WHO’s support to the response of the acute watery diarrhoea outbreak in Ethiopia’s Somali Region

WHO surge team holds daily morning meetings
The Government of Ethiopia, through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners is responding to an outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) in Amahara, Oromia, SNNP and Somali regions. To support the government’s response implementation, WHO has deployed surge teams of experts in surveillance, case management, WASH, nutrition, risk communication, administration and logistics to the affected regions to support implementation of response activities. Logistical supplies including vehicles, medicines, case management protocols, laboratory reagents, treatment kits and other materials have also been provided. Below is a kaleidoscopic view of activities in Somali region.

Extending health coverage in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Extending health coverage in the Democratic Republic of Congo

13 July 2017 – In the Tanganyika province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, going to a health centre often means traveling long distances over poor roads, while carrying a sick child and supplies. WHO’s Rapid Access Expansion Programme (RAcE) is bringing diagnosis and treatment for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea – the three deadliest childhood diseases – into remote communities.

Gambia launches National Tobacco Control Act 2016 whilst WHO honours national tobacco control champions for 2017

Prof. JM Dangou presenting award to Hon. Minister for Finance & Economic Affairs

20 July 2017, Banjul |  Today marks two important milestones in tobacco control in the Gambia – the official launch by the Honorable of Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Hon. Saffie Lowe-Ceesay, of the National Tobacco Control Act 2016 and presentation by the WHO Country Representative a.i., Prof. Jean-Marie Dangou, of the World No-Tobacco Day Award 2017 to the respective winners –The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and the National Assembly.

WHO report finds dramatic increase in life-saving tobacco control policies in last decade

Dramatic increase in tobacco control policies

19 July 2017 – In a new report published today, WHO finds that about 4.7 billion people, or 63% of the world’s population, are covered by at least one comprehensive tobacco control measure. Strategies such as graphic pack warnings, advertising bans, and no smoking areas have saved millions of people from early death – yet the tobacco industry continues to hamper government interventions.

WHO scales up cholera response with 500 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine for vaccination campaign in South Sudan

WHO receives 500 000 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine for a planned campaign in South Sudan. WHO South Sudan/L. Luwaga.

Juba, South Sudan, 19 July 2017: The World Health Organization (WHO) received 500 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) on 17 July 2017. WHO is working with the Republic of South Sudan’s Ministry of Health and partners to scale up cholera vaccination campaign from 28 July to 3 August 2017. 

Cumulatively, a total of 17 785 cholera cases including 320 (CFR 1.8%) deaths have been reported from 24 counties in South Sudan since the outbreak in June 2106.

Zambia hosts the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) review meetings on the status of implementation of immunisation and surveillance plans and the WHO performance accountability framework

Participants at the meeting with the WHO Representative, a.i., Dr. Custodia Mandlhate (centre ), Director Public Health at MOH, Dr. Kennedy Malama (right) and IST ESA IVD Cluster lead, Dr. Daniel Fussum (left)
The WHO Country Office in Zambia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health is hosting the immunisation and surveillance plans review and feedback meeting from 17-19 July 2017 and the review meeting on the status of implementation of the WHO performance accountability framework from 20-21 July. These meeting have been convened by the WHO Inter-country Support Team (IST) for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) following the development of surveillance and immunization improvement plans and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the WHO performance accountability framework by countries. During this meeting, the countries will also conduct mid-year review of their operational Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) and surveillance plans. The overall aim of the meetings is to identify lessons learned and challenges in order to address them in the remaining months of the year.

5 places where WHO needs more emergencies funding to help people now

A nutritionist does MUAC screening as part of the organisation’s contribution to mark the UN Day

To help people living in some of the world’s most dire emergency situations, WHO relies on funding from Member States. In 2017, WHO has asked for US$ 547 million to deliver health services to more than 66 million people in 28 countries. However, to date, WHO has received less than a quarter of the funds required. Without a significant increase in funding, the health of millions of people will be neglected and many will die needlessly.

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