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.…

Strength in numbers: data, partners and leadership create resilient HIV services during COVID-19 in Zambia

WHO applauds Zambia’s Ministry of Health and all the health workers for their resilience and achievements in delivering HIV testing and treatment services in face of many challenges

Dr Suilanji Sivile is an HIV clinician in Zambia who started working in the Eastern Province nearly a decade ago. He is also an HIV Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Health, leading many national COVID-19 activities. Reflecting on how the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in Zambia, Dr Sivile highlights key…

Coronavirus - Africa: Situation update for the WHO African Region, External Situation Report 9 (29 April 2020)

As of 28 April 2020, a cumulative total of 22 376 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 899 deaths (case fatality ratio 4.0%) have been reported across the 45 affected countries in the region

A steady increase in the number of cases has been observed in the WHO African Region since the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported on 25 February 2020 in Algeria. All Member States have since been affected, with the exemption of Comoros and Lesotho where there have…

Four countries in the African region license vaccine in milestone for Ebola prevention

The licensing of the vaccine means that the manufacturer can stockpile and widely distribute this vaccine to African countries at risk of Ebola virus disease outbreaks

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Ghana and Zambia have licensed an Ebola vaccine, just 90 days after World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification. Registration of the vaccine is expected in additional countries in the coming weeks.  The licensing of the vaccine means that the manufacturer can stockpile and…

Ten African countries endorse cross-border collaboration framework on Ebola outbreak preparedness and response

Representatives of the Member States agreed to strengthen mechanisms for the exchange of timely and accurate information on Ebola preparedness

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its nine neighbouring countries today, during a meeting of ministers, senior health and immigration officials and partners in Goma, endorsed a joint framework to strengthen cross-border collaboration on preparedness and response to Ebola virus and other disease outbreaks. Representatives of the 10…

More women and children survive today than ever before – UN report

The estimates also show vast inequalities worldwide, with women and children in sub-Saharan Africa facing a substantially higher risk of death than in all other regions

More women and their children are surviving today than ever before, according to new child and maternal mortality estimates released today by United Nations groups* led by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 2000, child deaths have reduced by nearly half and maternal deaths by over one-third, mostly…

Africa: Largest Cholera Vaccine Drive in History to Target Spike in Outbreaks

Two million people in five African countries to be protected against cholera

A spate of cholera outbreaks across Africa has prompted the largest cholera vaccination drive in history, with more than two million people across the continent set to receive oral cholera vaccine (OCV).     The vaccines, funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, were sourced from the global stockpile and are being…

Angola extends yellow fever vaccination campaign to Huambo and Benguela provinces

As Angola grapples with its worst yellow fever outbreak in decades, the Ministry of Health, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have extended the vaccination campaign beyond the capital Luanda into Huambo and Benguela – 2 of the other 5 provinces reporting local transmission. Since…