The World Health Organisation is supporting South Sudan’s Ministry of Health to review its national policy as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s health system.

The process began with a three-day dialogue to review the National Health Policy 2007 – 2011, the National Health Sector Development Plan 2012 – 2016, the Ministerial Policy Statement Framework 2012 – 2016 and update the National Health Policy from 24 to 26 June 2014, in Juba, South Sudan

30 June 2014, Freetown -- On 30 June 2014 four patients were discharged from the Ebola treatments centres bringing the number of discharged patients to 23.

The first to be discharged from the Ebola treatment centre is Victoria Yillia a 19 year old lady from Koindu Town in the Kailahun district. Quoting from her statement she said “I felt like I am in heaven when I was discharged”. She is now living in nearby Kenema district with her husband and mother in law.

30 June 2014 -- Immunization averts some 2.5 million premature deaths a year according to estimates and protects millions of children from illness and disability. Parents and children attending a South African clinic are among those today who will reap the benefits of routine immunization from the first days of life.

Freetown, 30 June 2014 -- Kailahun district is the most affected district according to data from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). 81.4% of the 199 confirmed cases are from Kailahun District as of 29th June 2014.

A District Taskforce for Ebola response is headed by the Kailahun District Council Chairperson Mr Alex Bhonapha who is assisted by the District Medical Officer James Squire. The taskforce meets daily to coordinate Ebola prevention and control strategies. 

The waiting room at the Meadowlands Zone 3 Clinic in Soweto, South Africa, is full of children brought by their parents for their scheduled vaccinations. Medical staff follow a well-rehearsed routine, registering arrivals, weighing babies as part of pre-immunization checks, and vaccinating the young patients.

The Minister of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), Ms Miatta Kargbo conducted field visits to Kenema and Kailahun Districts on 28 June to assess the Ebola outbreak response activities in the districts. The Minister undertook the visit together with the WHO Representative in Sierra Leone, Dr Jacob Mufunda, and senior officials of MoHS including the Chief Medical Officer and a team of Directors and Managers from the Ministry. The media and civil society also formed part of the team.

Kampala, 26th June 2014:- Uganda is set to achieving universal coverage of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) which is expected to drastically reduce the malaria infection. Presently, the Ministry of Health with support from Global Fund, Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) and World Vision is distributing of 21 million LLINs country wide in order to achieve universal coverage.

Brazzaville, 25 June 2014 -- As the number of deaths and cases of Ebola virus continues to rise in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the World Health Organization is warning that drastic action is needed.

The World Health Organization has so far provided technical assistance through the deployment of over 150 multidisciplinary team of experts involved in a range of outbreak response activities such as surveillance, communication and social mobilization, infection control, logistics, data management.

WHO was notified of EVD outbreak in Guinea: 13 March 2014, Liberia: 31 March 2014, Sierra Leone: 26 May 2014. Highlights as of 23 June, 2014:

Abuja, Nigeria 24 June, 2014 - Poised towards the total  realization of the vision enshrined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (Decade of Vaccines, 2011–2020) in which all individuals and communities enjoy lives free from vaccine-preventable diseases and the full benefit of immunization to all people through equitable access to immunization as well as utilizing the immunization systems for delivery of other primary health care delivery programmes,  WHO country office in Nigeria is supporting the Federal Ministry Health to address the issues of health inequities in the underserved