Cotonou, Benin 5 November 2014 - The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has called on countries in the WHO African Region to accelerate the progress of implementation of the African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF).

The Fund, established in 2012, has received US$3.6 million in contributions from Member States and provided financial assistance totaling US$1.3 million to seven countries in the Region to manage declared public health emergencies.

Cotonou, 5 November 2014 – The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa,  Dr Luis Sambo, has proposed key actions to be implemented by countries in the African Region to tackle the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak currently occurring in some West African countries.

The actions include strengthening national capacity to detect EVD outbreaks, providing care to patients and ensuring the effective infection prevention and control measures are in place at all health facilities.

Cotonou, Benin. 5 November 2014 - Countries in the WHO African Region have resolved to stop the spread of polio, and eliminate measles, tetanus in newborn babies and control other vaccine preventable diseases. It is estimated that over three million children under five years old, die each year in the WHO African Region and a significant number of these deaths could be prevented by vaccines.

Cotonou, Benin, 5 November 2014 - Dr Matshidiso Moeti of the Republic of Botswana was today nominated to be the next World Health Organization's Regional Director for Africa. Health Ministers from the 47 Countries that constitute the WHO African Region nominated her at their annual meeting, which is taking place in Cotonou. Dr Moeti is scheduled to take up her new post on 1 February 2015, succeeding Dr Luis Sambo, whose mandate ends on 31 January 2015 after having served as the Regional Director for the past 10 years

31 October 2014 - WHO has conducted a formal review of personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines for healthcare workers and is updating its guidelines in the context of the current Ebola outbreak. The updated guidelines aim to clarify and standardize safe and effective PPE options to protect health care workers and patients, as well as provide information for obtaining PPE during the outbreak.

On the 6th of November 2014 at 8am, the Observatory for Human Resources for Health hosts its Third Annual Conference with the Theme: 

“Maternal and Neonatal Health Workforce towards Universal Health Coverage”

The Conference will debate and share information on the role of health professionals in service delivery for maternal and neonatal health. The first part of the Conference will be a round table discussion with panellists and thereafter there will be nine thematic sessions from different national and international institutions. 

Lira, 3rd November 2014:-   The Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) Project was launched in fourteen districts of Lango, Bukedi and Teso Sub-regions of Uganda. This followed the closure of the same project that has been done in Acholi sub-region where 10 districts were covered since 2009.  This is a project that is being implemented by ABT Associates with funding from PMI and DFID. The ceremony was officiated by the Minister of Health in Charge of Primary Health Care, Hon. Sarah Opendi.

As the Ebola outbreak grows and spreads, a small but significant group of people is also growing - the Ebola survivors. Emerging shell-shocked from what one described as a "glimpse of hell", the survivors have not found life easy on the other side of the Ebola ward.

Some in the community brand them as "witches" for surviving. For many, the faces they longed to see again while lying in the Ebola ward are no longer there. Husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers have all been carried off to unmarked graves by Ebola virus disease.

Second Africa Regional Health Report Launched