In 2013, Nasarawa and Niger States in the North Central region of Nigeria commonly referred to as the ‘Middle Belt’, given their geographical location on the map, had importation of the wild polio virus (WPV) each from endemic states after several months of stopping transmission. Since then, political commitment in the area has been rekindled with relentless personal commitment of State governors to protect states in the axis from re-infection through high-profile activities to create visibility for the Polio Eradication Initiative.

On 17 of April 2013, the Swaziland’s African Vaccination Week (AVW) team organized a workshop for media at the Happy Valley Hotel and Casino, Swaziland.

The main objective of the workshop was not only just to sensitize the journalist and media practitioners on the 2013 package of activities but also to enlist their unqualified support through publicity and advocacy reporting of AVW planned activities.

Brazzaville,  April  2014 -- If any doubts ever existed about the wisdom or benefits of instituting the African Vaccination Week (AVW), the celebration of the 3rd AVW in the Region in 2013 very eloquently cleared the air.

Statistics at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) on the observance of the 3rd AVW tell the story.

During AVW 2013, more than 44 million doses of vaccines of all antigens were administered to several million infants, children, adolescents and adults in 43 countries in the Region.  

African Health ministers have pledged to work together to take concrete actions to improve the health of people in the continent. At the end of a two-day meeting held in Luanda, the Angolan capital, the Ministers expressed concern about the numerous challenges facing public health services which continue to hinder Africa´s sustainable socio-economic development.

Jigjiga. 17 April 2014 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and Somali Region are poised to intensify efforts to interrupt polio transmission in the region and in Ethiopia. A high-level WHO delegation, led by the WHO Representative to Ethiopia, visited the Somali Region on 14 and 15 April to affirm WHO's support to the region and discuss increased strategic interventions to control the outbreak.

Luanda 16 April 2014 - A meeting of Ministers of Health from the African continent gets underway in Luanda, Angola with the Vice-President of Angola, H. E Manuel Vicente calling for stronger collaboration, innovative solutions and political commitment to address the continent’s health problems.

The Representative of the World Health Organization, Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz has reaffirmed the commitment of WHO to support the on-going polio eradication initiative in Nigeria. Dr. Vaz gave this assurance during a courtesy call paid to him by the Chair of The Rotary Foundation, Mr. Dong Kurn Lee and other Rotary International dignitaries.

April 2014 - When Abdullah D. saw a doctor in the hospital close to his home in Conakry in late March 2014, he had high fever, headaches and felt very weak. The doctor immediately called in the infectious disease experts who arranged for Abdullah to be admitted to the country’s isolation facility at Donka, one of the biggest hospitals in the Guinean capital Conakry. When a laboratory test confirmed that Abdullah was infected with Ebola, he was devastated.

Polio supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) have been met with stiff resistance in 478 quranic (Tsangaya) schools in the security-compromised state of Borno due to an array of reasons which deduced Immunization as a western ploy to check the growth of muslim population and fear that non-compliant parents may withdraw their children from schools that allow immunization

Luanda, 14 April 2014 - Health experts have begun a two day meeting in Luanda, Angola to discuss a range of issues aimed at improving the health of people living in the African Continent. The two-day meeting precedes the African Health Ministers meeting to be held from 16-17 April 2014 in Luanda.