Kampala. Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) organized a stakeholders’ inception meeting in Kampala for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project on phasing out mercury-containing devices in Uganda’s healthcare settings. 

Harare - Zimbabwe has officially committed to the COP26 Health initiative and joined the WHO-led Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate Change (ATACH), becoming the 29^th country

Uganda has successfully hosted a pivotal five-day meeting aimed at transforming healthcare delivery by integrating HIV, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and mental health services. The event, held in Kampala from October 28 to November 1, 2024, was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and key international health partners. It brought together national program managers, WHO officials, and health experts from over 20 countries to discuss strategies for building a resilient, unified healthcare system that addresses multiple health needs. 

Dar es Salaam - The Africa Regional Certification Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (ARCC) has urged Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and the United Republic of Tanzania, along with health partners, to take swift action to close polio immunity gaps and address ongoing outbreaks.

In early October, Ambassador John Nkengasong, US Global AIDS Coordinator, led the Global Health Security and Diplomacy team to Botswana. They met with development partners, including WHO, and held discussions with government and health partners to:
•    Review PEPFAR’s successes, challenges, and sustainability efforts.
•    Assess development partners’ strategies to close HIV gaps and promote integration.

For several years, Botswana has made significant strides in its HIV treatment program, managing to control the spread of the virus effectively. However, with longevity of the program, introduces the potential for the virus to mutate and thus resistance to the current medications not work as effectively to suppress. , thus a growing concern over the rise of drug resistance now threatens this progress.

In a bold step towards accelerating the reduction of maternal and child mortalities, the Government of Liberia in partnership with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners, launched a comprehensive Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Policy (RMNCAH+N) seven-year policy and the Child Survival Strategy (CSS) and action plan.