Lagos, 24 February 2017 - The Lagos State Ministry of Health is now a trailblazer in efforts to curb transmission of viral hepatitis. It achieved the feat by developing the first time Operational Plan for the control of viral hepatitis in the State.  This came on the heels of the adoption of the 2016 National Council on Health resolution that calls for the establishment of state-specific Viral Hepatitis Control Programmes in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.

Kampala, 24th February 2017 - Immunization and Child health experts are meeting in Kampala, Uganda to help revitalize Home-based records in selected African countries with high numbers of unimmunized children. Home-based records capture an individual’s vaccination status in a simple way and assist health workers to identify poor performing families and community for improved coverage with the necessary services.

WHO Representative in Botswana gives an interview on Radio RB2 on Addis Declaration on Immunization. He highlighted that the declaration is an opportunity to bridge all the gaps of inequity ensuring that all people have access to accessible, affordable, equitable immunizations services irrespective of where they live or where they were born or their level of economic status.

23 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – In an effort to rapidly contain the resurgence of cholera in South Sudan, WHO has secured oral cholera vaccine to vaccinate the communities in Leer Town and other areas. The 20 February integrated food security phase classification (IPC) identified Leer and Mayendit. With Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates that exceed 30% in the two locations. Co-morbidity with cholera will result in rapid spread and high fatality rates.   

On Friday 24th February, Sierra Leone launched its first National Immunisation Days for 2017, which aim to protect all children less than 5 years of age against polio. Routine vaccinations will also be done for children aged 0-23 months.

Polio is a devastating virus, for which there is no cure. It invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours. It can be prevented through immunization. Given multiple times, the polio vaccine almost always protects a child for life.

February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – The world Health Organization (WHO) with support from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) have delivered essential medicines and supplies to the communities affected by the cholera outbreak in the Islands of Jonglei and Greater Lakes.

23 February 2017 – Years of violent conflict have deprived millions of people in north-eastern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, western Chad and south-east Niger of even the most basic health care services. Malnutrition is widespread and in the 3 worst-affected states of Nigeria nearly 6 million men, women, children and infants urgently need health assistance. WHO is working with the Nigerian Ministry of Health and partners to reach those in need with lifesaving health care.

23 February, 2017: The World Health Organization strongly supports yesterday’s announcement by the Government of South Africa to implement a tax on sugary beverages as part of the country’s campaign to promote the health of its citizens and combat the increasing challenges of diabetes and obesity.

The tax on sugary drinks was among several important health measures announced as part of the government’s 2017/18 budget.

On 23 February 2017, the World Health Organization Ethiopia Country Office conducted a one-day validation workshop of the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) for the period 2016-2020, in Addis Ababa. The objective of this workshop was to validate the final draft of WHO Ethiopia’s CCS 2016-2020 with the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and development partners. The workshop was attended by experts from FMoH, CDC, UNICEF, UNAIDS and UNFPA.

Addis Ababa, 22 February 2017 - The World Health Organization Country Office in Ethiopia in collaboration with the Global Leprosy Programme (GLP) organized a training of consultants on the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020 to support Global Leprosy Program implementation at country level. The training took place in Addis Ababa, from 13-17 February 2017, and brought together Leprosy, Case Management NTD and Public Health Experts from WHO African Region as well as NTD/NPOs from 7 WHO country Offices (Ethiopia, DRC, Sudan, Mozambique, Madagascar, Bangladesh and Indonesia).