Addis Ababa, 1 September 2006 -- The fifty-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa ended Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the adoption of seven resolutions aimed at scaling up action in critical areas that are key to improving the health and socio-economic situation in Africa.

Addis Ababa, 30 August 2006-- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has proposed measures to check sickle-cell disease. The prevalence of sickle-cell trait ranges between 10% and 40% of the population in some parts of the African Region.

Addis Ababa, 30 August 2006-- “With the detection of avian influenza in the African continent, the risk of an influenza pandemic will persist. This potentially catastrophic situation requires strong government leadership for the finalization and timely implementation of national multisectorial preparedness and response plans”.

Addis Ababa, 30 August 2006-- Prospects are still bright for “Kicking Polio Out of Africa” despite setbacks suffered in eradication efforts over the last three years, the World Health Organization says.

“The goal of Polio eradication is still within reach. However, ensuring adequate funding for the implementation of priority interventions remains a major challenge”, WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Luis Sambo, said Wednesday in a report to the fifty-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, 30 August 2006-- Efficient knowledge management and enhanced use of information and communication technology could help Africa overcome the digital divide, strengthen its health systems, improve health outcomes and provide equity in health.

This is contained in a report by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, to health ministers of the WHO African Region meeting from 28 August to 1 September in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, 30 August 2006 -- The WHO Regional Office for Africa has developed a strategy to optimize child survival, growth and development, and reduce mortality among children less than five years of age, currently estimated at 4.6 million per year.

Addis Ababa, 29 August 2006-- Low investment in health, huge out-of-pocket payments for health services, inadequate health financing policies and limited coverage by health insurance constitute some of the major challenges African governments must address to improve the quality of health care in the region.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi opens WHO meeting, proposes measures to tackle health worker shortage in Africa

Addis Ababa, 28 August 2006 -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has described the shortage and high turnover of health workers in Africa as a “major threat” to the achievement of Africa’s health goals and proposed two concrete measures to address the problem.

Addis Ababa, 28 August 2006-- The “alarming trend in HIV incidence” in the African Region calls for urgent measures to further control the progress of the epidemic”, says WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, in a report Tuesday to the fifty-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa.

Addis Ababa, 28 August 2006-- African countries have been urged to establish or strengthen their medicines regulatory authorities (MRAs) with a view to checking the proliferation of harmful, inefficacious, counterfeit and substandard medicines in the region.