Yellow fever is a viral disease, found in tropical regions of Africa and the Americas. The "yellow" in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients. It principally affects humans and monkeys, and is transmitted via the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. It can produce devastating outbreaks, which can be prevented and controlled by mass vaccination campaigns.

Large scale outbreaks occur every 3 to 10 years in villages or cities in the absence of large scale immunization. Sporadic cases can occur regularly in endemic areas.

Gender inequity, poverty among women, weak economic capacity, sexual and gender-based violence including female genital mutilation (FGM) are major impediments to the amelioration of women's health in the African Region. To ensure that women and men have equal access to the necessary opportunities to achieve their full health potential and health equity, the health sector and the community need to recognize that women and men differ in terms of both sex and gender.