WHO supports capacity building for enforcement of and compliance with tobacco control regulations in Zanzibar

Training in session
The government of Zanzibar recently endorsed tobacco control regulations in line with the Public and Environmental Health Act on 2012. These regulations are aligned to the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The WHO FCTC is the world’s most powerful tool to tackle the escalating epidemic of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke and their negative impact on health, social and economic development. The FCTC sets out strategies that will lead to tobacco demand reduction and supply reduction while at the same time providing for international cooperation and monitoring of trends in the tobacco epidemic. These measures aim at reducing tobacco use while at the same time protecting non-smokers from second hand smoke.

WHO convenes experts to enhance capacity for schistosomiasis control across the sub-Sahara Region

Field worker demonstrating snail collection
Schistosomiasis also known as Bilharzia is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms. Transmission occurs when people suffering from schistosomiasis contaminate freshwater sources with their excreta containing parasite eggs, which hatch in water. The larval forms of the parasite – released by freshwater snails – penetrate the skin during contact with infested water. In the body, the larvae develop into adult worms that can cause progressive damage to organs.

Emergency cholera vaccination campaign kicks off in Sierra Leone

Children and adults are receiving the vaccine across disaster-affected areas

FREETOWN, 15 September 2017 – Sierra Leone’s first ever Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign kicked off today, September 15th 2017. The emergency campaign targets communities affected by Western Area’s severe floods and landslides, which left over 6,000 people displaced and caused over 500 confirmed deaths.

Uganda conducts preventative Polio immunization campaign

WHO Staff Dr. Tenywa immunizes a child at Namutumba Health Center III

The Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) conducted a three-day preventative house-to-house polio immunization campaign reaching 5,570,000 children below the age of five in the 73 selected high-risk districts in Uganda. 

WHO scales-up accountability processes as workshop on Key Performance Indicators integration opens in Abuja

WR (middle) with facilitators, KPI coordinators and focal persons from Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Nigeria

Abuja, 14 September 2017-In a bid to fast-track attainment of World Health Organization (WHO) accountability processes as enshrined in the Transformation Agenda of the African Region, a 5-day (11-15 September, 2017) workshop on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) integration  is underway in Abuja with the objective of  entrenching measurable actions to evaluate impact of the intervention.

Botswana embarks on a joint review of five health programmes!

One of the Joint TB and HIV Review teams interviewing Dr Seipone, the Director of Health Services

The Government of Botswana, with technical support from WHO has embarked on a two week joint review of five health programmes, namely, Community and Home Based Care (CHBC), Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), Tuberculosis (TB) and a situational analysis on Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control. This is the first ever joint review of this magnitude in the African Region.