News Releases

African health leaders urged development partners to better coordinate their efforts when supporting countries in strengthening their health systems towards achieving universal health coverage and health security. The call came during a side event, organized today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other Harmonization for Health in Africa partners, during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development taking place in Yokohama this week.

22 August,  Brazzaville - Populations across the 47 Member States of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) African Region only utilize an average 48% of their available health services. But only an average 34% of those same populations even has access to essential services. And health systems in those countries only perform, on average, at 49% of their possible level of functionality.

The WHO universal health coverage agenda seeks to diminish these gaps by strengthening district and local health systems in their delivery of services to all people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union Commission (AUC) through its Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) deepened their ties today by endorsing an ambitious action plan that aims to tackle health security challenges facing the continent. The two organizations signed an agreement outlining clear mechanisms for collaboration that will maximize existing synergies.

With countries in Africa experiencing increased cases and deaths due to malaria and other vector-borne diseases, 47 health ministers endorsed the region’s first aggressive plan for vector control across the continent that recognizes the need for an all-fronts push on eliminating the disease transmitters.  

The 69th session of WHO African Regional Committee adopts a strategic plan to reduce the double burden of malnutrition, particularly prevalent in countries undergoing “nutrition transformation” in which undernutrition and overweight or obesity coexist.

Africa marks three years without a case of wild poliovirus, crossing a landmark that sets in motion a comprehensive evaluation to determine if the entire WHO African Region of 47 countries indeed can be declared to have eradicated wild poliovirus.

With an acute public health event reported every four days on the continent, it is more important than ever before for African countries to be able to respond to health emergencies. African health ministers today adopted a 10-year regional strategy that aims to strengthen integrated disease surveillance and response and mitigate the devastating impact of outbreaks, such as Ebola.

The 47 Member States of the WHO African Region nominate Dr Matshidiso Moeti to serve a second five-year term as Regional Director for Africa.

The annual ministerial gathering shapes Africa's health agenda. During the five-day meeting ministers agreed to important decisions on improving disease surveillance and response, reducing malnutrition, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, controlling vector-borne diseases and strengthening district health systems.

The three winners of the first World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Innovation Challenge were honoured during an evening awards ceremony as part of the WHO Regional Committee meeting of health ministers taking place this week in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.