Liberia: promoting safe air travel

WHO/M. Seeger

“Excuse me, Sir, I need to take your temperature.”

These words are often overheard these days at the international airport of Monrovia, where a group of doctors and nurses from the Ministry of Health of Liberia screen passengers arriving and leaving the country for Ebola.

Uganda Launches Gender Based Violence Advocacy Pack

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Kampala, 3rd September 2014:- The Minister of State for Health (Primary Health Care), Hon Sarah Opendi, has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), UN Agencies and Government to unite and fight Gender Based Violence (GBV). She said this at a meeting held at Hotel African to launch the Gender Based Violence Advocacy Pack under the theme ‘Championing prevention and response to GBV”.

African Vaccination Week Launched in The Gambia

DPS Ceesay making a contribution

The African Vaccination Week (AVW) which is scheduled to be observed during the last week of April every year was launched by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and partners at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul on 3rd September 2014.
 
The theme for this year 2014 was, “Vaccination a shared responsibility”, and its slogan was vaccinated communities; Healthy communities.

Ethiopia Strengthens Preparedness for Ebola

Dr Mary Tapgun, African Union Commission Medical Services Directorate, Dr Pierre M’Pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, and Ms. Wynne Musabayana, Deputy Head of Division, African Union Commission Information and Communication Directorate, and H.E. Amidou Toure, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso, briefed the media on Ebola at the African Union, 13 August 2014.

Following the outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria, Ebola virus disease (EVD) was declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO Director General on 8 August 2014. As of 28 August 2014, a total of 3069 cases and 1552 deaths have reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). On 26 August 2014, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also notified WHO of an outbreak of Ebola virus disease.

Ebola Virus Disease: WR visits Rivers Governor in Port Harcourt

Governor Amaechi (centre), WR, Dr. Vaz (2nd right) and other EOC members at the Rivers Government House

Port Harcourt, 02  September 2014- The WHO country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Rui Vaz in company of Operations Officer, Mr Alieu Wadda, and the Incident Manager, Ebola Operations Centre, Dr Faisal paid a visit to the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Rotimi C. Amaechi and the Commissioner of health, Dr Sampson Parker, to discuss the response to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the State.

WHO responds to health crises facing war-wracked South Sudan

Medical officer discuss with patient

After 6 years in Juba, WHO’s Abdinasir Abubakar (pictured above) understands better than most the impact war can have on people’s health - from shrapnel wounds and malnutrition to battered and beleaguered hospitals and clinics.

But the impact of the crisis that has raged in the world’s youngest country since late 2013 surpasses anything he saw during the two-decade civil war that tore Sudan in half.

African Traditional Medicines day 2014

Cross Section of participants

The Gambia has now joined the rest of the international community to commemorate African Traditional Medicines Day 2014 which is usually observed on 31st August every year.  This year’s event which had to be shifted to the 10th September 2014 because of other emerging activities was held at the Kanifing Municipality Council (KMC).