Durban, South Africa - On the margins of the G20 Health Working Group meeting, health leaders from South Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Unitaid co-hosted a high-level side event focused on accelerating progress toward the elimination of cervical cancer—a preventable disease that continues to claim the lives of women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

In a landmark event, the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka has received a significant consignment of childhood cancer medicines under the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (GPACCM). This initiative, supported by St. Jude's Children’s Hospital, the World Health Organization, and partners, aims to bridge the gap in access to life-saving cancer treatments for children in low and middle-income countries.

Dr Clement Lasuba, WHO Representative in Zambia, highlighted the importance of this initiative. 

As Uganda commemorates World Tuberculosis Day, we pause to reflect on the immense burden that tuberculosis (TB) continues to place on individuals, families, and communities. Despite being a preventable and treatable disease, TB remains one of the leading infectious killers worldwide, claiming millions of lives each year.

Botswana has reinforced its efforts to eradicate polio as part of the global initiative outlined in the 2022-2029 Global Polio Eradication Strategy. At a recent National Certification Committee (NCC) meeting, experts reviewed Botswana’s progress in combating both wild poliovirus (WPV) and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). The country has made notable advancements in surveillance and vaccination, with Dr.

On World Tuberculosis Day, March 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) encourages Member States to step up their commitment and investments to accelerate progress in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) and safeguard public health.

In 2023, TB regained its dismal title as the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. The WHO African Region is particularly affected, with 2.5 million new cases and 404,000 deaths - equivalent to one life lost every 78 seconds.

On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, Zambia joined the global community in calling for urgent and collective action to end TB, the world’s deadliest infectious disease. This year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” resonated deeply with Zambia’s ongoing efforts and renewed commitment to eliminate TB as a public health threat.

For weeks, Mansah, a resident of a suburb of Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city, had been battling a persistent cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss. Fear gnawed at her- she suspected Tuberculosis (TB), a disease she knew could have serious consequences. Seeking a diagnosis and treatment at a public health facility would have meant spending nearly an entire day navigating long queues, a challenge given her demanding job.

WHO Representative Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo speaks at World TB and Leprosy Day commemoration in Lilongwe

March 2025 – Moyamba District - The Person-Centered Life Stages Approach is transforming Sierra Leone’s healthcare system by aligning services with the needs of individuals from preconception to old age. This approach, a cornerstone of the country’s vision for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promotes integrated, equitable, and responsive care. To bring this vision to life at the district level, the Ministry of Health launched the Spotlight on Districts Campaign, with Moyamba as its first focus.