“Early care saved my son from severe mpox disease”

When 9-year-old Romulus Jr. fell ill, his father, Romulus Thomas Blackie, thought it was just the flare-up of sickle cell disease which the child had complained of. He never imagined it would be Mpox - a disease that has infected more than 5 200 people and claimed 55 lives in Sierra Leone since January 2025. Cases have been confirmed in all 16 districts of the country with the capital city, Freetown and its suburbs, accounting for nearly 75% of all the reported cases.

Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) to Improve Health Outcomes in Namibia

WHO

Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) remains a key priority in Namibia, with several stakeholders actively supporting efforts to improve the accuracy and completeness of Mortality and Causes of Death data. Reliable mortality data is essential for understanding the country’s health profile, monitoring progress toward national and global health targets, and guiding evidence-based policy decisions.

 

Prioritizing mental health and wellbeing during times of crisis at WHO Uganda: Resilience in the face of change

Prioritizing mental health and wellbeing during times of crisis at WHO Uganda: Resilience in the face of change

The year 2025 has been one of profound transformation at World Health Organization (WHO), and the global United Nations (UN) due to the changing funding environment—testing the resilience and adaptability of the entire UN workforce. Amid global uncertainties and organizational changes, WHO has placed the mental health and well-being of its personnel at the heart of this transition.

WHO’s investment of more than USD 300,000 to the ‘Enhanced Mpox Response Campaign’ in Sierra Leone contributes to a 50% decline in mpox cases.

mpox

A WHO-supported house-to-house Mpox nationwide campaign in Sierra Leone, valued at a cost of USD 300,000, has significantly reduced the number of Mpox cases countrywide by 50% in one month. This successful campaign, named “Enhanced Integrated Mpox Response (EIMR),” conducted over four weeks from July 9 to August 3, 2025, was led by the Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Agency, and District Health Management Teams.

Calumbo reinforces national polio vaccination effort

polio

Surrounded by the wide Kwanza River, the municipality of Calumbo is known for the resilience and hard-working spirit of its people. Between August 15 and 17, the municipality joined the rest of the country in the First Round of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign, a large-scale operation that mobilized 1,000 health workers to administer 1.5 million doses of vaccine to 100,000 children. 

Benue State, WHO expands Lassa Fever response with community-level outreach campaigns

Lassa Fever Sensitization in Benue

Makurdi, Lassa fever continues to pose a major public health challenge in Nigeria and across West Africa. Between 1 January and 10 August 2025, Nigeria reported more than 6939 suspected cases, including 849 confirmed cases and 159 deaths. Globally, Lassa fever remains a recurring epidemic threat in West Africa, with countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea also reporting cases in recent years.