“People living with Elephantiatis are often stigmatized” – patient 

Victim living with Elephantiasis

Abuja, 31 January, 2023 - Betty Livingstone, (not her real name), 22 years old native of Benue State, has been living with swollen lower limbs since 2012. 

“I remember waking up one morning and noticing my feet were swollen. The swelling started in my feet and gradually progressed to my legs. Having swollen legs is very embarrassing as people look at me weirdly,” she says.  

Mauritius is moving a step ahead in its fight against cancer by extending vaccination against Human Papillomavirus to boys aged 9 to 15 years

Port Louis. 31 January 2023.  Mauritius is moving a step ahead in its fight against cancer by extending the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to boys aged 9 to 15 years old as well girls. The national HPV communication campaign was launched on 13 January 2023 by the Health Minister, Dr the Hon kailesh Kumar Jagutpal and Dr Anne Ancia WHO Representative in Mauritius at the seats of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The World Health Organization collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to produce four short videos on HPV as part of the sensitization campaign to inform the population of the benefits of HPV vaccination and the importance of vaccinating both boys and girls against HPV. In his address, Dr Jagutpal said, “HPV vaccination is part of the National Cancer Control Programme 2022-2025 and had proven to be very effective in reducing the risk of HPV-related cancers.”  He added, “vaccinating both boys and girls aged 9 to 15 years old against HPV is crucial to protect them later in life from certain types of cancers.”  It is the main cause of cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men, and might as well cause head, neck and anus cancers in women and men, he further added. Some75 officers of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, have been thus trained on this new vaccination programme.  According to the Minister of Health and Wellness, the training of the health professionals is important as this is a new vaccination programme. “Health professionals involved in the HPV vaccination programme should be able to provide the right information and they need to have a comprehensive knowledge on HPV vaccination to be able it to answer any questions parents might have regarding vaccination of boys”, said Dr the Hon Jagutpal.

COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Kicks Off to Boost Coverage in South Sudan

His Excellency Hussein Abdelbagi Akol launched the campaign

JUBA, 28 January 2023 – The Ministry of Health, the World Bank, WHO and UNICEF launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign today, following the arrival of 3.9 million vaccine doses into the country. The Vice President for Service Cluster, His Excellency Hussein Abdelbagi Akol launched the campaign and government officials and attendees received required vaccines and booster shots to instill confidence and uptake by the general population.

Reducing the risk of measles spread in South Sudan

A health worker administers a measles vaccination during the reactive measles vaccination campaign in Yirol West County, Lakes State

In the morning hours of Thursday (19 January), Mr Adut Bullen Kot, brought his 3-year-old son to Yirol West County Hospital in Lakes state for measles vaccination. “I have seen a lot of children in the hospital suffering from measles. Today I brought my son to be vaccinated against measles because we must protect our children from the disease” said Mr Kot.

Cervical cancer - Early detection saves lives 

A health worker holding a FP/cervical cancer awareness talk in a clinic in Idanre , Ondo State

Ondo, 27 January, 2023 - It's 10 am on a Wednesday, and Ilemobayo Wuraola, a health worker, is holding a cervical cancer awareness talk for women attending the Family Planning (FP) clinic at Arakale health centre in Akure, Ondo State. 

“Cervical cancer screening is importanct for early detection of the disease, and it is advisable for women of child bearing age or sexually active females to get tested,” she says. 

Working Together Towards Malaria Elimination

Around 100 participants from the countries and areas that are part of WHO’s Elimination-2025 initiative, WHO staff from the Headquarters, Regional Officers, and Country Offices, members of the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification, as well as observers attended the forum.

Close to 100 participants representing countries and areas who are part of WHO’s Elimination-2025 initiative, WHO staff from the Headquarters, Regional Officers, and Country Offices, members of the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification, as well as observers came together in Cape Town, South Africa during the 4th Annual Global Forum of Malaria-Eliminating Countries.

COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership boosts Sierra Leone COVID-19 Vaccination with USD2.8 million worth donation.

COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership boosts Sierra Leone COVID-19 Vaccination with USD2.8 million worth donation.
Freetown, 25 January 2023 - The COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, (CoVDP), have today handed over vehicles including motorbikes and computers worth over USD$2.8 million to support Government of Sierra Leone’s COVID-19 vaccine deployment. CoVDP is a joint venture of the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (Gavi), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).