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On the 14th of March 2025, Botswana joined the rest of the region in commemorating SADC Healthy Lifestyles Day in Goodhope under the theme: “Risk factors of today are diseases of tomorrow.”

Jos, In 2021, Mrs. Sarah Abok, a 47-year-old mother from Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) in Plateau State, Nigeria, faced a life-altering diagnosis: cervical cancer. The news struck fear into her heart, not just for her own life, but for the future of her family. “I kept thinking about what would happen to my children if I didn’t survive,” Sarah recalls. The journey that followed was gruelling, involving invasive surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy.

Freetown, Sierra Leone – March 14, 2025 – In a bid to strengthen efforts against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with support from The Fleming Fund Country Grant, the Ministry of Health National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) unit in collaboration WHO convened AMR awareness raising session including panel discussions, involving AMR experts, students, and policymakers, drug regulatory bodies, lecturers, media, and youth leaders on climate and gender. .

Sarah Naluyima is a dedicated community health worker at the forefront of Uganda’s Ebola outbreak response. For 15 years, Sarah has worked in her community, raising awareness about various health issues. Today, her focus is on preventing the spread of Ebola, providing essential information to help protect her community.

Abuja, 13 March, 2025 - On 7 March 2025, the WHO Nigeria offices buzzed with energy as staff joined the global celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD). The occasion provided a meaningful opportunity to honour the female workforce at WHO Nigeria and reaffirm the organization’s commitment to gender equality and empowerment as essential drivers of health for all. 

In Uganda’s ongoing fight against mpox and Ebola outbreaks, a few names have stood out for their exceptional dedication and resilience. Kemirembe Maria Goretti is one such individual. For 10 years, Maria has been a driving force in Uganda’s public health landscape, committed to empowering communities with the knowledge and resources they need to protect themselves against disease outbreaks. As a health worker, she has been at the forefront of numerous public health challenges, building confidence, promoting early detection, and strengthening community engagement.

Maiduguri, 13 March, 2025 - In Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, four-year-old Amina* from Mairi Ward in Buladina settlement has received intermittent immunization since birth. Despite multiple vaccination efforts, she has missed several recommended doses for her age, leaving her vulnerable to poliovirus infection.

“Amina missed some doses because we are often not around when they conduct the vaccination campaigns,” said her mother, Saratu Bulama* (*names changed for privacy).

Dar es Salaam – Tanzania today declared the end of Marburg virus disease outbreak after recording no new cases over 42 days since the death of the last confirmed case on 28 January 2025.

The outbreak, in which two confirmed and eight probable cases were recorded (all deceased), was the second the country has experienced. Both this outbreak, which was declared on 20 January 2025, and the one in 2023 occurred in the north-eastern Kagera region.

Abuja, 13 March, 2025 - In a bold effort to improve the health and well-being of Nigerians, the World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with the Nigerian government to launch the National Health Fellows Program (NHFP). This transformative initiative, housed within the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, aims to deploy dedicated health fellows across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) nationwide.

The Ministry of Health (MOH), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), held a two-day Intra-Action Review (IAR) for the ongoing mpox outbreak response in Uganda. This engagement provided an opportunity to reflect, identify gaps and best practices, and refine strategies to improve the response and minimize morbidity, mortality, and the direct and indirect effects on livelihoods.