On the sixth attempt, Mike Ajayi, teacher at Ajoke Nursery and Primary School, Ilorin, got through to one of the telephone numbers scrolled on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) station listed as open lines for parents of missed children to call during national polio immunization days. WHO Kwara State Coordinator, Dr. Omotosho Musa organized for a rapid response team to vaccinate Ajayi’s new born baby, as well as 19 of his neighbour’s children who were missed by the team.

Brazzaville, 25 April 2005 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, has made an impassioned plea to African governments, communities, development partners and other stakeholders to “unite against malaria” and “beat” the disease which kills more than 800, 000 Africans every year.

20 April 2005 

What ? Africa malaria Day (AMD) 2005
The theme for Africa Malaria Day 2005 is Unite Against Malaria while the accompanying slogan is Together We Can Beat Malaria.
When ? 25 April 2005

Why ?   AMD commemorates the day in 2000, when African Heads of State or their representatives from 44 endemic countries met in Abuja, Nigeria, for the first ever African malaria Summit. At this summit, they signed the historic Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action which commits governments to reduce by 50% the malaria burden in Africa by the year 2010.

23 countries race to halt the spread of the virus before the high-transmission season starts

DAKAR/NAIROBI, 8 April 2005 -- With the polio virus' high-transmission season just months away, African countries are redoubling their efforts this week to reach 100 million children in the second of a series of three immunization drives scheduled for 2005. This second round, from 9-12 April, aims to contain the epidemic before the virus begins to spread most rapidly in the July to September high season.

"Reach every country, district, woman with proven health interventions" - WHO Regional Director for Africa

6 April 2005 -- They are both over 70 years of age, but for Adedehin Ebunolu Adefeso, past District Governor (PDG) of District 9110 (1995-1996), and Jonathan Majiyagbe, former President of Rotary International(2003-2004), polio eradication is such a strong unifying force for the club and they have devoted their lives to promoting its ideals.

6 April 2005  -- Enthusiasm and commitment for polio eradication was high at the flag-off of the second round of National Immunization Days at Talata Marafa local government area in Zamfara State. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, joined Professor E. Lambo, Federal Minister of Health and His Excellency the Executive Governor of Zamfara State Alhaji Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura to launch the final push to stop polio for good in Zamfara state.

Brazzaville, 6 April 2005 -- Health is a fundamental human right. Yet, to a large number of women, newborns and children in Africa, this right is denied. Every 60 minutes, 130 newborns die in the African Region. In the same lapse of time, 60 women die of causes relating to pregnancy and childbirth.

Abuja, 5 April 2005-- The developed countries of the world and Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) have been called upon to provide more resources for health, especially to African countries, so as to enable Africa achieve the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo made the appeal in Abuja, Nigeria, at a joint Ministerial media briefing to mark this year's World Health Day in the country.

Brazzaville, 10 March 2005 -- Operations of the World Health Organization (WHO)  in the African Region are being rapidly decentralized “so that focus will be on country level activities” WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has said.