Sequencing of the virus in Cabo Verde by Institut Pasteur, Dakar confirms that the Zika virus currently circulating in Cabo Verde is the same as the one circulating in the Americas - the Asian type- and was most likely imported from Brazil. This is the first time that the Zika strain responsible for the outbreaks linked to neurological disorders and microcephaly has been detected in Africa.

Kampala, 20th May 2016:- The WHO Country Office (WCO) in Uganda hosted a two day international workshop on the newly introduced Strategic Partnership Portal (SPP) that aims at building stronger health systems for sustainable health security in WHO member states.

The SPP is an online tool that allows countries, donors and partners to see all funding coming into a particular country and how it is distributed and other information collected from national authorities and stakeholders. 

Victoria, Seychelles 19 May 2016 - The Seychelles islands have welcomed Mr Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General on a two day historical visit in the country from the 7th to the 8th of May 2016. Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s visit to the small island state follows the invitation of the President of the Republic of Seychelles Mr James Michel, who was at the Seychelles International Airport to meet the UN Secretary on his arrival Saturday. Mr Ban is the first sitting UN secretary general to visit Seychelles since the country joined the Organisation in September 1976.

BISHOFTU - 10 May 2016 | Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) of the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in collaboration with the World Health Organization HQ and Country Office in Ethiopia (WCO) trained 30 experts drawn from EPHI, the office of Disaster Risk Management and Food Security (DRMFS), and academia.

ADDIS ABABA, 17 May 2016 | An Official Handover Ceremony of Rotary’s Grant

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International grants Eth. Birr 88.8 million for operational support to ENDPOLIONOW in Ethiopia through WHO- Ethiopia. As long standing supporter of polio eradication initiative for the last 25 years, Rotary’s grant globally is bout USD 2.3 Billion.

Abuja, 16 May, 2016 – Today, the Government of Canada, through the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, announced a contribution of $19.9 million towards the eradication of polio in Nigeria. The grant, which will be implemented during the period 2016/17 – 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is expected to sustain the polio eradication gains through strengthened routine immunization (RI). The project will help immunize approximately 6.6 million girls and 6.9 million boys against polio in 11 high risk Nigerian states.

airobi, May 16, 2016 - Kenya has rolled out a massive nation-wide Measles-Rubella campaign which targets almost half the population. The campaign which runs from May 16-24 will cover all the 47 counties and target 19,922,722 children between 9 months and 14 years. The rubella component will be offered in public health facilities for the first time but will be offered as one vaccine with measles. In addition, 11 targeted counties will offer tetanus vaccination for girls and women aged 15-49. These are counties more at risk and with low immunization coverage.

Mbale, 16th May 2016 - The Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a three-day regional training on sample collection, packaging and transportation of dangerous pathogens at Crown Suits Hotel in Mbale District. 

Delivering the key note address on her behalf by the Chief Director of the Ministry of  the Ministry of Health Dr Afisa Zackaria, Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Mrs Lordina Mahama, mentioned that tremendous progress had been made in the domain of reducing childhood illnesses and deaths and preventing the spread of vaccine preventable diseases.

Abuja, 10 May 2016 - Having interrupted the transmission of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2015 and put in place measures to further improve and sustain certification standard surveillance; Nigeria has now embarked on efforts towards ensuring adequate documentation of surveillance and immunization activities towards certification.