Banjul, The Gambia - In a joint venture between the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), The Gambia marked its inaugural Universal Health Coverage Day on Monday, joining the global commemoration established by the United Nations on December 12, 2017. The occasion aims to raise awareness about the necessity for robust, resilient, and intelligent health systems, promoting access to Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Sokoto, 9 December, 2022 - As the traditional head of Gagi community, Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabbi (Sarkin Yakin Gagi), insists that every child in his district must be vaccinated with the life-saving polio vaccine. 

Leveraging his position, he has taken it upon himself to sensitize residents of the community about the importance of participating in immunization activities. 

Kampala, Brazzaville, Geneva – The first doses of one of three candidate vaccines against Sudan ebolavirus arrived in Uganda yesterday. These will be evaluated in a clinical trial called the Solidarity Against Ebola or Tokomeza Ebola.

Kampala - Luxembourg, Sweden and the United Kingdom, through WHO, have provided in-kind contributions of equipment and services worth US$ 995,000 (equivalent to over 3.6 billion ugx) to Uganda to equip the new Ebola Treatment Unit at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, and the treatment and isolation units in Masaka and Jinja.

Kampala - World Health Organization (WHO) has provided in-kind contributions of medical supplies worth 1,123,672 (equivalent to UGX 4.1 billion) to the Ministry of Health to address the health consequences of the drought and food insecurity affecting more than 19 districts in Karamoja, Lango and Teso regions of Uganda.

The medical supplies were handed over to the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, at the Ministry's headquarters in Wandegeya, by the WHO Incident Manager, Dr Charles Njuguna, on behalf of the WHO Representative in Uganda, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam.

Kampala, Brazzaville, Geneva, 9 December 2022 – The first doses of one of three candidate vaccines against Sudan ebolavirus arrived in Uganda yesterday. These will be evaluated in a clinical trial called the Solidarity Against Ebola or Tokomeza Ebola.

According to Ethiopia Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022, the country has been experiencing one of the most severe La Niña- induced droughts in the last decade following the fifth consecutive failed rainy season since late 2020. The areas most affected are Afar, Oromia, SNNP, Somali, and Southwest regions. This prolonged drought, that commenced in 2020, has severely compromised the already fragile livelihoods.

Sa’Ada, 36, was displaced from her home in Gunagado Woreda of Jarar Zone, Somali Region due to drought. She and her husband came to Qoto Rooble Kebele in Kebribayah Woreda with their nine children in search of pasture for their livestock and food for their family. After walking a few miles to their destination, she resorted to hiring two pick-up trucks for her cattle and goat to preserve their energy as they were already affected by the lack of feed and water.

Eswatini has joined countries like Botswana, Mozambique, and Malawi in intensifying efforts to protect more people from polio. Following the finalisation of the National Polio Preparedness and Response Plan, the country went on to conduct a Polio Outbreak Simulation Exercise (POSE). This was through a two-day Tabletop Exercise (TTX) conducted from 29 to 30 November 2022 after several weeks of intense planning.