Monrovia, 20 March 2015 - To curb reemergence of unsafe burial practices, the Mandingo Community, (one of the tribes in Liberia) through its leaders has held community consultation dialogue to seek consensus on accommodating community needs while reducing risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission. One solution sought was the training of select members of the community to conduct safe burials. The burial team would comprise of six community volunteers, a mix of women and men, and an Imam (a worship leader of the mosque).

WHO on 20 February handed over 12 dispensary tents and two ambulances to the Ministry of Health in support of health services in Pibor, Jonglei State.

The hand over took place during the launch of the Ministry’s Strategy for Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) and is in line with WHO’s commitment to support and strengthen the Ministry of Health’s capacity in South Sudan.

As Liberia continues to count down to the 42 days mark to be declared Ebola-free, since the last confirmed EVD case tested twice negative on March 03,  2015, the Ministry of Health of Liberia in collaboration with WHO and other partners is focusing on ensuring that healthcare workers remain safe as they continue to provide care. Today, the Acting Minister of Health, Dr Bernice Dahn launched a training package designed to empower health workers to remain safe while providing quality care to patients in health care facilities (HCFs) and in Ebola Treatment Units (ETU).

Brazzaville, 18 March 2015 - Dr Marie Francke Puruehnce, the Presidential Adviser for Health in Congo has today paid a courtesy call on Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa at the WHO Regional Office in Djoue, Brazzaville.
The Presidential Adviser congratulated Dr Moeti on her appointment as the first woman WHO Regional Director for Africa. Both parties discussed cooperation between WHO and the Government of Congo and ongoing efforts to improve people’s health in the African Region.

On 17th March 2015, all PARMaCM stakeholders, including the former First Lady of Namibia and the former Health Minister as well as Health Partners came together to view the first PARMaCM documentary on the importance of maternity waiting homes in Namibia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) commemorates World Salt Awareness Week from 16 to 22 March, 2015 under the theme ‘less salt please’. This year’s theme highlights the importance of eating out healthy.

Monrovia, 16 March 2015 - As Liberia marks the second week of Zero cases of Ebola, the Cuban medical team through the Cuban Government Health Attaché announced conclusion of the team’s successful Ebola Response mission in the country. The Attaché was addressing a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Health in partnership with UNMEER, World Health Organization and US CDC to bid farewell to the team.

The Office of the WHO Representative in collaboration with the British High Commission, on Wednesday, the 11th March 2015, handed over medical supplies and equipment for Ebola Preparedness and Response to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW).

11 March 2015 - In February 2015, cases of Ebola began appearing among the community of fishermen living in the coastal area of Aberdeen in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Over 20 cases occurred at the same time, suggesting they had been infected by one source, possibly an unsafe burial. WHO and partners immediately sent teams into the district to work with the community to identify all Ebola cases and those who had been in contact with them, to prevent further infections.