The World Health Organisation Office in Sierra Leone on Wednesday 1st Sept 2010 organised a consultative meeting to obtain contributions of na-tional stakeholders on the Global Health Sector Strategy for HIV/AIDS 2011-2015. The national consultation is part of the global consultation process.

African Health and Environment Ministers will gather in Luanda, Angola on 23-26 November for the Second Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment. This landmark Conference aims to sustain the political commitment made by Ministers at the Libreville Conference in 2008, on enhanced inter-sectoral actions and co-benefits for human health and the environment, as part of their engagement towards sustainable development in the African region.

Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) 3 September 2010 -- The sixtieth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa ended on Friday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, after adopting five resolutions aimed at improving the health situation in the African Region.

Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), 2 September 2010 — The use of counterfeit medical products is a global public health problem. Illegitimate distribution and rampant use of substandard, spurious, falsely labelled, falsified and/or counterfeit medical products lead to loss of confidence in health systems, health professionals, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.

Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) 1 September 2010 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has proposed measures for tackling epidemics which are recurrent in Africa, posing continuing and serious health threats to people in the Region.

The Regional Director’s proposals revolve around three key actions that countries should take in checking the phenomenon: early detection, confirmation and characterization of epidemic and pandemic threats; actual prevention of epidemics; and improved epidemic preparedness and response capacity.

Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) 1 September 2010 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has proposed the establishment of a US$100 million African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF) to be financed from agreed appropriations and voluntary contributions from Member States.

Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) 1 September 2010 -- “There is a real danger that funding for health development in the African Region might be adversely affected by the ongoing global financial crisis and thereby compromise any ongoing national and international efforts in many countries to realize the Millennium Development Goals”.

This assessment is contained in a report by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, to the 60th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa taking place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Malabo, 31 August 2010 -- The World Health Organization has proposed a strategy to prevent or at least reduce the harmful use of alcohol and related problems in the African Region.

Malabo 31 August 2010 -- The sixtieth session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa World Health Organization opened in Malabo on Monday with a call by President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea to Member States to prioritize maternal health because “ women are the back bone of the family in Africa.”

The Sierra Leone Traditional Healers Association with support from WHO and Concern Worldwide has commemorated the 10th African Traditional Medicine Day on the theme “A decade of Traditional Medicine: Progress so far” in Makeni, on 31st August 2010. The occasion was attended by traditional healers and medical practioners and partners.

Dr Alhaji B.M.S Turay, chairman of traditional Healers Association, gave the keynote address on the theme “Traditional African Medicine in Sierra Leone-The useful neglected partner”.