Freetown, Sierra Leone – March 2025 – The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Health’s Directorate of Policy, Planning, and Information, successfully conducted two critical assessments to evaluate and strengthen the country’s Health Information System (HIS). Held from 26 to 28 March 2025 at the Lumley Atlantic Hotel Conference Room in Freetown, the assessments were supported technically by the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office and financially by the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO-AFRO).

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.

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO and partners, hosted a dissemination meeting for the Measles Rubella Post Campaign Coverage Survey (PCCS) at the Mulungushi Conference Center. This event brought together key immunization stakeholders to review and discuss the findings of the recent survey conducted following the nationwide measles and rubella vaccination campaign held in September 2024.

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.

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.

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.

Kanifing, The Gambia – As the world marks World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025, Dr Nathan Bakyaita, WHO Representative to The Gambia, has issued a call for stronger collaboration, increased investment, and bold action to eliminate TB.

This year’s theme, "YES! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver," emphasizes the need for sustained commitment to tackle the disease. Dr. Bakyaita stressed the importance of leveraging global momentum and building on The Gambia’s existing TB control initiatives.

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.