Praia, Cabo Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO) actively participated in the 2nd Summit on Health Care Integration in the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), held from 13 to 15 May 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a meeting that brought together policymakers, experts and partners to promote the integration of healthcare in CPLP countries. 

Botswana is reinforcing its commitment to protecting public health through stronger multisectoral collaboration on tobacco control. In May 2026, government institutions, civil society organizations and development partners came together to advance efforts aimed at reducing the health and social impacts of tobacco use and preventing interference from the tobacco industry.

Botswana launched a national initiative focused on improving the coverage and quality of cause-of-death reporting. The initiative forms part of Botswana’s broader efforts to strengthen health information systems and ensure that mortality statistics provide a sound basis for evidence-informed decision-making.

Brazzaville, Kampala, Lomé—The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with ministries of health, partner hospitals, and with support from Irish Aid, organized a series of regional training-of-trainers sessions to strengthen hospital care for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications.

Praia, Cabo Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO) participated virtually in the 9th International Congress on Ageing, held from 18 to 22 May, under the theme “Ageing without growing old”.

Geneva, Switzerland – During the Interministerial Meeting on Polio in the Horn of Africa and Yemen,

Kampala — Health ministers, emergency experts and partners from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan gathered in Kampala this week to strengthen cross-border coordination as efforts are scaled up to respond to the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have taken a decisive step in the fight against polio with the launch of a synchronized vaccination campaign on the Luvu border, as part of a coordinated response to a public health problem that continues to threaten thousands of children in the region.

More than 300 regulators, pharmacovigilance experts, health professionals and development partners gathered in Windhoek for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance Africa Chapter.

Hosted by the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council, the meeting took place from 18–20 May under the theme “Patient Safety First: Uniting Pharmacovigilance Efforts under the Africa Medicines Agency.”

Lusaka, Zambia – The World Health Organization (WHO) in Zambia with assistance from WHO headquarters, and the Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) is supporting preparations for a national survey that will assess health system performance, with a particular focus on the availability and affordability of essential medicines for neurological and mental health conditions.