Making Africa healthier
Making Africa Healthier
A future where every African can enjoy a life of better health and well-being is our goal. Good health is precious. When we are healthy, we can learn, work and build a better tomorrow.
The World Health Organization is driving the health agenda on the continent. Working with 47 Member States, WHO staff are united in creating a healthier, better future together.
Making a difference on the ground
Every year, more than 100 acute public health events are reported in the African region. With a major focus on watching out for early warning signs, and helping countries get prepared, WHO has set up systems to get help where it’s needed, when it’s needed. WHO supports countries to respond effectively by conducting surveillance, training first responders, deploying emergency medical kits and other key equipment as well as tracking epidemiological trends. The time to control an outbreak has dropped to an average of 45 days in 2019, compared to 131 in 2017.
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Tackling Africa’s double burden
Africa faces a double burden of infectious and chronic diseases. While infectious diseases still account for most deaths in the African region, deaths from chronic diseases are on the rise. WHO is supporting countries to adapt to the evolving health landscape by pushing for improved routine childhood vaccination and other actions aimed at curbing the spread of infectious diseases, while also promoting care for chronic conditions along with healthy eating, physical exercise and regular health checks.
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Building Back Better
Underpinning Africa’s capacity to cope with health emergencies, infectious diseases and chronic conditions is a strong health system, with the necessary health facilities and qualified professionals to deliver life-saving services. WHO supports countries to build strong health systems by producing guidelines on preventing and treating health conditions, championing universal health coverage and training health professionals. Tracking progress in health requires a strong monitoring system and data collected from across Africa is stored in WHO Africa’s Health Observatory.