WHO with funding from the Government of Canada inaugurates newly constructed maternity complexes in Awiel and Kuajok

His Excellency Ambassador Alan Hamson hands the bunch of keys for the maternity complexes to the Honorable Minister Dr Riek Gai Kok. Photo WHO

19 September 2017, Juba – As part of its efforts to ensure the delivery and utilization of quality comprehensive emergency obstetrics and newborn care services in hospitals in South Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) with support from the Government of Canada through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) has inaugurated the newly constructed fully-equipped maternity complexes in Aweil, former Northern Barh el Ghazal State and Kuajok, former Warrap State.

Mitigating health risks in the wake of disaster

The landslide which started in Regent devastated homes, communities and waterways along its path

FREETOWN, September 21 2017 --- On the morning of 14th August 2017, people in Sierra Leone awoke to tragic news. Following torrential rains, landslides had devastated communities in and around the country’s capital, Freetown. The landslide started in the Regent area, high on the slopes in the eastern part of the city, but flash floods, mudslides and boulders then cascaded down the mountainside, eviscerating everything in their way.

Campagne nationale de distribution de moustiquaires imprégnées : un engouement certain

Diane Irakoze a écouté avec attention les conseils pour bien utiliser sa moustiquaire

A jour 3, la campagne prévue pour durer 5 jours se déroule comme prévue. C’est le constat fait par les superviseurs de l’OMS au Burundi, des experts présents sur plusieurs axes du pays dont Kayanza, Ngozi, Kirundo, Rutana–Makamba, Bujumbura-Gitega, sans oublier Bujumbura la capitale. Des équipes fixes de distribution sont en place au niveau des centres de santé et des équipes mobiles sont déployées sur les sites avancés au niveau des écoles et des lieux de grande affluence.

Borno applauds WHO's response to cholera outbreak.

Head of Service, vaccinating a child with oral cholera vaccine at Muna IDPs camp in Borno state.

Maiduguri, 19 September 2017 - As the cholera vaccination campaign kicks off for the first time in Nigeria in the affected areas of Borno state, the Deputy Governor, His Excellency Usman Mamman Durkwa has commended World Health Organization’s (WHO) commitment to contain the outbreak.

Polio eradication: Experts say Nigeria not ‘out of the woods yet’.

Dr Pascal Mkanda presenting 34th ERC preliminary findingd and recommendations

Abuja, 20 September 2017-The 34th session of the Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization (ERC), cautions the Nigeria programme to guard against complacency as the country is ”not out of the woods yet”. The warning according to ERC is germane, given recent antecedents despite one year without any reported case of wild poliovirus (WPV) in Nigeria.

Protéger les burundais du paludisme : campagne nationale de distribution de moustiquaires imprégnées du 18 au 22 septembre

L'agent en charge de l'Information Education Communication (IEC) donne des conseils d'usage

Du 18 au 22 septembre 2017, le Ministère de la Santé Publique et de Lutte contre le Sida et ses partenaires organisent une campagne de distribution des moustiquaires imprégnées d’insecticides dans tous les ménages du Burundi.
 
En appui à cette activité d’envergure nationale, le Bureau de l’OMS a déployé des équipes de supervision de cette campagne sur plusieurs axes dont, Kayanza, Ngozi Kirundo, l’axe Rutana –makamba , sans oublier Bujumbura mairie.
 

One year after Nigeria emergency declaration.

Eight years of conflict and crisis in north-eastern Nigeria have left two-thirds of health facilities completely or partially destroyed and millions of people without access to healthcare. In August last year, when health teams managed to reach previously inaccessible areas, they found a critical situation. Functioning health facilities were overburdened and more than 40% of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps had no access to basic healthcare services.

WHO supports capacity building for enforcement of and compliance with tobacco control regulations in Zanzibar

Training in session
The government of Zanzibar recently endorsed tobacco control regulations in line with the Public and Environmental Health Act on 2012. These regulations are aligned to the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The WHO FCTC is the world’s most powerful tool to tackle the escalating epidemic of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke and their negative impact on health, social and economic development. The FCTC sets out strategies that will lead to tobacco demand reduction and supply reduction while at the same time providing for international cooperation and monitoring of trends in the tobacco epidemic. These measures aim at reducing tobacco use while at the same time protecting non-smokers from second hand smoke.

WHO convenes experts to enhance capacity for schistosomiasis control across the sub-Sahara Region

Field worker demonstrating snail collection
Schistosomiasis also known as Bilharzia is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms. Transmission occurs when people suffering from schistosomiasis contaminate freshwater sources with their excreta containing parasite eggs, which hatch in water. The larval forms of the parasite – released by freshwater snails – penetrate the skin during contact with infested water. In the body, the larvae develop into adult worms that can cause progressive damage to organs.