Brazzaville, 7 march 2005 -- The Directors of the WHO Regional Office for Africa and the UNICEF Office for West and Central Africa open discussions Tuesday in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on ways to collaborate in achieving a common goal - improving the health status of people in the African region.

Brazzaville, 28 February 2005 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has pledged accelerated action to help reduce the disease burden in Africa and to assist countries in the region to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The pledge was made Thursday in Brazzaville by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, while handing over medicines, medical equipment and vehicles worth more than US$290,000 to the Congolese government.

DAKAR/HARARE/GENEVA/EVANSTON, 25 February 2005 – A mass polio immunization drive starting today across Africa gained greater urgency from reports that a child has contracted polio in Ethiopia, the first case there in four years.

Kigali, 17 February 2005 -- The Health Minister of Rwanda, Dr Jean Damascène Ntawukuliryayo, today opened the first ever high-level forum on oral health in the country. 

Opening a workshop on oral health Thursday in Kigali, Dr Ntawukuliryayo said: "In elaborating our strategic plan for the next five years, my ministry gives a high priority to the management of non-communicable diseases, including oral health. In fact, in Rwanda oral health is a public health concern according to oral health needs expressed by the population". 

Brazzaville, 31 January 2005 -- Outgoing WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Samba, handed over to his successor, Dr Luis Sambo at the weekend, and proceeded to his native Gambia on retirement.

In a tribute to Dr Samba, Dr Sambo said, "I would like to recognize and thank you immensely for the work you have done in the WHO Regional Office and for the African Region as you pushed the frontiers of health for all Africans everywhere. You are leaving behind many tangible and measurable achievements."

Brazzaville, 26 January 2005 -- Developing countries, several of them in sub-Saharan Africa, made steady progress in 2004 towards meeting the global target of reaching three million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) with antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in 2005 (the "3 by 5" target), WHO and UNAIDS say in a joint report released Wednesday.

Partnerships across all sectors are driving treatment scale up

26 JANUARY 2005 | DAVOS -- By the end of 2004, 700 000 people living with AIDS in developing countries were receiving antiretroviral (ART) treatment thanks to the efforts of national governments, donors and other partners. This is an increase of approximately 75% in the total number receiving treatment from a year ago, and is up from 440 000 in July 2004.

Brazzaville, 18 January 2005 -- The 115th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in Geneva appointed Dr Luis Gomes Sambo as the new WHO Regional Director for Africa.

A citizen of Angola, Dr Sambo, 52, succeeds Gambian surgeon, Dr Ebrahim Malick Samba, who retires on 31 January after serving in the post for ten years.

Brazzaville, 6 December 2004 -- An induction briefing for new and existing technical staff working in emergencies from the WHO African Region, and countries identified as priorities in the Three Year Programme (TYP) to Improve Performance in Crises, began Monday at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Brazzaville, 6 December 2004 -- An induction briefing for new and existing technical staff working in emergencies from the WHO African Region, and countries identified as priorities in the Three Year Programme (TYP) to Improve Performance in Crises, began Monday at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.