February 19, 2012, Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa -- The Government of Ethiopia Minister of Health, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, honoured many organizations and individuals in recognition of their contribution to the very successful 16th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) which took place in Addis Ababa, from 4-8 December 2011. Trophies, Medals and certificates were awarded to organizations and individuals who contributed significantly to the success of ICASA. In addition to the Medal and a special crystal award for the WCO, Dr.

Brazzaville, 6 April 2012 -- The Minister of Health of the Republic of Congo, Professor Georges Moyen has today paid a courtesy call to the World Health Organization Regional Office i

Brazzaville, 6 April 2012 -- African governments should adopt good policies on ageing and health in order to facilitate the continued positive contribution by the elderly to the development process in the region.

This call is contained in a message issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, on the occasion of World Health Day (WHD).

WHD 2012 will be observed across the globe on Saturday (7 April) under the theme Ageing and Health and with the slogan Good health adds more life to years.

Nairobi Kenya, 4th April 2012 -- Kenya marked this year’s World Health Day on 4th April 2012. In marking the Day, the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Honourable Beth Mugo called on people of all ages in Kenya to adopt health lifestyles as an investment into healthy and active ageing. This year’s commemoration was marked under the global theme focusing of “ageing and health” and was commemorated through series of events, including a media advocacy and sensitization event of 4th April 2012.

Grace Adyero, like many other caretakers in the room hardly says a word or smiles. She only stares blankly at the child lying on the bed with grief written all over her face. Her demeanor and facial expression seem to inaudibly ask “why me?”

“We have been here for two days and now he has rested a bit. It must be the medicine and food they have given him. He was worse at home and we had given up on him ‐ just waiting for him to die one day,” she tells me through an interpreter.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), with support from WHO, conducted the periodic integrated sentinel surveillance review meeting at the Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control on 17 March 2012. Participants at the meeting included health personnel responsible for sentinel sites surveillance for Paediatric Bacterial Meningitis (PBM), Rotavirus and Influenza, officers from the Western Area District Health Team (DHMT) and the National Surveillance Programme (NSP), staff from the Central Public Health Referral Laboratory (CPHRL) and WHO Surveillance Officers.

Central Public Health Reference Laboratory (CPHRL) of Sierra Leone has been provisionally accredited to undertake measles and Yellow Fever (YF) laboratory diagnoses in the country by World Health Organization. The experts from WHO Headquarters and Inter-country Support Team of West Africa awarded the provisional accreditation following intensive bench training on laboratory diagnosis techniques and thorough assessment of the suitability of the laboratory set up.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) in collaboration with partners organizes every year an annual evaluation meeting with the objective of evaluating the performance, achievements and challenges of immunization services in the country. The meeting is attended by the National IVD and other related Units, Regional Health Management Teams, Civil Societies involved in immunization services and partners.

Bulawayo, 24 Mar. 2012 -- Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating World TB Day under the theme Stop TB in my lifetime. The event, which took place at the White City Stadium in Bulawayo brought together the different players in TB, local and international TB partners, former TB patients, health workers, civil societies and community members, sector government ministries and members of the uniformed forces.

“The HIV/TB combination is probably one of the biggest challenges for health in Lesotho. 2012 is the time for a massive scale up of access to treatment for TB and HIV” -Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Minister of Health and Social Welfare

World TB day was commemorated this year on 24th March around the world. This years theme was “Zero TB deaths– Stop TB in my lifetime”.