Nairobi, 1 December 2003 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim M. Samba, has expressed optimism that the "3 by 5" strategy launched on Monday to provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) to three million people living with AIDS by 2005 will be a huge success.

Abuja, 22 November 2003 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Ebrahim Samba has reiterated his personal commitment and that of WHO to the eradication of polio from Africa in 2005. Dr. Samba who said he made the promise to eradicate polio from the Region in 1995, added that it was his belief, that with commitment and hard work on the part of all those involved in the campaign, the global eradication date would be met. Dr.

Dakar, 25 October -- The second meeting of the WHO African Reproductive Health Task Force ended Friday in Dakar, Senegal, with the adoption of recommendations aimed at scaling up interventions designed to improve reproductive health indicators in the African Region.

The five-day meeting recommended that the WHO Regional Office for Africa should, among others:

Dakar, 24 October -- African countries should re-position family planning as a priority health intervention because of its potential for helping to drastically reduce maternal infant and child deaths.

Dakar, 24 October -- Participants in the 2nd African Regional Reproductive Health Task Force meeting which ended Friday in Dakar, Senegal, unanimously condemned female genital mutilation (FGM) and agreed that health workers implicated in the practice should be sanctioned by their professional associations.

Dakar, 23 October -- Reproductive health indicators in Africa can be greatly improved through the adoption of a comprehensive "public health" approach, high political commitment, availability of basic infrastructure (including roads, communication network), the provision of free education and healthcare services, and the steady availability of health workers.

Dakar, 22 October -- Adolescence is a crucial phase in human development and adequate coverage of the health needs of people in this age group in Africa is crucial for their health, and ultimately for the health and future of African societies, the second WHO Africa Regional Reproductive Health Task Force heard Tuesday in Dakar, Senegal.

Dakar, 20 October -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries in the African region to adopt and scale up demonstrated good practices that have improved reproductive health indicators elsewhere with a view to improving maternal health and reducing child mortality.

Dakar, 20 October -- The majority of communities in four selected African countries still prefer to have babies delivered at home rather than in health facilities, according to the findings of a study conducted in four countries by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Brazzaville, 15 October 2003 -- The second meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Regional Reproductive Health Task Force is to take place from 20 to 24 October in Dakar, Senegal. 
Established by WHO in 2002, the 20-member multidisciplinary, broad-based group of experts is charged with strengthening coordination mechanisms among key actors and partners in the area of reproductive health in the African region. It also works to enhance the overall effectiveness of reproductive health activities at the regional and national levels.