09 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – WHO in partnership with Ministry of Health are strengthening capacity to provide comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services to populations of humanitarian concern in the Greater Upper Nile region, that is heavily affected by the current crisis. Health workers including medical doctors/ clinical officers, nurses, counselors, pharmacist and data clerk are equipped with the necessary skills and supplies on HIV treatment and prevention. 

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, attended the 18th General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on the sidelines of the 28th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 31 January 2017.

This year’s OAFLA General Assembly coincided with the commemoration of its anniversary, and was marked under the theme, “Building on 15 years of engagement to harness the demographic dividend of Africa through promoting the needs of adolescents and their access to youth-friendly health services.”

“A good planning is the road to success” said Dr. Kalu, WHO Representative to Ethiopia on his opening remark in the first quarter meeting of WCO held from 9-10 February 2017 in Addis Ababa, in the presence of programs and regional coordinators and program managers.

The objective of the meeting was to look back at 2016 annual performance of WCO and look forth for the 2017 first quarter planning as well as to receive updates from the management.

Gaborone, Botswana - 7 February 2017: World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Botswana, Dr. Martins Ovberedjo visited the SADC Secretariat to meet with the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax. 

Brazzaville, 8 February 2017 - Fourteen countries set to finalize their Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Annual Plans of Action with guidance from the World Health Organization’s Expanded Special Project on the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN).

In 2016, there were approximately 25,000 cases of measles among children in Nigeria, 97% of the cases were in children under the age of ten and at least a hundred children died.

03 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – The deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, along with disruption of health services, increased population displacement, overcrowding and poor environmental conditions, led to more frequent disease outbreaks.

A woman who discovers a lump in her breast is immediately assailed by a feeling of anxiety and panic. That is how I felt the evening I accidentally discovered a lump in my right breast. My heart was beating wildly. I wondered whether it was a cancer, a cyst or a benign tumour.

Abuja, 03 February 2017-In 2016 - Nigeria recorded disease outbreaks such as Lassa fever, poliomyelitis, cholera and measles. Equally, the scale of humanitarian crisis in the northeast was uniquely different due to the nature of insurgency in the region with 6.9 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

The World Health Organization supports the consideration of Government of South Africa of introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) to help reduce excessive sugar intake.  This is one of interventions proposed in the Strategy for the prevention and control of obesity in South Africa 2015-2020. WHO has supported introduction of such taxes since it was proposed by the National Treasury in August 2016.