The Kingdom of Eswatini joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Patient Safety Day 2021. The country has been commemorating this day every year since its inception in 2019. The country embraces the principle that in delivering patient care, the first step is “do no harm”.

While international transport, travel, and trade contribute to the economic development and welfare of populations, they may also pose public health risks. Today’s high traffic at airports, ports and ground crossings plays a key role in the international spread of diseases through persons, conveyances and goods. 

Brazzaville – COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Africa must rise by over seven times from around 20 million per month to 150 million each month on average if the continent is to fully vaccinate 70% of its people by September 2022.

The 70% target was agreed at the global COVID-19 summit hosted by the United States of America on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly this week. 

Kigali, 20 September 2021 – Rwanda has fully vaccinated 10% of its population against COVID-19, reaching the September global target by the World Health Organization (WHO) aimed at widening vaccination and helping to turn the tide against the pandemic. 
 

Botswana is taking steps towards the elimination of intestinal worm infections or soil-transmitted helminths in school-going children. Between 12 and 18  September, technical WHO staff supported the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) in Botswana to complete a survey in the Chobe District, for the mid-term evaluation on the impact of the mass drug administration (MDA) on Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH). This was one of the nine districts that were carrying out the survey that included a total of 60 schools.

Kampala 20th September 2021:- Uganda launched the Third Edition of the National Guidelines for Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala. The third edition highlights new methods of disease detection, reporting, and provision of real-time surveillance data using new technologies and platforms.

The platforms include event-based disease surveillance, community-based surveillance, one health approach, cross-border surveillance, and electronic IDSR to improve disease surveillance in Uganda at all levels.

Juba, 18 September 2021 – Timely information and appropriate response are vital for preventing and effective control of public health events, outbreaks, and pandemics. As a core requirement of the international health regulations (IHR (2005), countries continue to invest in building and maintaining robust surveillance systems to enable timely detection and public health response for enhanced national and international public health security.