Infographics

17 November 2021, Accra – The leaders of six regional organizations in Africa are calling for stronger governance to fight antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, on the eve of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18-24 November).

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in Africa – where micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are resistant to antimicrobial treatment – is complicating the management of many infectious diseases, and endangers animal health and welfare, and food production, safety and security.

Abuja, 11 November, 2021 - Abubakar Yabagi from Niger State believes negligence made him develop type two diabetes and poor health.

The 65-year-old civil servant and father of four further narrated that “I got diagnosed for Type two diabetes seven years ago when I was 57 years. It all started with frequent headache and I thought it was prevalent Malaria which I kept treating with no little or no improvement. After several months, my sight started deteriorating and that was when I decided to go and see a doctor”.

Maiduguri, 15 November, 2021 - The Biannual Joint Operations Review (JOR) opens in Maiduguri, Borno State today, 15 November 2021 with participation by representative of Borno Stat Governor, Commissioners for Health, partners and Civil Society Organizations.

The 4-Day event is expected to review WHO's health emergency programme in Northeast region, revise strategies to inform the development of the WHO plan for 2022.

Kampala, November 13, 2021 - The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt.Hon. Anita Among, and a team from the World Health Organization (WHO), led by the WHO Representative, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, committed to working together to promote mental health in the country. This was at a meeting held at the Ugandan Parliament in Kampala.

Violence against women and girls is a violation of their human rights and is largely hidden, stigmatized, and unrecognized by health and other service providers. Despite the robust policy and legal framework in Namibia, women and girls are still exposed to violence throughout their lifecycle whether at home, schools or the communities they live in.  Globally and in Namibia one in three women experience physical and/ or sexual violence; majority perpetrated by intimate partners.

WHO with support from the Government of Japan donated 16 Portable Ultrasound Machines worth N$ 801,843.00 to the Ministry of Health and Social Services 25 October 2021.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Dr. Shangula said that the equipment presented, will play an important role in the clinical management of conditions presented in pregnant women. . It will further promote quality assurance and address geographical and cultural barriers that may have caused delays in women seeking care.

Wearing a surgical mask securely fitted over his nose and mouth, Frans Nambinga, a nurse at Namibia’s Windhoek Central Hospital, carefully marked down tips on triage and signs a patient may require intubation, as he was taking notes during a two-week long training given by the UK- Emergency Medical Team (UK-EMT) visiting the country.

The UK-EMT, which comprised nurses and doctors from across the globe, visited Namibia in August and September, and trained 130 health workers from 10 of Namibia’s 14 regions.

Namibia was certified polio free since October 2008 and had continued routine and national immunization campaigns to maintain its polio free status. However, the country remains at high risk for vaccine derived polio viruses due to low detection of Acute Flaccid Paralysis cases in the bordering regions which is used as an indicator to measure how sensitive the surveillance system is. In addition, there is high number of un and under vaccinated children along the Namibian- Angolan and Namibia-Zambia border with 5 densely populated regions bordering these two countries.

Approximately 1,629,289 (64%) Namibians are at risk of contracting malaria. Malaria transmission is unstable, seasonal, characterized by outbreaks and concentrated in  7 endemic northern regions. The malaria transmission season typically begins in December and ends in May with the peak transmission months being April and May. The Ministry of Health and Social Services is conducting indoor residual house spraying (IRS) to reduce the malaria mosquito population responsible for transmission as one of several prevention strategies.