22 September 2015 - Swaziland held a 2 days meeting to orient parliamentarians on topical public health issues in the country. The parliamentarians were oriented on the Universal Health Coverage concept which is the main theme of the National Health Sector Strategic Plan 2014-2018. They were also oriented on tobacco control in the country. The meeting also included discussions on addressing social determinants of health as well as the burden of non-communicable diseases, neglected tropical diseases and malaria in the country.

Kigali, 20 October 2015 - The WHO Country Office in Rwanda, through its continuous support to the Ministry of Health, has donated 6 355 000 albendazole tablets to support the upcoming deworming campaign against soil transmitted helminthiasis.

Capital, a weekly business newspaper, interviewed Dr Pierre M'pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative in Ethiopia, on the ongoing efforts towards polio eradication in Africa. Click on the link below to read the interview.

A tree planting event took place at Ethiopian Heritage Trust, Entoto, on 4 October 2015 to celebrate Ethiopia – free of polio. The State Mnister of Health, Dr Kebede Worku, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Dr Pierre M'pele-Kilebou, Rotarians from USA and Canada, Rotaractors and other partners such as Core Group, L10K (The Last 10 Kilometers) and other UN agencies were also part of the event. 

On 11 October 2015, Rotary honoured Dr Pierre M'pele-Kilebou as a Paul Harris Fellow for his tremendous effort towards eradicating polio from Ethiopia, and appreciating tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world. Speaking at the event that took place at Hiber Traditional Restaurant, Addis Ababa,  Dr Pierre M'pele-Kilebou said,“I thank Rotary for the recognition and award. However, this award belongs to all my colleagues who contributed much towards the polio eradication effort."

The 17th Sub-National Immunization Days werelaunched on 8 October 2015 at Shinille Town of Somali Region. Present at the launching were Acting Head of the Somali Regional Health Bureau Mr Abdulfatah Said, Rotary National Polio Plus (NPPC) Chair DR Tadesse Alemu, Past District Governer (PDG) Mr Ezra Teshome, members of the visiting Rotary International team from the USA and Canada, government officials, WHO Representative Dr 

Brazzaville, 19 October 2015 – Highly infectious and unpredictable seasonal and avian influenza viruses are emerging threats in Africa triggering WHO to guide implementation of national influenza preparedness, surveillance and control strategies to protect individuals and populations.

Monrovia 15 October - In view of the traumatic effects of the decade long civil war and the recent Ebola outbreak, mental health promotion is now more relevant to Liberia than ever before.

As part of its concerted efforts to build a Resilient Health System in Liberia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in collaboration with WHO and other major international and national partners is focusing on advocacy and provision of adequate mental and psychosocial support services for persons affected by the epidemic and people with mental disorders in general. 

Analysis of health data from countries in Africa reflects differences in country specific interpretation of indicators, resulting in difficulties in comparison of data and measuring regional progress. At a national level, countries have highlighted the need for improved data on malaria interventions and related trends to inform their actions.

Freetown, 14 October 2015 - Preliminary results of a study into persistence of Ebola virus in body fluids show that some men still produce semen samples that test positive for Ebola virus nine months after onset of symptoms.

The report, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, provides the first results of a long-term study being jointly conducted by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone Ministry of Defence, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.