Infographics

Using health taxes to promote improved health outcomes

Tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are major causes of death and illness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). They significantly contribute to non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and liver conditions. Tobacco use in Namibia is estimated to be 13.2% in 2025 for people aged 15 years and older, a slight decline from 14.9% in 2022, against a global average of 19.8%.

The Cotonou Declaration charts a new roadmap for sustainable health financing in Ben...

 

The Beninese capital hosted a pivotal moment for the future of health financing. At the end of two days of intensive discussions held from 10 to 11 July 2025 at the Palais des Congrès, public authorities, the private sector, technical and financial partners adopted the Cotonou Declaration, an ambitious roadmap designed to sustainably transform the financing of the health system in Benin and across the sub-region.

Quiet commitment in Kambia: Maligie Fofanah supports community response to mpox in r...

Dare Es Salam, Gbinleh Chiefdom, Kambia District – July 2025

In the rural village of Dare Es Salam in Gbinleh Chiefdom, Kambia District, 54-year-old Maligie Fofanah walks from house to house, quietly supporting his community’s health. As a Community Health Worker (CHW) Peer Supervisor, Maligie is part of the broader national and district response efforts to Mpox, working alongside teams deployed with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.

Sierra Leone enhances national polio certification capacity through who-led training...

Freetown, 24 July 2025 – Sierra Leone has concluded a two-day virtual training aimed at strengthening the capacity of its national polio committees, as part of a wider regional effort spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa. The training, which ended today, targeted members of the National Certification Committee (NCC), National Polio Expert Committee (NPEC), National Task Force (NTF), and their secretariat.

South Africa launches Pandemic Fund project to strengthen health emergency preparedn...

Pretoria – The National Department of Health (NDoH) of the Republic of South Africa, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), today officially launched the Pandemic Fund Project at the Protea Fire & Ice, Menlyn in Pretoria, South Africa. This milestone initiative is supported by catalytic funding from the Pandemic Fund and seeks to bolster South Africa’s capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future health emergencies and pandemics.

Namibia Strengthens EMTCT Efforts Through National PTE Workshops

From 15 - 18 July 2025, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), convened a series of Path-To-Elimination (PTE) workshops in Ondangwa and Windhoek. The workshops brought together stakeholders from all 14 regions, aiming to guide and support the integration of PTE activities into routine Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services. The workshops marked a critical step in sustaining progress and ensuring that elimination goals are embedded in routine service delivery across all regions.

 

Sierra Leone receives 50,000 additional mpox vaccine doses to bolster national respo...

Port Loko - Sierra Leone has received an additional 50,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine to strengthen its response to the ongoing outbreak. The latest consignment brings the total number of Mpox vaccine doses received in-country to approximately 203,300, with the vaccines provided through the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and other partners.