Kenya has launched a national anti-smoking mass media campaign with a call to end tobacco use, protect lives from second hand smoke exposure and educate the public about the dangers of smoking.

Wulu County, Lakes State, South Sudan, 3 December 2014 - The Ministry of Health (MOH), with support from WHO and partners on 3 December, launched the Cash Reward programme for the reporting of Guinea Worm Disease, and the implementation of community directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) for Onchocerciasis (river blindness) control in Wulu County, Lakes State.

December 2014 -- Over the course of the last year, WHO has been working in Ebola-affected countries to help the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response achieve their 70-70-60 goals. The goals aim to get 70% of the cases isolated and treated, 70% of the deceased safely buried within 60 days from the beginning of October to 1 December.

GAMBELLA. 1 December 2014. The 26th World AIDS Day was commemorated in Gambella Town on 30 November to mobilize people to know their HIV status and seek treatment services. A total of 3383 people were tested at the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign held in Gambella Stadium in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record on ‘Most people being tested for HIV in single venue for eight hours’. Out of those tested, 82 (2.4%) were positive and linked to health facilities for support and further follow up.

Victoria Falls: 01 Dec. 2014 - Zimbabwe’s resort town of Victoria Falls played host to the 2014 Continental World Aids Day commemorations, as Africa joined the rest of the world in commemorating the day. The commemoration, which was held under the theme ”Getting to Zero in Africa: Africa’s Responsibility, Everyone’s Responsibility” brought together people living with HIV; AIDS activists; partners; donors; and representatives from selected African Member States among others.

When 25-year old Fatuma was raped just a few doors away from her own home in Khayelitsha, South Africa, she knew exactly what to do afterwards.

“I was in shock and I felt as though my life was ruined forever. But something in me must have wanted to survive because I knew I mustn’t wash and that I had to get to a clinic within 72 hours to get medicines to protect me from HIV. I had heard it on the radio and read the leaflets.”

Beacon of hope for survivors of rape

This year the World Aids Day was launched on December 1, 2014 at Lemigo Hotel, Kigali, with the theme entitled: “The Role of Media in Early Treatment to Reduce HIV related Morbidity and Mortality”. The function gathered representatives of media community, newspapers, radio, television, and social media.

In response to the call in the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health (2011) and the Strategy for addressing the key determinants of Health in the African Region (2010) for Member States to produce evidence-based research on health inequalities, the Government of Seychelles with financial assistance from the World Health commissioned the study to identify social and economic factors which disadvantage certain population groups from realizing their potential life years.

Lilongwe, Malawi, 28 November 2014: The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization on 28 November 2014 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airtel Malawi, a mobile phone operator to launch the Ebola Disease Virus hotlines. The Principal Secretaty, Mr Kandonje was the guest of honour who received the two mobile phones donated by Aitel Malawi for the hotlines. The WHO Representative Dr Eugen Nyarko, Principal Secretary and the Director of Airtel Malawi, Mr Heicko Schlittke signed the MOU in the presence journalists.

Gaborone: The WHO Representative to Botswana Dr Felicitas Zawaira paid a courtesy call on the new Minister of Health, Honourable Dorcas Makgato. The Minister appreciated the support WHO continues to give to Botswana and indicated that while she understands the fact that WHO is not a funding agency, she wanted to be assured that WHO support will always be forthcoming when asked for. Responding to a pointed and very relevant question, “So how useful can you be to me?”,Dr Zawaira assured the Minister of round the clock availability of WHO support.