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Benguela, Angola – As part of ongoing efforts to support Angola’s fight against the cholera outbreak and to reinforce regional health systems, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Angola, Dr Indrajit Hazarika, conducted a field mission to the provinces of Kwanza Sul and Benguela this week. The visit served to strengthen collaboration with local authorities, highlight WHO’s decentralized support across the country, and follow the high-level visit of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed.

In Uganda, a country that shoulders the third-highest burden of malaria cases globally, time has become both the enemy and the solution. Every hour a patient goes untreated, the risk of complications and death grows exponentially. Recognizing this, the Ministry of Health, with technical support from World Health Organization (WHO), launched the “24.2 hours initiative” on 25 April 2025. This is a transformative malaria strategy designed to save lives by racing against the clock.

Recently, the WHO Botswana team led by the WHO Representative, Dr Fabian Ndenzako, paid a visit to the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) Laboratory in Gaborone. The purpose of the visit was to better understand the current operations, strengths, and challenges faced by NBTS, and to explore areas where WHO can offer technical support to strengthen the country’s blood transfusion system. 

As Ghana prepares to introduce the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis B birth dose (HepB-BD) vaccines into its routine immunization schedule by the end of 2025, efforts are underway to ensure the public is not only informed but also confident in these life-saving interventions.

Maiduguri, To strengthen health infrastructure in conflict-affected areas of Borno State, the Government of Borno, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and with funding support from the European Union (EU), has launched the expansion of Monguno Specialist Hospital.

Juba, 14 May – Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, arrived in South Sudan for an official one-day-visit to meet key stakeholders in an effort to ramp up support for health assistance amid the ongoing emergencies.

Dr Ihekweazu met with the Acting Minister of Health, Honorable James Hoth Mai, humanitarian partners represented by Marie Helene Verney, Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator, as well as Timo Olkkonen, European Union Ambassador to South Sudan.

To reaffirm shared commitment to the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign and raise awareness about hand hygiene in healthcare settings, Namibia commemorated the World Hand Hygiene Day at Windhoek Central Hospital on 08 May 2025. The event served as a reminder of the importance of reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and combating antimicrobial resistance through the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programme.

This week, Botswana joins the rest of the world in launching the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week under the theme “Streets for Life: #MakingWalkingAndCyclingSafe.”