Maiduguri, 12 November, 2019 - In north-eastern Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working with Government to expand and improve services offered to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Luanda, 08 November 2019 - The Ministry of Health, with the support of the WHO, held a technical meeting in Luanda to evaluate the national capacity to implement the International Health Regulations (IHR), a fundamental vehicle for responding to adverse health situations and protecting world health safety.

Abuja, 8 November, 2019 - In the short time it has existed, Nigeria’s public health institute, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has reported, averted and controlled a myriad of disease outbreaks. A key factor in preventing either the occurrence or the spread of these outbreaks has been their early detection.

Tanzania is among African countries facing a growing scourge of non-communicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) comprise just above 30 percent of all deaths in Tanzania. WHO and partners are supporting country efforts to address NCDs through a two-pronged approach: development of national level guidelines and policies and, promoting integration of health precepts in non-health sector policies.

Evaline William sits on a wooden bench at a vaccination point, carrying on her lap two-year-old, Precious Wolfgang.

The congestion has eased at the vaccination area at Sabasaba health facility in Morogoro regional town, 200 kilometers from Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania. Earlier in the morning, Evaline was not encouraged to take her daughter for vaccination. Afterall, Precious has received all vaccines as per the national schedule.

Zambia has launched a polio immunisation campaign after confirming a case involving a 2 years 8-month old male child in Chienge district in the northern part of the country. The affected child has paralysis of the lower limbs and had no history of receiving polio vaccinations. According to the Ministry of Health, this outbreak was caused by Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (VDPV2).

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69, and over 86 per cent of these "premature" deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.The economic impact, including loss of income by people harmed by NCDs, the costs of treatment, and the impacts on families threaten international development. Through regulation and fiscal reforms, countries can promote healthy diets, physical activity, and other initiatives reducing the prevalence and harms of NCDs.