Know your hepatitis status – increasing access to testing for a hidden infection.

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A staggering 95% of people infected with hepatitis B or C around the world do not know they are infected. One reason for this is that people can live without symptoms for many years. When they find out they have hepatitis, it is often too late for treatment to be fully effective. As a result, liver damage becomes cirrhosis or liver cancer.

To help countries build up national hepatitis testing and treatment programmes and to encourage more people globally to get tested, WHO will shortly release new testing guidelines for hepatitis B and C.

Africa Faces New Malaria Threat

Brazzaville -- Resistance to available anti-malarial drugs has become a growing threat to efforts to control the malaria in Africa, the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa warned in Brazzaville on Wednesday.

In a statement to mark the continent's second Africa Malaria Day on Thursday, whose theme is Mobilizing Communities to Roll Back Malaria, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Samba, said a result of this development had been an increase of malaria cases and deaths on the African continent.

Huge bed net campaign kicks off in Sierra Leone

Huge bed net campaign kicks off in Sierra Leone

oday Sierra Leone kicked off bed net distributions to help protect its population against malaria, which remains one of the country’s most deadly diseases. In total, 4.3 million insecticide treated bed nets will be distributed through the landmark nationwide campaign.

Environment and health: WHO proposes a strategy for the African region

Harare -- The WHO Regional Office for Africa has developed a strategy which, if implemented by countries, would by 2020 result in the creation of an enabling environment that promotes health and contributes to sustainable development in the Region.

The overall goal of the strategy is to influence environmental conditions and make them impact on the broad determinants of health in order to promote positive outcomes for people and communities, particularly rural and urban fringe communities.

Ebola virus disease

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Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. It is one of the world’s most virulent diseases. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.

Call for Nominations: Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG)

The WHO Regional Office for Africa is soliciting proposals for nominations for current vacancies on its Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG).  Nominations are required to be submitted no later than 02 May 2016. Nominations will be carefully reviewed by the RITAG membership selection panel which will propose the selection of nominees for appointment to the WHO Regional Director for Africa.