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To commemorate the WHO global initiative “Goals Week: Connect your PMDS to the triple billion goal, 4-8 February 2019”, the Country Office in South Africa conducted a strategic workshop “Goals Week: Aligning WHO South Africa’s work towards GPW-13 priorities” from 7-8 February in Pretoria. The workshop involved all staff to update them on the latest developments regarding GPW-13 and Programme Budget 2020-21 and catalyze strategic deliberations through group work in clusters on means for achievement of priority GPW13 outcomes at the country level and identify individual staff PMDS objectives for 2019 clearly linked to GPW-13 output(s). The WHO Representative Dr Akpaka Kalu provided strategic direction to the discussion through transparent and open dialogue. He made it clear that UHC would be central to WHO programmes in South Africa and encouraged staff to think beyond specific programmes and contribute to resource mobilization and leadership functions of WHO which are traditionally considered as functions of the WR’s office. Working as team, multiple staff can select a given GPW13 output but still have no duplication of functions. After group work presentation on PMDS objectives and their alignment to GPW13 outputs, the Programme Management Officer presented preliminary analysis of overall contribution of the office to the GPW13 outputs, as planned in the PMDS for 2019.

South Africa's National Department of Health representative from the Oral Health Directorate, Dr Dr. Mzimkhulu Mcuba, with Chief Dental Officers from ministries of health and NCD focal points from WHO country offices in 20 Member States completed a three day capacity building workshop to accelerate implementation of the Regional Oral Health Strategy 2016-2025 held in Brazzaville, Congo from 27 February – 1 March 2019. The workshop programme included sharing of country achievements, expert input and partner contributions covering a broad range of policy aspects, implementation challenges and opportunities, as well as global developments relevant to country implementation and monitoring, such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Over the course of the deliberations, participants and invited experts acknowledged the overall progress made in the oral health agenda. Concern over existing gaps in policy intentions and implementation were also raised.

Zoé and the WHO team of young risk communicators have been working as part of the response to the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu.

Following Cyclone Idai devastation, nearly 900,000 people will receive the vaccine from the Gavi-funded stockpile.

This photo is one that everyone is familiar with, in every community there is such a one. It was therefore because of this that WHO in collaboration with MOH held an advocacy meeting on ageing and health from 26 to 28 March 2019 at Orotta Conference Hall.