In Namibia, nearly 35% of women are subjected to intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence.   The majority do not disclose the abuse but may seek health care because of the abuse.  This makes the health sector a critical player in the prevention and response to violence against women.

To enhance Sierra Leone's polio surveillance capacity, a team of Environmental Surveillance (ES) experts from WHO Regional Office for Africa visited the country to support the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Agency (NPHA). The mission focused on improving the performance of Environmental Surveillance (ES) sites in Freetown, considering expansions to other towns, and building the capacity of local sample collectors and supervisors.

Environmental Surveillance (ES) was introduced in August 2022 to complement case-based AFP surveillance. The first established site for ES was Gaborone, Glen Valley Wastewater Treatment Site. Through this surveillance, the circulating Vaccine Derived Poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was detected on October 4, 2022. Following the country risk assessment, a recommendation was made to conduct a nationwide vaccination campaign using the novel polio type 2 polio vaccine (nOPV2) for all children under the age of 7.

Brazzaville — In an unprecedented show of unity in support of the World Health Organization, 14 African countries and many partners pledged over US$ 45 million to the WHO Investment Round, a three-month-old initiative aimed at generating sustainable financing for the organization at the centre of the global health architecture.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative (WR), Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, has reiterated the organisation's commitment to supporting the Lagos State Government in its quest to improve health indices and the quality of care for the state's population.

Dr Mulombo made the statement during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. 

Maiduguri, 26 August, 2024 - A’ishatu Tafida, a 23-year-old mother of two children in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, has been sticking to her resolve to exclusively breastfeed her children for the first six months after birth.

“In the beginning, I faced a lot of challenges,” Aisha recalled. “There were days when I felt exhausted and doubted my ability to continue. But I found support from my husband and mother-in-law who is a nurse and encouraged me to be committed,”