News Releases

Brazzaville – Experts, policymakers and global health partners have called for stronger, coordinated action to prevent backsliding on progress made against vaccine-preventable diseases in the African Region, where millions of children are still at risk.

Dakar - On July 1, 2025, Senegal officially launched the introduction of the hexavalent vaccine into its Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). Following in Mauritania's footsteps, Senegal is part of this regional dynamic of vaccine innovation. This vaccine is a combination that protects against six diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), and poliomyelitis. It replaces the pentavalent and inactivated polio vaccines (IPV), previously administered separately.

Conakry - Following a fire accident at a vaccine depot in Guinea’s capital Conakry, World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the authorities to devise urgent measures, including securing remaining vaccine stocks, to limit loss and prolonged impact of the damage. 

A crisis cell has been set up and contingency plans are being reinforced. 

Freetown, Sierra Leone – Christiana Kamara, 43, is one of four women who recently underwent life-saving surgery for early-stage invasive cervical cancer in Sierra Leone. A mother of four, her story reflects the personal and health system challenges many women in the country face, but also, the increasing availability of effective care close to home.

“It started with some sharp pain, especially during sex,” Christiana says. “Then I noticed weight loss and a reduction in my body size. That’s when I became really concerned.”

Abuja – World Health Organization (WHO) in the African Region and TY Danjuma Foundation have signed a landmark US$ 2.26 million agreement to strengthen Nigeria’s national health priorities over the next decade. The partnership, formalized today in Abuja, Nigeria, marks a significant step in leveraging African philanthropy to address the country’s health challenges.

Antananarivo - Madagascar has successfully halted the transmission of variant poliovirus type 1, following recommendations from a rigorous, independent Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA) to declare the outbreak closed. This achievement marks a major milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts towards polio eradication.