Vaccination campaign aims to reach over 2.8 million children with monovalent oral polio vaccines in South Sudan

Vaccination campaign aims to reach over 2.8 million children with monovalent oral polio vaccines in South Sudan

Juba, South Sudan, 24 February 2021 – The Ministry of Health and partners are rolling-out the second round of the national polio vaccination campaign targeting over 2.8 million children aged 0 – 59 months.

The campaign started on 16 February and covers 74 counties, with vaccinators going from house to house to vaccinate children, while adhering to COVID-19 protocols.   

Community informants employ mobile data collection tools to strengthen COVID-19 surveillance 

WHO- engaged community informant during sensitization meeting in a nomadic settlement.

Kano, 25 February 2021- With the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria, WHO is supporting government to leverage on the existing   Auto-Visual Acute Flaccid Paralysis Detection and Reporting (AVADAR) system to strengthen community-based surveillance for the disease. In 731 wards across eleven (11) COVID-19 high risk states, WHO is supporting engagement of more than 670 AVADAR informants to conduct house-to-house COVID-19 surveillance and reporting of suspected COVID-19 cases, sensitize and support contact tracing in the communities.

WHO pledges to support Kebbi State towards elimination of cervical cancer.

Zoom Shot of WR and Dr Zainab Bagudu, Kebbi state’s First Lady.

Abuja, 25 February, 2021 - The World Health Organization is strengthening collaboration with the office of Kebbi State Governor’s wife to champion early cancer detection, improvement of the chances of successful treatment and create awareness for the purpose of eliminating the deadly disease.

Mauritius launched the Maternal Child Health Handbook to improve Mother and Child Health

Launching of the Maternal and Child Health Handbook to improve the health of Mothers and Babies by Dr Hon K. K. Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness in the presence of Regional Health Directors, Director General Health Services and WHO Representative in Mauritius, Dr Laurent Musango
Port Louis.  The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Honorable Kailash Kumar Jagutpal launched the Maternal Child Health (MCH) handbook on 24 February 2021 at the Caudan Arts Centre, Port Louis, in the presence of Director General Health Services, Regional Health Directors, the Permanent Secretary and Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius.   This important tool will allow for systematic recording of personal health data for the mother during pregnancy and for the child since birth up to until the age of 5. The production of this handbook is one of the recommendations of the National Roadmap Framework for Maternal and Child Health launched last year by the country with two important goals.  First, to reduce morbidity and mortality among children under five years to one digit in the next 5 years and secondly, to reduce perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality rate. The MCH handbook, being a good source of information and knowledge on care during pregnancy and early childhood, will also guide healthcare professionals in dispensing the appropriate care to mothers and babies. 12000 copies of the MCH Handbook produced in close collaboration with WHO will be distributed to mothers attending the antenatal clinics across the island. 

Stakeholders shore up sensitization campaign to curb Lassa fever outbreak in Edo state 

Community sensitization at one of the hot spot locality in Edo Statei.

Benin City, 24 February 2021 - Things have changed for the better in Jattu town of Edo State, says Osumah Kassim Inusa, a community leader in the area. Since health officials implemented a robust community sensitisation and vector control project in 2020, there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of Lassa fever infections recorded. 

Update COVID-19 23 February 2021

COVID_19 Update Rwanda

23 February 2021 — One hundred and twenty-six (126) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 5960 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases eighteen thousand, three hundred and twenty-five (18325). To date, seventeen thousand, two hundred, and fifty-one (17251) patients have recovered, including two hundred, and fifty-nine (259) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is eight hundred, and twenty-one (821) and two hundred, and fifty-three (253) deaths. 

Working with COVID-19 survivors to battle the pandemic

COVID-19 survivor supporting sensitization activities in Lagos i.jpg

Lagos, 24 February 2021 - For Ade Ogunsanya, a resident of Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, a lapse in following the recommended COVID-19 preventive measures proved costly. Fortunately, he is a survivor who lived to tell his story.

Being asthmatic, Ade knew he had to be extra careful and adhere to necessary precautions such as properly wearing his mask in public places, sanitizing his hands regularly and maintaining social distancing. For a while he was too cautious that his friends made fun of him.

Ebola vaccination starts in Guinea to curb new outbreak

Ebola vaccination starts in Guinea to curb new outbreak
Ebola vaccination of people at high risk kicked off today in Guinea as the emergency response was escalated to counter the spread of the virus that re-emerged in the country a little more than a week ago for the first time since 2016.

Update COVID-19 22 February 2021

COVID_19 Update Rwanda

22 February 2021 — One hundred and forty-six (146) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 2655 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases eighteen thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine (18199). To date, sixteen thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-two (16992) patients have recovered, including one hundred, and eighty-nine (189) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is nine hundred, and fifty-five (955) and two hundred, and fifty-two (252) deaths.