The Kingdom of Eswatini is a small country with a population of just over 1 million. Fortunately the country has not experienced any large-scale emergencies recently. However the government of Eswatini volunteered to undertake the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to identify its gaps in emergency preparedness, detection and response and improve on its strengths. This is highly commendable. The JEE process started in February and was concluded in April 2018. The evaluation was completed in two stages.

Gaborone, Botswana - 4 May 2018: The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) of the Republic of Botswana, in collaboration with UNFPA and WHO, convened a national stakeholders’ consultation meeting on the draft national standards for quality health care services for adolescents and youth from 2 to 4 May, 2018. The UNFPA Office in Botswana led in the conduct of the situation analysis of adolescent and youth health in Botswana, which informed the domestication of the WHO/UNAIDS global standards for quality of health care services for adolescents.

FREETOWN, May 5 2018 - Midwives everywhere have jobs that truly matter, but in Sierra Leone, their role is even more demanding. The country has among the highest rates of maternal and newborn deaths globally, and it is estimated that as many as eight mothers in the country lose their lives every single day. 

The Ministry of Health (MoH) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) convened a donor conference to disseminate the eHealth Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan, present the Enterprise Architecture Concept & Health Information Exchange and Resource Mobilization Strategy, and harmonize the eHealth implementation work plan for sustainability.

Abuja, May 4th 2018 – As the World prepares to celebrate the 2018 World Hygiene Day with the theme, “Save Lives, Clean Your Hands”, Mrs Toyin Saraki, the President and  founder of Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), today paid a courtesy visit to the Country Representative of the World Health Organization (WR) Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu. 

The meeting was aimed at enhancing collaboration between WBFA and WHO on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) campaign to improve basic hygiene practices in healthcare facilities and schools across Nigeria. 

Kampala, 3 May 2018:- The Government of Uganda is conducting a campaign to vaccinate more than 360 000 people against cholera in six hotspot areas of Hoima district with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners. 

The immunization drive is part of efforts to control an ongoing cholera outbreak which has affected both refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and host populations and will use vaccines dispatched from the GAVI-funded global stockpile.

Zanzibar, 8 April 2018: The 70^th anniversary of World Health Day, 7^th April 2018 was colorfully commemorated in Kijini Village, about 60 kilometres from Zanzibar town, in the presence of Honorable Hamad Rashid Mohamed, Minister of Health, Principal and Deputy Principal Secretaries of the MOH, District Commissioner for North A, Directors, village administrators and the community.