Kampala, 2nd December 2013 -- Staff of the WHO Country Office in Kampala completed a three-day training Global Learning Programme (GLP) workshop on National Health Policies, Strategies and Plans.

The main objective of the training was to enhance WHO capacity (individual and institutional) to engage in effective policy dialogue with national stakeholders and global partners and to effectively provide technical support using comprehensive health systems approach around health policies, strategies and plans.

MenAfriVac mass campaign vaccination that is conducted in the Gambia since the 28 of November will give the opportunity to about 1.2 million people from 1-29 years old to get immunized against meningitis « A » the more epidemic type of meningitis in Africa.

Sierra Leone commemorated World AIDS 2013 Day (WAD) on 1 December 2013 on the theme No retreat on HIV. Deliver the promise. The event is one of the biggest health days that is commemorated every year in Sierra Leone and other countries to increase awareness and improve the fight against the HIV/AIDS. Every year the commemoration brings together local and international partners including the UN, the private sector and civil society.

On the second day of the campaign, UNICEF and WHO Representatives in the Gambia were in the field to make a follow up and a supervision visit. The two Representatives were with their technical teams.

Geneva, 29 November -- On 28 November, the Pretoria News published an article entitled “Alarm at hike in SA HIV infections”. The article states that “The World Health Organization […] sees worrying signs of accelerating incidence of the disease in some regions, notably in KwaZulu-Natal.” Further, it quotes the Director of the WHO HIV Department: “What is really of concern is that in certain parts such as KwaZulu-Natal there are still very high rates of transmission among very young people, among adolescents. It is in the range of 20-30 percent”.

Harare, 28 Nov. 2013 -- Zimbabwe commemorated a belated World Health Day at the WHO Annex Boardroom under the theme: High blood pressure: WHO + YOU = The key to living longer. The event, which was attended by health workers, partners, members of the public and policy makers focused on raising awareness of the risk factors and consequences of raised blood pressure (also known as high blood pressure or hypertension).

Brazzaville, 27 November 2013 – A three-day meeting of about 100 health experts got under way on Wednesday in Accra, Ghana, to discuss the progress towards the elimination of measles and the epidemiological situation of rubella in the African Region.

Participants in the meeting include immunization programme managers, WHO experts and representatives of national paediatric societies from the 47 Member States in the Region.

With a prevalence of 46% of children under five in rural areas , malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Mozambique.  The disease represents nearly half of all outpatient visits and more than half of all inpatient visits at paediatric clinics.

Sierra Leone launched its first National Road Safety Policy, Strategic Plan and Trust Fund on 23 November 2013 in Freetown. The documents and the Trust Fund were launched by the Minister of Information and Communications Mr Alpha Kanu, on behalf of the President of the Republic. Delivering the statement of the President, Mr Kanu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the full implementation of the Decade of Action for Road Safety and assured to “give serious consideration to proposals that will enhance the implementation of the National Strategy to achieve the desired goals”.