Reversing suicide, mental health crisis in Africa

Reversing suicide, mental health crisis in Africa
World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a campaign to raise awareness and spur action for suicide prevention in the African region, which has the world’s highest rates of death by suicide.

Sierra Leone targets cervical cancer mortality by vaccinating girls

Sierra Leone HPV Vaccine launch
Freetown – An age-old social belief that “what goes on under the cloth should remain under the cloth” is killing women in Sierra Leone. “People are dying in silence,” says Dr Desmond Maada Kangbai, the head of the country’s immunization services. He explains that most women affected by cervical cancer are not willing to talk about their condition or even present themselves for screening and thus possibly get a diagnosis early enough to change the course of the disease and their life.

World Health Organization and Ministry of Health calls for support to contain cholera outbreak before rainy season.

Media briefing

Malawi is battling a protracted cholera outbreak that begun in March 2022 in districts affected by Tropical storm Anna and Cyclone Gombe in the Southern region of the Country. The current outbreak is unprecedented, spreading to districts in central and northern regions that have not experienced cholera in over a decade. From March up to Mid-August the country had 1000 cholera cases with 10 districts affected.

WHO embraces older persons in Tanzania

Dr. Yoti handing over assistive products to the Guest of Honor

Zanzibar & Mainland: Each year, we commemorate the “International Day of Older Persons” on 1 October to raise public awareness about the opportunities and challenges presented to the ageing populations and to mobilize the families, community groups and stakeholders to address the difficulties faced by older people.

Forging stakeholder collaboration for improved healthcare for persons living with epilepsy and other neurological disorders

Participants at the EPinA meeting

Neurological disorders are a significant contributor to the global mortality and morbidity. They are responsible for close to 9 million deaths per year. Whilst it is estimated that globally, about 50 million people suffer from epilepsy alone.  Out of this number, 80% live in low- and middle-income countries where only 1 out of 4 has access to treatment.

In Ghana, it is estimated that 1% of the population live with epilepsy, representing 270,000 people, with a treatment gap of 85%.

Countering myths and misconceptions about cholera in Katavi

WHO staff interacting with a community member during the supportive supervision mission

Tanganyika District, Katavi Region - Cholera epidemic is a recurrent disease in developing countries with poor environmental sanitation and inadequate supply of potable water. Wrong perception and myths surrounding the real causes of cholera disease can hinder acceptance and accessibility to launch effective operational response to affected communities during an outbreak.