Murewa, 25 January 2017 - WCO/Zimbabwe’s  3rd generation Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS 2016-2020)  was concurrently launched with the National Health Strategy (NHS 2016-2020)  at a huge event held at Murewa District Hospital.  The joint and colorful function,  was attended by many players in health – including senior Government officials, parliamentarians, civil society organizations and members of the local communities in Murewa District; as well as health development partners and donors.

Uganda launched a vaccination campaign against Meningococcal Meningitis type A, under the theme “It’s free, safe, and effective” at Lalogi grounds, Omoro district.  The campaign intended to reduce morbidity, mortality and disability due to meningitis was launched by Uganda’s health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng in the presence of local and national leaders including the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Right Hon. Mr. Jacob Oulanya.

20 January 2017, Juba, South Sudan – Public health laboratories are a critical component of communicable disease detection, prevention, and control. However, access to reliable laboratory testing remains limited in in sub-Saharan African countries including South Sudan.

For efficient and improved quality of laboratory service delivery, WHO South Sudan supported the Ministry of Health to harmonize and strengthen the capacity of the laboratory personnel on basic and advanced laboratory diagnostic techniques from 16 to 20 January 2017.

Abuja, 19 January 2017 - Experts are calling on government to galvanize partnerships aimed at reaching children in inaccessible areas, having identified that Nigeria’s polio resurgence in August 2016 was largely due to insecurity in northeastern Nigeria and waning political commitment. Their collective agreement hinged on the firm belief that interrupting transmission of polio requires processes focused on reaching children in inaccessible areas, providing timely and adequate resources.

Jan 18, 2017 - Kenya has kicked off its 2017 immunization effort with a polio campaign this week, targeting 2.9 million children aged five years and under.

18 January 2017, Juba, South Sudan – WHO South Sudan in partnership with the MoH, UNICEF and other partners including state directors general for health and Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) officers of all states, gathered from 17 to 21 January 2017 at Juba Grand Hotel to plan on how to reach 2.3 million persons with measles vaccines in the face of a difficult operating environment.

FREETOWN, 13 January 2017 --- One of the two sites used in the second phase of the Sierra Leone Ebola Virus Persistence Study was handed over to the Lungi Government Hospital on Thursday 12 January after the closure of the study.  The facility and equipment which included three large tents, office materials, hygiene materials and other supplies will be repurposed for antenatal care and services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

New data released today by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and WHO shows that community engagement efforts reached more than 20,950 households over seven months in 2016, approximately 117,000* people,  through community meetings, events, door to door visits and vibrant peer support groups.

Harar, 30 December 2016 – The Qulubi Gebreal celebration that brings together more than half a million pilgrimage participants across the nation took place on 28 December 2016. This colorful ceremony has always been there twice a year on 28 July and 28 December each year. In such a situation where people are gathered, many are at risk of contracting communicable diseases especially AWD (Acute Watery Diarrhea). As a result, WHO Country Office in Ethiopia took part in the preparation and implementation of preventive measures against AWD and similar public health hazards.  

A mass vaccination campaign to protect more than 4 million children (4 766 214) against a measles outbreak in conflict-affected states in north-eastern Nigeria is planned to start this week.

The two-week campaign, which starts on 13 January, will target all children aged from 6 months to 10 years in accessible areas in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.