Liberia faces a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD), yet access to care for severe chronic conditions remains critically limited, especially in rural areas. In 2022, only 48% of health facilities offered NCD services. Existing policies and guidelines do not adequately address these gaps, leaving vulnerable populations without essential, lifesaving care. According to the validated NCD Policy, the burden of NCD in Liberia has significantly risen over the past decade, making up 38% of the disease burden, 60% of hospitalizations, and 43% of deaths in 2016.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing health challenges of our time. It threatens the effectiveness of treatments, increases healthcare costs, and endangers millions of lives.

We spoke with Dr Aurélie Mambu Nsimba, pharmacist and Head of the Regulatory Quality Assurance Office at the Congolese Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority, to understand the issues and solutions.

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — November 25, 2025 - Ethiopia has launched the national introduction of the Hepatitis B Birth Dose (HepB BD) vaccine, marking a major step in strengthening newborn immunization and combating the transmission of Hepatitis B virus. This initiative is being implemented with the technical and financial support of the World Health Organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and other immunization partners.

Angola has begun the process of preparing its National Health Accounts (NHA) for the period 2020 to 2023, a strategic step towards strengthening efficiency and equity in health sector financing. The Ministry of Health (MINSA) leads this process, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and funding from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the INTEGRA initiative. 

Ghana has taken a major step forward on its journey toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with the launch of its National Quality of Care (QoC) Report, a landmark document that provides a comprehensive picture of the quality of health services across the country. Developed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and funding from the United Kingdom, the report offers critical evidence to guide policy decisions, strengthen frontline care, and improve health outcomes for all Ghanaians.

Pretoria—African countries have reached consensus on the priority actions, commitments and milestones that will shape the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035 in a major step towards transforming how the continent plans, trains and retains its health workforce. 

Ghana is making significant progress toward strengthening its school health system through the ongoing revision of its national School Health Policy. Supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and funded by Fondation Botnar, this initiative seeks to alignthe draft policy with the WHO-UNESCO Global Standards for Health-Promoting Schools (HPS). These standards provide a comprehensive framework for creating safe, inclusive, and supportive school environments that foster both physical and mental well-being, while enhancing academic achievement.

The media holds immense power to shape public opinion and influence how people understand health issues. More than just storytellers, journalists play a crucial role in driving accountability and shaping national health priorities. When done right, their work transforms numbers and reports into meaningful public conversations that can improve health outcomes for all.

Pretoria—The World Health Organization (WHO) in the African region, Member States and partners have agreed on a roadmap to protect communities during public health emergencies, becoming the first region to formally establish systems that hold both governments and WHO jointly accountable for preventing and addressing sexual misconduct in their shared operations.