The United Nations in Zambia has welcomed the launch of the Zambia Ending AIDS and Free to Shine Campaigns by the First Lady of the Republic of Zambia, Mrs Esther Lungu which took place on the 11 of April 2019 in the City of Livingstone. The “Free to Shine campaign” is an initiative of the wives of African Heads of State who have come forward to end Child AIDS and keeping mothers alive as part of their contribution towards the global goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.  

Eritrea commemorated World TB Day on  the 23^rd March 2019 in Gash Barka region, Barentu city, with the theme “It is time to end TB”.  Millions of people continue to fall sick with TB each year and it is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

The World Health Organization Eswatini Country Office Staff Association donated items including water purifiers and clothes to the people of Mozambique affected by tropical Cyclone Idai. Tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall during the night of 14 to 15 March 2019 killing more than 1,000 people and leaving 400,000 homeless near the port city of Beira. The resulting floods have since led to outbreak of waterborne diseases like cholera hence the need for water purifiers to ensure access to clean water under the prevailing circumstances.

Maiduguri, 10 April, 2019 - With on-going Measles outbreak in Borno State, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal and State authorities, Gavi, the Vaccine alliance and Measles partners are organizing a 2-phase vaccination campaign to protect children aged between 6 and 71 months against the disease. During the first phase, 437,515 children were successfully vaccinated while 838,582 children more will be targeted in the second phase.

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the WHO Country Office organized a Press Briefing at the Ministry of Health conference room to mark the World Health Day on 08 April 2019 and under the theme “Universal Health Coverage, everyone, everywhere” and the slogan of “Health for All”.

The occasion was an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding about Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as well as the objectives of the World Health Day commemoration among Partners, Stakeholders in Health and the Media .

Ghana has announced the roll out of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme in a press briefing held on 10th April 2019 in Accra.  The event was attended by the WHO Country Representative Dr Owen Kaluwa and other Officers from the Country Office, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Anthony Nsiah- Asare, Officials from the Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI), representatives of MVIP Evaluation Partners, Officials from Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA), Coalition of NGOs in Health, representatives from UNICEF and a cross section of media from print, TV and Radio.