The WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Luis Gomes Sambo has called for urgent action to address the recurrent epidemics in West African countries. He made this call while addressing delegates at the official opening of the 12th Ordinary Meeting of the Assembly of ECOWAS Health Ministers which is taking place in Lome, Togo from 5 - 7 May 2011.

Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 set to save millions of lives

6 May 2011, Geneva -- On 11 May , dozens of countries around the world kick off the first global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. From New Zealand to Mexico and the Russian Federation to South Africa, governments are committing to take new steps to save lives on their roads. The Decade seeks to prevent road traffic deaths and injuries which experts project will take the lives of 1.9 million people annually by 2020.

Brazzaville, 4 May 2011 -- More than 75 million children, women and men from 22 countries in the WHO African Region were vaccinated in April against polio and many other vaccine-preventable diseases, in the first ever region-wide vaccination campaign of its type.

Windhoek, 3 May April 2011 -- The World Health Organization has received nearly USD 251,000 ( N$1.7m) from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to respond to the health impact of the country’s worst flooding in decades. The floods have affected more than 230,000 people and as many as 40 health clinics and 180 outreach health points were rendered inaccessible in the regions of Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, and Caprivi. Consequently, many flood-affected people particularly in isolated communities have limited to no access to health care.

Dar es Salaam, 2 May 2011 -- New recommendations calling for an unprecedented level of accountability to save the lives of more women and children in developing countries were agreed today by the United Nations Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health. These new approaches will help ensure that pledges are honoured and resources spent in the most effective way to save lives.

The ten recommendations include specific approaches to:

Addis Ababa, 30 April 2012 -- Ethiopia joined the rest of Africa to commemorate the second African Vaccination Week (AVW) on 30 April – 5 May 2012. Under the country theme, “Immunize your child; prevent polio and measles outbreaks”, the vaccination week aims to strengthen the immunization programme in the country by drawing attention to, and increasing awareness of the importance, the need and the right of all persons to be protected against vaccine preventable diseases.

Nearly 23 million people will be vaccinated against polio in the DR Congo

Kinshasa (April 28, 2011). By organizing the National Immunization Days (NIDs) which occurs at the same time with the African Immunization Week (VAS), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took another opportunity to eradicate polio throughout its territory, thanks to a synchronized campaign with its two neighboring countries: Angola and Congo.

Dr Bjorn-Inge Larsen, the World Health Organization Executive Board member, visited Malawi from 12 to 15 April 2011. Dr Larsen who is also the Chief Medical Officer of Norway visited the WHO Malawi country office (WCO) on the 12th April and shared the objectives of his visit with staff members.

Together with his entourage from the Norwegian Embassy, Dr Larsen had a briefing session on the support that the WCO provides to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Kinshasa, 28 April 2011 -- The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Mr. Adolphe Muzito, today in Kinshasa launched, the first African Vaccination Week and Polio National Immunization Days in DRC. Urging everyone to get immunized, he said, “Vaccination provides protection. The vaccines are available. We should go for vaccination without hesitation”.

World Malaria Day was commemorated in Sierra Leone on the global theme “Achieving Progress and Impact”. A national Slogan “Kick malaria. always sleep under insecticide treated net” was selected to raise awareness on malaria prevention and control. The purpose of celebrating malaria day is to recognize the global effort to provide effective control of malaria. Various speakers from the MOHS and partners delivered statements committing their respective organizations to join hands in the fight against malaria.