Brazzaville, 16 August 2011 - The sixty-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa is to be held from 29 August to 2 September 2011 in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire.

This year’s meeting of the Regional Committee, WHO’s Governing Body in the African Region, will discuss among others, a report on the work of WHO in the African Region, to be presented by the Regional Director, Dr Luis Sambo.

High on the agenda of the meeting is WHO’s Programme Budget for the 2012 – 2013 biennium, and orientations for its implementation in the Region.

The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in over 50 years; child malnutrition rates are more than double or triple the 15% emergency threshold and are expected to rise.

Luanda, 12 August 2011– An outbreak of an unknown illness has been reported among children and students in schools in Angola. In most cases the illness has occurred suddenly followed by the resolution of symptoms within a few hours. No deaths have been reported.

The typical symptoms reported include: vomiting, headache, sore throat, eye irritation, coughing, breathing difficulties and fainting in some cases. The outbreaks have been reported in schools of the capital, Luanda, and in a number of other provinces.

Brazzaville, 11 August 2016 – As the number of yellow fever cases decline in Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization calls on Governments and partners to capitalize on the momentum and intensify response measures.

WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone held a consultative meeting to discuss the 2012-2013 biennial work plan (BWP) with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) on 28 July 2011. The biennial work plan is prepared based on the National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP), the Agenda For Change (PRSP-2), the Country Cooperation Strategy, 2008-2013, the WHO African Region Strategic Direction and other global health priorities.

Sierra Leone commemorates World Breastfeeding Week from 1-7 Au-gust 2011 on the theme Talk to Me! Breastfeeding - a 3D experience. The theme highlights the importance of communication, information and experience sharing in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. The occasion was launched by the Minister of Health and Sanitation Hon Zainab Bangura. The MOHS also launched “We Pikin Network” (Our Children’s Network) initiatives which is a com-munity support group to promote exclusive breastfeeding.

The Ministry of Health of Rwanda in collaboration with its health sector development partners is conducting the Midterm review (MTR) and Joint assessment of Health Sector Strategic Plan II (JANS of HSSPII).

This activity is led by the Ministry of Health and is financially and technically supported by the IHP+ under the coordination of the WHO, both in preparatory phases, facilitation of the recruitment of the international consultants, and the actual activity of the review.

Ministry of Health and Sanitation held its second quarter 2011 Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) review meeting on 21-22 July 2011. The objectives were to discuss surveillance performance at national and district levels and to prepare plan for the next quarter. Participants of meeting included Directors, Programme Managers, and District Medical Officers, National and District Surveillance Officers. WHO provided financial and technical support for the meeting.

The Kwara state government and the World Health Organisation in Nigeria are set to work together towards reducing child and maternal mortality rate.

This consensus was reached at a recent meeting between Her Excellency, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, the First Lady of Kwara state and the Representative of the World Health Organisation in Nigeria, Dr. David Okello at the United Nations House, Abuja.