Abuja, 14 November, 2015: The recent removal of Nigeria from the list of polio endemic countries notwithstanding, the Immunization, Vaccines and Emergencies (IVE) cluster of the World Health Organization (WHO) is re-strategizing for the final push to eradicate polio in Nigeria. In its latest strategy, the cluster plans to leverage on the recorded gains in interruption of WPV towards certification in 2017.

Juba, 13 November 2015 - The World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health (MoH), and health partners are rapidly responding to a new measles outbreak and have vaccinated over 12 000 children at the protection-of-civilians (PoC) sites and surrounding host communities.

12 November 2015, Brazzaville - The need for each African country to have functional Public Health Emergency Operation Centers (PHEOCs ) that should serve as a hub to coordinate the preparedness for and response to public health emergencies to save lives, was one of the key issues discussed at a three-day meeting held in Brazzaville from 9 to 11 November 20

ADDIS ABABA, 11 November 2015 | Nearly 90 communities, non-governmental (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) are meeting for a landmark consultation in Addis Ababa today to ramp up efforts to end tuberculosis (TB) - the leading infectious disease killer worldwide along with HIV.

Brazzaville, 12 November 2015 – Delegates from the 47 countries in the WHO African Region will meet in N’Djamena, Chad from 23-27 November 2015, for the annual session of the WHO Regional Committee. The week-long meeting is hosted by the Chadian government.

Maputo, 6 November 2015 – A joint mission of the United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) visited Mozambique from 2-6 November to support the UN Country Team in providing technical assistance to the government in tackling NCDs - principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases. In Mozambique, NCDs cause 23% of all deaths and nearly 1 in 5 people die prematurely from NCDs and are having an increasing adverse socioeconomic impact on the country.

12 November 2015, Geneva - The number of measles-related deaths has decreased 79% from 546 800 at the beginning of the century to 114 900 in 2014. New data released by WHO for the Measles & Rubella Initiative, estimates that 17.1 million lives have been saved since 2000, largely due to increased vaccination coverage against this highly contagious viral disease.

In Cabo Delgado, only 2.9% of women between 15-49 years are using a family planning method, according to the Demographic Health Survey 2011. 

Kampala, 10th November 2015: Community Health and Information Network (CHAIN) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a stakeholders meeting on Patient Safety at Mulago Hospital Guest House. The meeting was convened to discuss issues concerning patient safety and health-care quality and also brainstorm ways to incorporate patients and communities’ perspectives in efforts to address health-care challenges.

Every year cancer claims thousands of lives in Ethiopia. The country responds to the growing burden of cancer by launching a five year cancer control strategy on 26 October 2015 in Adama Town. The Strategy is said to avert the health and economic impact of cancer by focusing mainly on prevention, and early detection.