Confirmation of case of ebola virus disease in Uganda

Surveillance for ebola virus disease at the border between DR Congo and Uganda | Photo: Matt Taylor
Uganda’s Ministry of Health and WHO confirm Ebola in a five-year-old boy who crossed the border with his family from neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The patient becomes Uganda’s first confirmed case in the ongoing outbreak in the DRC.

Local leaders help turn the tide on Ebola

Ebola vaccination in Vighole, 31 May 2019
Kakule and his deputy, 30-year-old Gervais Muhindo, form a duo resolutely determined to break the silence about the disease, and to end mistrust of Ebola health workers.

Sierra Leone leads the way in Africa with fully functional electronic disease surveillance system

Lat batch of health workers being trained on the use of te electronic application
Freetown – 6 June 2019: Sierra Leone has become the first country in Africa to fully transform its national disease surveillance system from paper-based to web-based electronic platform. As from today, electronic reporting of disease surveillance data is active in all public health facilities. The process, which was first piloted in just one district in 2016, was successfully rolled out to all the 14 districts and every government health facility countrywide.

His Majesty King Mswati III launches End Malaria Fund

His Majesty King Mswati III and other diginitaries

His Majesty King Mswati III, who is the current chairperson for the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) launched the End Malaria Fund for the Kingdom of Eswatini. This initiative is aimed at mobilising sustainable domestic resources for malaria elimination in the Kingdom, the region and the entire African continent.

Ghana joins the rest of the world to celebrate World No Tobacco Day

WHO Country Representative, Dr Owen Kaluwa addressing participants at the function

Ghana on Monday 3rd June 2019 joined  the rest of the world to celebrate World No Tobacco Day to increase awareness on the dangers of tobacco smoke to lung health and the fundamental role lungs played in the health and well-being of individuals.
The celebration on the theme: “Tobacco and Lung Health”, also aimed at raising awareness on cost-effective and feasible actions that key audiences, including governments and the public could take to reduce the risks to lung health posed by tobacco.

Ethiopia destroyed the mOPV2 vials used for the first phase cVDPV response

The mOPV2 vials in the two sacs before entering into the incinerator
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 May 2019: Ethiopia destructed the monovalent type 2 oral polio vaccine (mOPV2) vials that were used in two-rounds of vaccination campaigns conducted in five zones of Somali Region as part of the synchronized Horn of Africa-wide response to a circulating vaccine-derived type 2 virus (cVDV2) outbreak.

Psychological support for life after Ebola

Psychologist team at the Butembo Ebola Treatment Centre meet in their office which was damaged in an arson attack earlier this year.
It is a bittersweet day for Kennedy, 8 years old, who is about to be released from the Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Butembo, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

WHO welcomes end of emergency phase of the 2019 Lassa fever outbreak but calls on partners to remain mobilized

Group photograph after the flag-off of health sector field assessment on ASGM in Nigeria in March 2019.

Abuja 31 May 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the announcement from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of the end of the emergency phase of the 2019 Lassa fever outbreak following a joint epidemiological review by the NCDC,  WHO and partners. WHO however calls on all partners to remain vigilant to better protect all Nigerians against the disease.