More African countries fight unethical marketing of breast-milk substitutes

More African countries fight unethical marketing of breast-milk substitutes
A growing number of African countries are fighting back against the unethical marketing of breast-milk substitutes by tightening laws to protect the health of mothers and children from misleading marketing practices, the 2022 report on the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes finds. 

Tanzania surpasses the national target for polio vaccination

A child receiving polio drops in Dodoma Region

Tanzania has completed the second round of supplemental polio vaccination and reached a total of 12,131,049 children against a target of 10,295,316 equivalent to 117.8%. The second round of supplemental polio vaccination is part of four rounds of synchronized campaigns aimed at prevent possibility of the spread of polio in countries bordering Malawi and Mozambique that have each reported a case of wild polio in February and April this year respectively.

Angola invests in the education of young people, to strengthen tobacco control and elimination

Children participating in the World No Tobacco art contest

Luanda, May 31th 2022 – Every year, more than 8 million people die worldwide due to smoking, of which 7 million result from direct consumption of tobacco and 1.2 million due to exposure of non-smokers to secondhand smoke. To educate the younger population about the dangers of smoking, the National Anti-Drug Fighting Institute (INALUD) held today in Luanda, another edition of the Writing and Drawing contest “Limpid Dreams Without Tobacco”.

Ending Tobacco Farming Leads To A Healthy Environment And A Healthier Population

Awareness raising among Communities in Uganda on the negative impact of Tobacco

Op-ed - The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year, and around 1.2 million of these deaths are due to exposure to second-hand smoke. This is far greater compare to deaths due to COVID-19 and it has been going on for decades.

WHO strengthens oxygen supply capacity of health facilities to care for critically ill patients in Sierra Leone

Ministry of Health and WHO officials at the event of the donation
On 30 May 2022, WHO donated 900 oxygen cylinders with regulators and humidifiers to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation as a response to the need for oxygen in public health facilities across Sierra Leone. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in the Sierra Leone health system's ability to respond adequately to patient needs, especially the provision of life-saving medical oxygen. Each of the cylinders been donated can hold 40 litres of oxygen. The total cost of the donation cost more than USD200 000.

Togo eliminates trachoma as a public health problem

Togo eliminates trachoma as a public health problem
Togo has eliminated trachoma, an eye disease that can cause permanent blindness, as a public health problem. The West African nation becomes the fourth country on the continent to be validated by World health Organization (WHO) as having reached the elimination milestone after Morocco in 2016, Ghana in 2018 and The Gambia in 2021. 

Mauritius reaches another milestone in its fight against Covid-19 by inoculating 5 to 11 years old children

Launching of the vaccination campaign for children aged 5-11 years old in May 2022 in Mauritius
“To protect myself against Covid-19,” said little Rita aged 9 years who seems to understand well why she received the first dose of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine at her school. Rita’s mother gave her written consent after receiving information about the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years from the school. At home, we have all been fully vaccinated. We did our booster dose. Now, it is time for our children also to get protected against Covid-19, she said. Mauritius launched its national vaccination campaign for children, aged 5 to 11 years, against Covid-19 on  May 23 at the Petit Verger Government School in the presence of  the Hon. Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science & Technology; Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Hon Kailesh Kumar Jagutpal; the British High Commissioner, Ms Charlotte Pierre; the WHO Representative a.i., Dr Indrajit Hazarika and other eminent personalities.  The vaccination of the children aged 5 to 11 years is a milestone in the fight against COVID-19 in Mauritius and this has been made possible with the donation of pediatric Pfizer vaccines from the British Government. This campaign concerns children attending public and private schools as well as 'Special Needs Schools'.  With parents’ consent, the children from 307 educational institutions will received two doses of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine within 4 to 8 weeks.

Zero Malaria starts with me

Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Representative and the Hon. Governor Bonifatius Wakudumo of the Kavango East Region in Mayana village in the Kavango East Region

Namibia’s malaria cases have been increasing steadily over the past few years and this necessitated WHO support to government through the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) to intensify malaria control interventions.  WHO and MOHSS have been implementing a larviciding demonstration project for the past three years in five malarious districts selected from 5 regions namely Omusati, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Kavango East and Kavango West.