WHO HTS Info app: from concept to reality

This app provides easy, on-the-go access to current HIV testing services (HTS) guidelines and information on your smartphone or tablet, whether you are online or offline. This story summarizes how the app was developed and highlights its key features and plans.

Why create an app?

WHO conducted pre- and post-test guidelines development surveys for the 2015 “Consolidated guidelines on HTS” and the 2016 supplement “Guidelines on HIV self-testing and partner notification”. 

WHO hands over incinerator for injection waste disposal to Bauchi State

Incinerator donated by WHO to Bauchi State MoH installed at Bayara General Hospital

Bauchi, 20 December 2018 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has been commended for the donation, installation and hand over of an incinerator – INCiNER-8- to the Bauchi State Ministry of Health. The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary HealthCare Development Agency (EC-BSPHCDA) Mr Ibrahim Gamawa, who received the incinerator on behalf of the Bauchi State Ministry of Health, described WHO as an indispensable partner in the health sector development in the state. 

WHO Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health review 2018 progress and 2019 health priority agenda

Group photo of the senior managements and technical officers of the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation
Towards the end of every year, the senior managements, and technical officers of the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone and the senior leadership of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation meet to review progress and challenges of their work and agree on priority areas of work for the following year. The review meeting this year discussed progress on a range of operational and technical activities including, administrative, financial and technical performances as well as the quality of management and leadership and collaboration between the two partner institutions. The engagement also aimed to ensure continued and strengthened cooperation and improve collaboration.

WHO supports four countries to design plans to strengthen family planning services

WHO and country participants at the meeting in Kampala
There is an urgent need to improve family planning services in Africa, where more than 47 million women, who wish to stop or delay pregnancies have limited access to contraception. A five-day meeting on strengthening family planning services in, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Uganda began on 17th December 2018 in Kampala.  It is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health of Uganda, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Advancing local production and supply of quality assured medicines to improve access in the Africa region

Participants attended a training workshop on “Key enabling factors for successful local production and supply of quality-assured medicines”
An international training workshop on “Key enabling factors for successful local production and supply of quality-assured medicines” started on Monday 17th Dec. in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. WHO Head Quarter, in collaboration with USP/PQM and NEPAD, organized this three days training workshop that will take place from 17-19, December 2018 with a support by WHO Ethiopia to benefit pharmaceutical manufacturing companies based in the Africa region. 

Nigeria launches Yellow fever vaccination campaign to stop outbreak in Edo state 

WHO team with a family of a presumptive case of Yellow fever for detailed case investigation
The Government of Nigeria with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), and partners launched this week a Yellow fever reactive vaccination campaign , funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The campaign will be implemented in 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Edo state where cases have been confirmed. The immunization drive is a response to the unprecedented yellow fever outbreak recently identified in the State.

African Development Bank gives a grant to support cholera control activities in Zimbabwe

Honorable Minister of Finance and Economic Development Prof. Mthuli Ncube and WR Dr Gasasira shaking hands after signing for the grant

Harare, 17 Dec. 2018 Today witnessed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and World Health Organization signing a USD 1 million grant for emergency assistance to support efforts to control and stop the 2018 cholera outbreak.  The $1 million will be used to contribute to financing implementation of Zimbabwe’s National Cholera response plan. The World Health Organization will administer the implementation of this grant on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe.