Abuja – At the United Nations (UN) offices in Abuja, a small line of staff waited quietly. Some checked their phones. Others talked softly. One by one, they rolled up their sleeves to donate blood. They did not know who would receive it. What they knew was simple: someone, somewhere, would need it to live.

Asmara - Efforts to build a stronger, more resilient health system are taking shape across Eritrea, driven by a clear focus on integration and sustainability. During engagements from 12 to 15 June 2026, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, connected with national authorities, health workers and WHO staff, gaining firsthand insight into how investments in primary health care, diagnostics, local production, and community-based services are working together to improve health outcomes and strengthen self-reliance.

Abuja – Three weeks after a caesarean section in Abuja, 47-year-old Fiyin began bleeding heavily. She needed urgent surgery. But first, her family had to find blood.

“My relative had already donated during the first surgery,” she said. “We were calling people, searching everywhere. Some were willing but couldn’t donate. Others were unavailable.”

After hours of searching, compatible blood was found. The surgery went ahead. Fiyin survived.

Monrovia – As Liberia con

Somewhere in Ethiopia today, a mother survives childbirth because a stranger donated blood. A child battling severe anemia regains strength because someone took a few minutes to roll up a sleeve and donate. Another person, living with corneal blindness,, can see the faces of loved ones again because a grieving family honored the wish of a cornea donor.

 Akure, At a busy motor park in Akure, Ondo State, transport workers gather as a health promotion officer leads a sensitisation session on Lassa fever prevention. For many of them, daily interactions with commuters across rural and urban communities place them on the front lines of information sharing. Now equipped with practical knowledge and communication tools, they are helping to spread life-saving messages on how to prevent infection and seek care early within the communities.

Before the first field teams leave for affected communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Julienne Anoko a WHO risk communication and community engagement officer is awake, reading overnight updates: new alerts, suspected cases, community rumours, security concerns and signs of resistance.

Praia, Cabo Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO) in Cabo Verde took part in the conference organized by the Department of Health Sciences, Environment and Technologies at the University of Santiago, which took place from 16 to 18 June in Praia and Assomada.

For Dr Richard Banda, WHO Representative to Namibia, donating blood is a simple act with extraordinary meaning.

Each time he sits in a donation chair, he knows that the small bag of blood beside him could help save a mother during childbirth, support a child receiving cancer treatment, help an accident survivor, or give hope to someone living with a lifelong condition. Having donated blood more than 25 times, Dr Banda describes blood donation as one of the most powerful acts of solidarity a person can offer.