When schools closed in Chikwawa and many parts of the country, many children left their homes to attend traditional initiation camps, known locally as ku Simba. While these cultural gatherings are an important part of community life, they also presented a challenge for health workers determined to ensure every eligible child received the polio vaccine. 

For Yohane Botha, an initiation leader from Ntsapa in Group Village Bendana, the solution was clear.

“These children deserve to be protected from polio. They should not be left behind because of tradition,” he says. 

Dar es salaam – Tanzania is strengthening its ability to detect and track disease-causing outbreaks, including those that no longer respond well to medicines, by expanding access to advanced laboratory technology and building national expertise to analyze genetic information data in the country.

For a long time, Agness Chinkudzu carried a fear that many parents can relate to: the fear of seeing her child fall ill. Living in Kuyenderana Village in Chikwawa, she had watched her child become sick after previous vaccinations and was convinced that vaccination was the cause. The experience left her deeply worried and determined that her child would never receive another vaccine. 

Swakopmund, Namibia – Namibia is strengthening surveillance of health care-associated infections to generate reliable evidence, guide infection prevention and control measures, and improve the safety and quality of health services.

As part of this effort, the Ministry of Health and Social Services, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany, is preparing to conduct a point prevalence survey in five public hospitals.

Three-day retreat provides space for reflection, learning and collective action as staff align around priorities for the work ahead

The WHO Ghana Country Office stepped away from the pace of its day-to-day work to reflect on progress, examine challenges and look ahead at how the Office can work more effectively together to deliver greater impact for health in Ghana.

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