6 November 2008 -- WHO welcomes the consensus decision of the United Nations General Assembly to ban smoking and tobacco sales at UN headquarters in New York.

Goma/Geneva, 4 November 2008 -- Increasing quantities of medical supplies are being provided by foreign governments to save lives in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, but WHO is calling for more support to meet urgent health needs.

Gambia, 28 October 2008 -- The WHO Country Office this afternoon donated two blood bank fridges to the health sector. The items, worth about US$8000.00, were presented to the Chief Medical Director of the Royal Victoria Teaching (RVTH) by the WHO Country Representative, Dr Thomas Sukwa.

Addis Ababa, Ehtiopia

27 October 2008

The Head Health Services Provisional Department,
The Secretary General of the Ethiopian Red Cross,
The Country Director CDC, Ethiopia,
Dear Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

27 October 2008 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - A five days regional training workshop on blood donor recruitment with a focus on pre and post donation counseling, organized jointly by Blood Safety Unit of WHO/AFRO and WHO

Twenty six participants involved in blood donor recruitment and counseling from 17 English speaking countries from West and South Eastern African Countries are attending the workshop.

16 October 2008 | Addis Ababa - In the context of ongoing response to a polio outbreak in Gambella region, the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with its partners is planning to conduct a polio vaccination campaign targeting about 2.1 million children under age 5 in the zones of Gambella and Benishangul/Gumuz Regions, 6 zones of Oromia Region and 4 zones of Southern Nation Nationalities People Region (SNNPR). The dates of these campaigns are October 17-20, and November 14-17, 2008.

16 October 2008 | Addis Ababa - In the context of ongoing response to a polio outbreak in Gambella region, the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with its partners is planning to conduct a polio vaccination campaign targeting about 2.1 million children under age 5 in the zones of Gambella and Benishangul/Gumuz Regions, 6 zones of Oromia Region and 4 zones of Southern Nation Nationalities People Region (SNNPR). The dates of these campaigns are October 17-20, and November 14-17, 2008.

14 October 2008 | Almaty, Kazakhstan -- The World Health Report 2008, launched today, critically assesses the way that health care is organized, financed, and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. The WHO report documents a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, dangerously out of balance.

Brazzaville, 13 October 2008 -- The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis G. Sambo, has said in Luanda that the human resource crisis in the health sector is a gigantic challenge. He therefore urged policy makers and all stakeholders to devote special attention to addressing the problem.

Luanda, 11 October 2008 -- The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, received an award in Luanda on Friday from the Angolan Medical Association for his work for the health and the well-being of the people of the African Continent.