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Mauritius launched the first National Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) Strat...

Port Louis.  The National Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) Strategic and Action Plan 2022-2026 and a ‘Carnet de Santé’ (health card) for the elderly was launched on 23 March 2023 at the Côte d'Or National Sports Complex by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Honorable Pravin Kumar Jugnauth in the presence of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Hon. Kailesh Kumar Jagutpal; the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Hon. Mrs. Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, the WHO Representative, Dr Anne Ancia  and other eminent personalities. Mauritius health and socio-economic progress of the past decades had a significant, positive impact on life expectancy. Indeed, Mauritius is among the five African countries with the highest life expectancy at birth (73.4 years). Prolonged life expectancy coupled with low fertility rate results in demographic changes and a progressively aging society. The share of the population aged 60 years or above in the total population was 9% in year 2000,  18,7% in year 2021 and is projected to increase to 36.5% in 2061.  There is therefore a need to respond to the specific health and social needs of Mauritius growing ageing population.    The integrated care for older people (ICOPE) strategic and action plan 2022-2026 aims at improving health and wellness of older people through prevention, protection and reduction of care dependency and promotion of dignity of life, through community engagement, capacity-building of the workforce and legislative and regulatory improvements. The ICOPE strategy promotes a person-centered integrated and long-term care to address the specific needs of older people where health and social care are facilitated by continuous, multidisciplinary collaboration and coordination among various care providers.

Uganda Casts the Spotlight on Diabetes; Adopts Global Diabetes Targets

Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MOH), with support from World Health Organization (WHO), has convened a meeting to raise awareness and commitment on implementing sustainable priority interventions to prevent and control diabetes. The spotlight meeting was under the theme, Multi-Stakeholder Action for Achieving Global Targets for Diabetes.

Osun State not taking its foot off the pedal in the fight against Tuberculosis

Osun, 31 March, 2023 - “I was coughing out blood persistently for weeks, had fever, weakness, night sweats, severe chest pain. I had bought drugs from a patent medicine store, but it was not working. 

I was later diagnosed with TB at the National Youth Service orientation camp when I fell ill,” says 23 years old Adewale Adebukola, residing in Osun state. 

Adebukola has since been placed on treatment and is getting better. 

WHO, Japan collaborate to address malnutrition in Namibia

The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and the Japanese Ambassador to Namibia visited the Ohangwena region on 30 March 2023 for a field trip to observe the progress made in addressing malnutrition. The delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Esther Muinjangue. 

The Japanese government through the office of the Ambassador injected approximately N$ 2,6 million into the Ministry of Health and Social Services to address malnutrition while the WHO provided the technical support to successfully implement the project.

The fight to resist multidrug-resistant TB in Ghana

In Ghana, the National TB Control Programme (NTP) has been instrumental in providing guidelines, treatment and support to clients affected by the disease. Since 2016 there have been great advances in the detection of Drug-resistant and Drug Sensitive TB cases, with GeneXpert is now the main diagnostic tool in investigating TB.