The World Health Organization Ethiopia (WHO) country office continues to support the Government of Ethiopia in advancing the digitalization and modernization of its public health emergency systems, helping ensure timely data-driven decisions for preparedness and response.

This opinion piece was first published in Jornal de Angola, a copy of which can be found here:

Over 60 participants, including representatives from the Amhara Public Health Institute (APHI), the Amhara Regional Health Bureau (RHB), religious leaders, the World Health Organization and partners, gathered for a two-day workshop to validate the "Minimum Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Health Requirements for Religious Institutions in the Amhara Region".

The initiative marks a new phase in Ethiopia’s fight against recurrent cholera outbreaks—combining the influence of faith leaders with public health expertise to protect communities and strengthen outbreak preparedness.

One year ago, on 28 October 2024, South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak. The outbreak began in Renk, a border town between Sudan and South Sudan, triggered by the influx of returnees and refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan, before spreading to other areas.

To date, nearly 95 000 suspected cases and over 1 500 deaths have been reported from 55 counties across 9 States and all 3 Administrative Areas.

Op-Ed By Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan

South Sudan is combating its largest and longest cholera outbreak since independence in 2011. The outbreak, which began in September 2024 has been sustained for now one year, testing the country’s experiences, defining new frontiers to interrupt transmission and providing new lessons for future similar outbreaks.

Garissa County—Twenty-five frontline health workers from Garissa County have completed a five-day training on the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Competency Standards for Health Workers providing care to refugees and migrants, equipping them with skills to deliver people-centred and culturally sensitive services in one of Kenya's busiest border regions.

Abuja, Nigeria is taking significant steps to strengthen its national response to mpox by updating its clinical management guidelines, improving referral and data systems, and expanding public awareness to prevent community transmission.

Benguela – The Faculty of Medicine of Katyavala Bwila University (FMUKB), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), held today the Benguela Scientific Conference on Public Health and Innovation, under the theme “Resilience and Innovation in Outbreak Response: The Benguela Experience.”