APRIL 9, 2014 - Conakry, Guinea – The efforts to control the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Guinean capital Conakry are being intensified. More resources were mobilised and WHO and partners are streamlining their coordination of different components of the response.

Nyamapanda: 16 April 2014. Zimbabwe welcomed the Racing Against Malaria 2 (RAM2) convoy at Nyamapanda border post which borders Zimbabwe with Mozambique. RAM is a regional advocacy campaign aimed at raising malaria awareness in communities in malaria endemic SADC countries. This year’s RAM started in Malawi on the 14th of April 2014 and is running under the theme “A malaria free SADC: Moving towards malaria elimination by 2020”. The RAM convoy will drive through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana reaching Angola on the 25th of April.

Monrovia 9 April, 2014: Following reported 22 suspected and 5 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease, including 10 deaths from the 24th of March 2014 to present, Liberia has been scaling up activities to prevent further spread of Ebola. The Minister of Health and Social Welfare has established the National Task Force to coordinate Ebola outbreak response in the country. The Task Force meets on a daily basis to give updates on progress made, challenges and opportunities in prevention and control of the disease.

Freetown 8 April 2014 - WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone donated various personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Guinea and Liberia. This second of at least 4 more consignments included more than 2,000 PPE suits, respirators, gloves, face shields, face masks, gowns , body bags and bio hazard plastic bags.

The Honourable Minister of Health, Professor C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had in the presence of the WHO Country Representative Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, hosted a Ministerial Media Conference to mark the 2014 World Health Day with the theme: ‘Small bite, Big threat’, focusing on preventing Vector-borne diseases.

Ghana joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 2014 World Health Day (WHD) at the forecourt of the Ghana Health Service Headquarters in Accra. The focus this year was on Vector Borne Diseases (VBD) which includes Malaria, Lymphatic filariasis (which can cause Elephantiasis) and Yellow Fever. Highlighting the serious and increasing threat these diseases pose to global health and the need to protect ourselves from the vectors such as the mosquitoes which play a key role in the transmission of VBD, the slogan for the campaign was “small bite, big threat”.

Brazzaville, 7 April  2014 - The above headline would have been unimaginable 30 years ago when Guinea-worm disease (GWD) was robust, alive and well in much of Africa.

Hawassa. 7 April - More than half the world’s population is at risk of diseases such as dengue, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis and lymphatic filariasis, carried by mosquitoes, flies, ticks, water snails and other vectors. Every year, more than one billion people are infected and more than one million die from these diseases.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa | 03 April 2014 - “Impressive strides have been made in the implementation of HIV, TB and PMTCT programme since the last reviews were conducted in 2009” is the highlight of the message delivered on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo by the Director of Disease Prevention and Control, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Francis Kasolo. This statement was made at the handover ceremony of a report of the first ever Joint HIV, TB and PMTCT Review. 

1. Background

An outbreak of Ebola Viral Disease in Guinea was officially reported to WHO on 21st March 2014. Since, the Country Office in Ghana has been in the forefront of multiple unfolding events in Ghana. An official communication was sent to Ghana’s Minister of Health to inform her about the outbreak. Heads of bilateral and multilateral agencies and other partners were also provided with available information regarding the outbreak.

Several other activities have also been undertaken in the following areas: