Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 March 2011 -- The construction of African developmental states has been called for as a means for promotion of structural economic transformation, scaling up integration endeavors, achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other social development objectives.

The Tenth Eritrean National Book Fair was held from 18 to 27 March 2011 in Expo Compound under the theme “School Libraries: foundation to Reading Culture”. The fair which is an annual public event was officially opened by Mr. Semere Russom, Minister of Education.

The main objective of the book fair was to promote more and more reading habit among the society. Throughout the week visitors have expressed their appreciation of the book fare. Even some requested to have access of WHO materials.

Sierra Leone launched the first round of polio National Immunization Days (NIDs) Campaign 2012 in Waterloo on 23 March 2012. Hon Borbor Sawyer, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation launched the campaign, which will run from 23-26 March 2012. Delivering his state-ment, the Hon Deputy Minister said, “the community must ensure that the campaign is successfully delivered to ensure our children are pro-tected from the discomforting challenges of permanent disability”. He further reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment “to remain a strong party to the global polio eradication effort”.

Tens of thousands of cases prevented, but more needs to be done to secure lasting success

Brazzaville/Dakar, 25 March 2011 -- Health experts today confirmed that a devastating polio epidemic in west African countries is on the verge of being stopped - but warned that complacency could breathe new life into the outbreak. Since mid-2009, polio has re-infected eleven countries across west Africa, claiming many lives and leaving hundreds of children paralyzed for life.

World STOP TB Day commemoration

Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating World TB Day which is entering the second year of a two-year campaign, whose theme is “On the move against tuberculosis.” The national launch took place on 24 March at Wimbe Primary School ground in Kasungu district located some 130 km north-east of the capital, Lilongwe.

The World Health Organization joined the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the commemoration launch and the guest of honor at the ceremony was the Minister of Health, Honorable Professor David Mphande, MP.

Ghana, 24 march 2011 -- Every year, March 24, the birthday of Dr Robert Koch who discovered the germ that causes Tuberculosis, is celebrated as World TB Day. This year in Ghana was no exception with all roads leading to the Jubilee Park, Sunyani the capital of the Brong Ahafo Region for the national launch of the World TB Day (WTB) 2011. The theme was "On the move against TB; Transforming the fight towards elimination".

24th March 2011 -- At the 2011 World TB Day celebration event, The World Health Organization in Nigeria donated Digital X-ray machines procured with support of the Global Fund (GFATM), Lab equipments and reagents procured with support of USAID to the Federal Ministry of Health.

The donated items worth over $520,000 include:

Brazzaville, 24 March 2011 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has called for innovative actions to prevent and control tuberculosis (TB) which continues to be a public health problem to people in the African Region.

Entebbe, 22 March 2011 -- A group of patients, family members and advocates from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, joined health-care workers and policy-makers, in a workshop in Entebbe last week. Participants urged Member Sates and health-care providers to make patient safety a priority in Africa. This unique gathering organized by the WHO African Regional office gave participants the opportunity to share their experiences of harm in healthcare and passion for change to work together to improve health-care safety in their countries.

Eritrea has been officially certified free of Dracunculiasis transmission.

This was officiated with a Letter of Certification from the WHO Director General, Dr Margaret Chan, which was delivered by Dr Idrissa Sow, WHO Representative in Eritrea, to Ms Amina Nurhusien, the Minister of Health in December 2011.

Eritrea is among the nine countries certified by the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (ICCDE) in 2011. In the African region, three countries namely Burkina Faso, Eritrea and Togo were certified dracunculiasis free.