Featured news

In Ethiopia, thousands of pilgrims flock to holy water sites for spiritual cleansing and physical healing. People often drink the holy water and perform ceremonial cleansing for their bodies or those of their loved ones. But there is a risk that these sites can be contaminated with bacteria that cause acute watery diarrhea (AWD) or other waterborne diseases as open defecation is a common practice in open fields close to holy water sites. To protect the pilgrims, WHO is working with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ministry of Health, UNICEF, OCHA and other partners to ensure that water safety and latrine access is improved around holy water sites.

The first Cross River Summit anchored on Human Resource for Health (HRH) on Primary Health Care (PHC) revitalization with the theme ‘Translating Health Policies and Plans into Action” was conducted in Calabar, the state capital on 7-8 August, 2017.

The Seychelles is well on track with the preparation to introduce two new vaccines into its routine immunisation programme. This was confirmed by the two WHO Consultants who were in the country between the 24th July and 4th August 2017 to assess the country’s readiness to introduce the Rotavirus vaccine and the Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV). WHO Consultants Dr. Mumba Mutale and Dr. Amos Petu presented their findings of their assessment at a debriefing session with the Minister of Health Jean-Paul Adam, other high level officials of the Ministry of Health and the WHO Liaison Officer for Seychelles Dr. Bhupinder Aulakh.

L’atelier d’évaluation externe conjointe de la mise en œuvre du Règlement sanitaire international 2005 (RSI 2005) organisé par le Ministère de la santé publique en collaboration avec l’OMS a démarré ses travaux ce lundi à N’Djaména.

On 28 July 2017, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Medical Research Council (MRC) and other partners commemorated World Hepatitis Day under the theme: “Eliminate Hepatitis". To mark this important event a press briefing was organized for both the print and electronic media to raise awareness on this important but growing public health problem in the Gambia.

The WHO Country Office yesterday made a donation of vehicles, boats and computers valued at six million Zambia Kwacha to the Ministry of health as part of its continued support for strengthening national capacities to detect, report and respond to public health emergencies. The acting WHO Representative, Dr. Custodia Mandlhate handed over to the Health Minister, Honourable Chitalu Chilufya thirteen (13) 4x4 Land cruisers (hard top), 2 Land cruiser Prado, two banana boats and 15 Dell Laptops which will be utilized in the health emergencies program in the country’s ten (10) provinces and ports of entry. This donation has been made possible through the WHO Emergency Preparedness, Integrated Disease Surveillance and Outbreak response project which is funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) for the period September 2016 to August 2021. Dr. Mandlhate also handed over to the minister a total of 5 Land cruisers (hard top), 10 Dell desk top computers, 10 Samsung Galaxy tablets and I scanjet through the WHO Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework. The Influenza programme is operating in 9 sentinel sites in Lusaka, Monze, Nakonde, Ndola and Samfya districts. The 5 vehicles donated will go to the Virology laboratory at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka and the influenza preparedness sentinel sites in Monze, Nakonde and Samfya.