Brazzaville, 3 September 2004 --- The fifty-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa ended Friday in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, after nominating a new Regional Director and adopting resolutions aimed at scaling up action in critical areas that are key to improving the health situation in the region.

Brazzaville, 2 September 2004 -- Child and sexual abuse can be prevented and better managed through a set of priority interventions such as vigorous advocacy and communication, enhanced law enforcement and the development of a standardized protocol for clinical care and management.

Child and sexual abuse has been defined as the involvement of a child in sexual activity that the child cannot comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared or which violates the social taboos of society.

Brazzaville, 2 September 2004 -- Several rounds of nationwide mass immunization are planned for Nigeria and neighboring Niger Republic in 2004 to interrupt the remaining chains of indigenous wild poliovirus transmission in those countries.

Brazzaville, 2 September 2004 -- How can nutrition be better prioritized within health and other development sectors in Africa? What should countries do to improve their technical capacity for nutrition programmes, mobilize resources, and strengthen nutritional information systems? How can African countries be supported to attain food and nutritional security?

Brazzaville, 2 September 2004 -- Dr Luis Gomes Sambo was today nominated by the WHO Regional Committee for Africa for the post of WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Dr Sambo, 52, of Angolan nationality, is currently the Director of Programme Management at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), where he is responsible for the management and operation of the programmes of WHO in the African region.

Brazzaville, 2 September 2004 -- Over the next decade, maternal deaths and disabilities in the African region could reach 2.5 million and 49 million, respectively, if urgent action is not taken to improve maternal health, says a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Strengthening presence in countries for strategic support to effective national health systems and service - EPI component

Rationale and justification

Major challenges:

• Sustain the reduction in morbidity and mortality of vaccine preventable diseases
• Stagnating immunization coverage for vaccine preventable diseases
• Poor access to, and quality of immunization and surveillance activities in priority districts and sub-districts.

Vision of country office:

Brazzaville, 31 August -- The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr LEE Jong-wook, has proposed a 9% increase in assessed contributions by WHO's Member States.

Brazzaville, 30 August 2004 -- African countries must reposition family planning services if they are to significantly reduce maternal mortality in the region, the World Health Organization (WHO) says in a report.

Brazzaville, 30 August -- Congolese President Denis Sassou- N'Guesso on Monday in Brazzaville opened the 54th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa with a tribute to the outgoing WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Samba, for his contribution to health development in the region in the past ten years.

"We would like to convey our deep gratitude to Dr Samba who is leaving behind an image of a man devoted to duty and action," Dr Sassou N'Guesso told the meeting.