse, The Gambia - The heat was intense as the WHO team made their way through the unpaved, bumpy roads to Basse, a small town lying along the southern bank of the River Gambia. After nearly eight hours on the road, they finally arrived at the Arabic school where they were scheduled to meet with community members.

Manyara - A big gray cloud dims the sun for a small crowd seated on chairs arranged on a grass clearing beside a hospital ward and long, roofed corridor. Officials from the district, Ward and village seat on row of chairs on the corridor, facing the crowd of mothers who nurse infants and children on their laps.

A few men dot the mainly ladies gathering. Behind the small crowd an earth-colored tent is pitched. On its gable a handwritten sign announces the occasion: Vaccination week, Ayalagaya Ward.