Lagos, 10 March, 2021 - In Lagos, the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and World Health Organization Representative (WR) in Nigeria agreed to leverage on Polio resources to strengthen continuity of quality essential health services. The goal is to provide integrated people-centered health services across the state for Universal Health Coverage and health security.

Statement delivered by Dr Steven Velabo Shongwe, WHO Country Representative in Sierra Leone on the arrival of the first consignment of COVID-19 vaccine under the COVAX Facility
8 March 2021 – Lungi International Airport – Sierra Leone.

 Chairperson
Hon Minister of Health and Sanitation
Your Excellencies the Ambassadors
Donors and Health development partners
Senior government official
Members of the media
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Juba - A visibly anxious and exhausted 25-year-old Kanyet Modi from Gumuruk payam a few kilometres from Pibor, walks into Pibor primary health care center stabilization centre in the morning hours. He appears to be losing hope holding her seven-month son Nyaprilem Baal who has fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Nyaprilem is malnourished.

Urgent provision of care was the fine line between life and potential death after he was screened and found to have severe acute malnutrition with medical complication at the outpatient therapeutic programme.

Uganda has battled HIV/AIDS for over three decades and in that time, hundreds of people have died, thousands have survived, and a lot of capacity has been developed. It is, however, the capacity aspect especially at the community level, that has given mileage to Uganda’s COVID-19 response.  

For instance, Kanungu district, in southwestern Uganda has a Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) with a membership of over 7,000 with the purpose of strengthening adherence to treatment and sensitizing communities on HIV/AIDS prevention.

08 March 2021 — One hundred, and eight (108) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 2483 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases nineteen thousand, six hundred, and fifty-nine (19659). To date, seventeen thousand, nine hundred, and eleven (17911) patients have recovered, including seventy-one (71) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, four hundred, and eighty (1480) and two hundred, and sixty-eight (268) deaths. 

07 March 2021 — Forty-two (42) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 2735 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases nineteen thousand, five hundred, and fifty-one (19551). To date, seventeen thousand, eight hundred, and forty (17840) patients have recovered, including forty (40) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, four hundred, and forty-three (1443) and two hundred, and sixty-eight (268) deaths. 

Banjul International Airport, 2^nd March, 2021

A milestone arrival of 36,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVAX vaccine in The Gambia; the vaccines were handed over to the Ministry of Health (MoH) at Banjul International Airport.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when all countries are desperate to contain the virus transmission, The Gambia   received the first consignment of 36,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, a significant step in controlling the pandemic. The pandemic had its toll in The Gambia affecting the health, social and economic wellbeing of the citizens.

Abuja, 8 March, 2021 - When Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines, government officials and stakeholders heaved a sigh of relieve.

For Dr Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, “It is a feeling of relief and elation that at last we are joining the community of nations who can vaccinate their citizens against COVID-19 disease  which has been raging across the world. We have to some extent lagged but are relieved that we can now start vaccinating our citizens.