18th meeting of the GET2020 Alliance takes place in Addis Ababa.

Give blood for those who give life. Safe blood for saving mothers.

Heads of agencies of the United Nations in Sierra Leone visited Kenema and Kailahun Districts on 30 June and 1 July respectively. The team was led by the UN Resident Coordinator, David McLachlan-Karr. The objective of the visit was to identify gaps in the Ebola response and assess resource needs. Outcome of the visit will guide the UN agencies in their resource mobilisation for a coordinated UN intervention in supporting the government and partners to curb outbreak of the Ebola Hemorrhagic Disease in Sierra Leone.

The World Health Organisation is supporting South Sudan’s Ministry of Health to review its national policy as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s health system.

The process began with a three-day dialogue to review the National Health Policy 2007 – 2011, the National Health Sector Development Plan 2012 – 2016, the Ministerial Policy Statement Framework 2012 – 2016 and update the National Health Policy from 24 to 26 June 2014, in Juba, South Sudan

30 June 2014 -- Immunization averts some 2.5 million premature deaths a year according to estimates and protects millions of children from illness and disability. Parents and children attending a South African clinic are among those today who will reap the benefits of routine immunization from the first days of life.

Freetown, 30 June 2014 -- Kailahun district is the most affected district according to data from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). 81.4% of the 199 confirmed cases are from Kailahun District as of 29th June 2014.

A District Taskforce for Ebola response is headed by the Kailahun District Council Chairperson Mr Alex Bhonapha who is assisted by the District Medical Officer James Squire. The taskforce meets daily to coordinate Ebola prevention and control strategies. 

The waiting room at the Meadowlands Zone 3 Clinic in Soweto, South Africa, is full of children brought by their parents for their scheduled vaccinations. Medical staff follow a well-rehearsed routine, registering arrivals, weighing babies as part of pre-immunization checks, and vaccinating the young patients.

30 June 2014, Freetown -- On 30 June 2014 four patients were discharged from the Ebola treatments centres bringing the number of discharged patients to 23.

The first to be discharged from the Ebola treatment centre is Victoria Yillia a 19 year old lady from Koindu Town in the Kailahun district. Quoting from her statement she said “I felt like I am in heaven when I was discharged”. She is now living in nearby Kenema district with her husband and mother in law.

The Minister of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), Ms Miatta Kargbo conducted field visits to Kenema and Kailahun Districts on 28 June to assess the Ebola outbreak response activities in the districts. The Minister undertook the visit together with the WHO Representative in Sierra Leone, Dr Jacob Mufunda, and senior officials of MoHS including the Chief Medical Officer and a team of Directors and Managers from the Ministry. The media and civil society also formed part of the team.

Kampala, 26th June 2014:- Uganda is set to achieving universal coverage of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) which is expected to drastically reduce the malaria infection. Presently, the Ministry of Health with support from Global Fund, Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) and World Vision is distributing of 21 million LLINs country wide in order to achieve universal coverage.