Brazzaville, 16 April 2007 -- WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, spent her 100th day in office (13 April) visiting health facilities in Africa, and re-iterated her pledge to improve the health of the people of Africa.

Her first port of call was an integrated health centre at Madibou, in Brazzaville, Congo, where babies were being brought in for routine immunization. She assured their mothers and about 30 other women who had come for pre-natal consultation that WHO would continue to support efforts of the Congolese government to address their health concerns.

“I commend you for your efforts in catering for these women and children,” Dr Chan told Madam Françoise Bomdzoumou, Director of the Centre. “In the past, I myself have played exactly the same role you are playing: delivering babies and caring for children, mothers and pregnant women. I understand the challenges you are facing and you have our support one hundred per cent," said Dr Chan. The health centre serves a community of about 21,500 people and the biggest health issues facing the community are malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, skin infections and malnutrition.

Wearing a sterile gown, Dr Chan visited patients at the intensive care unit of the Brazzaville University Teaching Hospital, known by its French acronym CHU. “You are doing a great job here”, she told the hospital’s director, Mr. Ignace Ngakala, who showed her round three of CHU’s 29 wards, including one where premature babies are helped to survive. CHU counts 1,787 staff including 151 doctors, 258 nurses, 75 midwives and 673 administrative staff. By its nature the hospital attends to all cases including referrals and emergencies.

In downtown Brazzaville, Dr Chan visited the Makelekele hospital, one of the busiest and most attended in the city, according to hospital director Mr. Francois Serge-Bowka. He also informed Dr Chan that 80% of patients admitted to the infectious diseases ward were either HIV-positive or co-infected with HIV. The hospital serves about 200.000 people. The hospital mostly attends to cases of malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. It has 14 wards, 688 staff including 34 doctors.

During her two-day visit, Dr Chan visited and addressed staff of the WHO Regional and country offices. She also met with the Congolese leader President Denis Sassou Nguesso, the Prime Minister, Isidore Mvouba, and the acting health minister, Mr Marcel Mbani.

For more information contact:

Samuel T. Ajibola

Tel: + 47 241 39378 ; Mobile: 6537022

Email : ajibolas [at] afro.who.int (ajibolas[at]afro[dot]who[dot]int)