25 March 2015 -- While there have been slight improvements in the security situation in parts of the Central African Republic in recent months, the country is still in the grips of a major health crisis, following years of conflict and underdevelopment. Only 55% of health facilities in the country are functioning.

ADDIS ABABA - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) today thanked the government of Japan for its generous and timely donation of US$11.8 million to assist South Sudanese refugees and the host community in Gambella regional state in western Ethiopia.

The three UN agencies acknowledged the Japanese Ambassador in Ethiopia, His Excellency Mr. Kazuhiro Suzuki, for the crucial contribution to deliver life-saving assistance and services to refugees and the host community.

Abuja, 24 March 2015 - The Federal Government has renewed its commitment towards closing tuberculosis (TB) control gap in Nigeria including ensuring that all currently diagnosed drug-resistant TB patients are put on treatment.

The Minister of Health, Dr Khaliru Al-Hassan gave this commitment at this year’s World Tuberculosis Day (WTBD) ministerial  press briefing and public lecture commemoratory event in Abuja on 24 March, 2015; with the theme “Nigeria unites against tuberculosis” and working slogan “support, reach, treat and cure everyone”.

On 24 March, WHO Rwanda organized World Tuberculosis Day under the theme “Early detection and diagnosis for correct care of tuberculosis for all”. On this day, many activities were conducted at the central level and each district for the success of World TB day through advocacy, communication and social mobilization activities.

Abuja, 23 March 2015 - The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has inaugurated the National Laboratory Containment Committee (NLCC) for polio virus.  The inauguration of the committee on 20th March 2014 in Abuja by the Executive Director(ED), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Mohammed, is seen as a major milestone in the fight against the polio disease  in Nigeria. 

The eight-member committee is chaired by Dr Muhammad Dallatu, a virologist, working with the Usmanu Danfofiyo University, Sokoto.

Monrovia, 20 March 2015 - To curb reemergence of unsafe burial practices, the Mandingo Community, (one of the tribes in Liberia) through its leaders has held community consultation dialogue to seek consensus on accommodating community needs while reducing risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission. One solution sought was the training of select members of the community to conduct safe burials. The burial team would comprise of six community volunteers, a mix of women and men, and an Imam (a worship leader of the mosque).

Each year on 24 March, WHO joins the rest of the international community to commemorate World TB Day. This year’s theme “Gear Up to End TB” is a continuation of the call to reach the missing cases, most of who live in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities, including those in the African Region.

WHO on 20 February handed over 12 dispensary tents and two ambulances to the Ministry of Health in support of health services in Pibor, Jonglei State.

The hand over took place during the launch of the Ministry’s Strategy for Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) and is in line with WHO’s commitment to support and strengthen the Ministry of Health’s capacity in South Sudan.

As Liberia continues to count down to the 42 days mark to be declared Ebola-free, since the last confirmed EVD case tested twice negative on March 03,  2015, the Ministry of Health of Liberia in collaboration with WHO and other partners is focusing on ensuring that healthcare workers remain safe as they continue to provide care. Today, the Acting Minister of Health, Dr Bernice Dahn launched a training package designed to empower health workers to remain safe while providing quality care to patients in health care facilities (HCFs) and in Ebola Treatment Units (ETU).