Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Liberia rewriting cervical cancer narrative, one dose at a time

In Liberia, cervical cancer is the leading cancer among women, followed by breast cancer, making it the primary cause of female cancer-related deaths

Protecting her 13-year-old daughter, Jamsetta Kumeh, from human papillomavirus (HPV) overrode Buludi Martin’s reservations about the vaccine that prevents the infection that can cause cervical cancer. Today she is content that she made the correct decision. “I was afraid, of course,” she admits. “There are so many stories about vaccines,…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

World Health Organization (WHO) updates its guidance for Ebola and Marburg disease

New recommendations represent an advance but also highlight need for more evidence to inform effective infection measures, say experts

Ten years on from the West African Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its infection prevention and control guidelines for Ebola and Marburg disease. The key recommendations are summarized in The BMJ today with an infographic and the full guideline is available on both the WHO website and…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

World Health Organization (WHO) and Tanzania Ministry of Health take action to improve access to essential medicines for epilepsy and Parkinson disease

Population-based prevalence studies in Tanzania estimate that 450,000 people live with epilepsy, and 36,000 live with Parkinson disease

Tanzania is paving the way in the African region on the implementation of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031 (IGAP). Using epilepsy and Parkinson disease as tracer conditions, WHO and Tanzania Ministry of Health are working together to identify barriers to medication access and…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Breaking the chain of measles spread amongst children in Tanzania

Measles is one of the most contagious infections known to humans and ranks among the top four childhood killers worldwide

Nearly 8 million children in Tanzania have received vaccinations to stay protected against measles-rubella following the recent sporadic and hot spots of measles outbreaks in different areas of the country since July 2022.  In response, the Ministry of Health together with the World Health Organization and partners conducted several periodic…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Digital payments to health workers boost retention, motivation, and impact

Digital payments also save time and money for health campaign organizers, including the burden and expense of transporting large sums of cash and completing documentation

Campaigns in Africa to stop polio and other diseases have a more stable, better-motivated workforce thanks to WHO’s collaboration with countries and partners to pay frontline health workers through their mobile phones instead of in cash. “Over 80 percent of workers are saying they prefer the digital payments,” said Ahmed…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Urgent action needed to reach the most vulnerable in Sudan with life-saving health services

A displacement crisis of this magnitude has significant impacts on the health needs of displaced and host populations

Almost 10 months since conflict escalated in Sudan in April 2023, the ever-deteriorating humanitarian situation has led to the world’s largest displacement crisis. About 8 million people in Sudan have been displaced by the conflict, with 6 million people internally displaced and 1.8 million people displaced to neighbouring countries. A…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

New South-South health cooperation initiative launched linking Africa and the Caribbean

The initiative stems from the recognition that the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic fell most heavily on developing countries, especially on women and children

The Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC), a new initiative to strengthen South-South health cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, was launched today. The initiative stems from the recognition that the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic fell most heavily on developing countries, especially on women and children.…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognizes noma as a neglected tropical disease

Early detection is essential, as therapy is most effective at the early stages of disease when it causes severe swollen gums, known as acute necrotizing gingivitis

In a pivotal move towards addressing one of the world’s most underrecognized health challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the inclusion of noma (cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis) in its official list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This decision, which was recommended by the 17th meeting of the…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

World Health Organization (WHO), partners urge stronger action to accelerate childhood vaccination in Africa

The side-event at the CPHIA proposed actions to accelerate the Big Catch-Up vaccination campaign

With one in five children in Africa still missing basic, life-saving vaccines, World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are calling for accelerated action to reach all children and put the continent back on track to achieve the Immunization Agenda 2030 goals towards reducing illness and deaths due to vaccine-preventable diseases.…

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Health needs to be front and centre of national plans to fight climate change

Climate change is already harming human health and wellbeing

Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-28), WHO has published its “2023 review of health in nationally determined contributions and long-term strategies” highlighting the actions needed to ensure that people’s health is fully prioritised and integrated into national plans to fight climate change. Climate change is already harming human health and…