DR Congo: Six months into the year, humanitarian actors struggle to scale up response due to low funding

Kinshasa, 7 July 2017: With half of its 26 provinces affected by armed violence, ethnic conflict, diseases and natural disasters, all this within a volatile regional context and amid historically low levels of funding, the first six months of 2017 have proven that the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains an unrelenting humanitarian crisis that is having a suffocating impact on millions of people.

WHO supports a risk assessment/hazard profiling exercise for South Sudan to enhance emergency preparedness and response

Dr Rudi WHO Incident Manager addressing participants

Juba, 7 July 2017 – South Sudan has historically faced a double burden of natural and man-made hazards. The majority of which have been biological hazards like the Ebola outbreaks of 1976, 1979 and 2004, Yellow fever, Cholera, Measles, Meningitis, Visceral Leishmaniasis and Guinea Worm. Natural hazards including perennial floods, occasional droughts and famine affecting both human and animal health.

WHO facilitates Seychelles to move person-centered care forward

Minister of Health officially launching the PCC symposium

Victoria, Seychelles, 6th July 2017 - Recently, the Seychelles has been spearheading its efforts to put in place coherent interventions aimed at improving the quality of person centred care. This concept is very well in accordance with WHO’s Health Systems Strengthening focus on improving quality of care where there is a coordination across a continuum of care, where all people have equal access to quality health services that meets their individual needs and all carers operate in a supportive environment.

Dr Moeti Attends the 19th Ordinary Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS

RD speaking on OFLA 19th Assembly meeting
Addis Ababa, 04 July 2017 - Yesterday, the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OFLA) had their 19th ordinary general assembly meeting in the plenary hall of the African Union commission Old building which brings together first ladies of 13 countries, the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs and OFLA partners including World Health Organization. The theme of the Assembly is “Building on 15 years of engagement to harness the demographic dividend of Africa through promoting the needs of adolescents and their access to youth-friendly health services.”

Human Resource-for-Health Project producing skilled work force in Cross River State

Cross River Commissioner for Health, presenting the HRH Strategic plan to the participants

Calabar, 05 July 2017 - Over the past three years, World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) human resources for health (HRH) project, has supported Cross River State in developing mechanisms for policy-driven interventions to improve HRH landscape. WHO had through the project, also supported the state’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to develop an evidence-based, gender-mainstreamed HRH Policy, HRH Strategic plan and Task shifting/sharing policy.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa attended the 29th African Union Summit, held in Ethiopia: “When Africa unites and makes its voice heard, it wins”.

RD during the Meeting with Commissioner for Social Affairs (AUC)
“When Africa unites and makes its voice heard, it wins” Said H.E. Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea and Chairman of the African Union speaking at the opening ceremony of the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa. He added “The recent election of Dr Tedros Adhanom at the Director General (DG) post of the World Health Organization is an eloquent illustration.

First official visit of the new WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom to Ethiopia

 WHO DG, Dr Tedros Adhanom with AUC Chairperson H.E. Moussa F. Mahamat

Addis Ababa, 3 July 2017: After taking office on 1 July 2017, the new Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom, conducted his first official visit to Ethiopia, on the occasion of the 29th African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government.

Dr Tedros Adhanom, WHO DG paid a courtesy call to the African Union Commission Chairperson

On 2 July 2017, Dr Tedros Adhanom paid a courtesy visit to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat.

WHO declares an end to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ebola outbreak ends

Brazzaville/Kinshasa, 2 July 2017 – Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement comes 42 days (two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus) after the last confirmed Ebola patient in the affected Bas-Uélé province tested negative for the disease for the second time. Enhanced surveillance in the country will continue, as well as strengthening of preparedness and readiness for Ebola outbreaks.