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World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

World Health Organization (WHO) Launches New Initiative to Stop the Spread of Invasive Malaria Vector in Africa

An. stephensi has been expanding its range over the last decade, with detections reported in Djibouti (2012), Ethiopia and Sudan (2016), Somalia (2019) and Nigeria (2020)

In a 2019 vector alert, WHO identified the spread of Anopheles stephensi as a significant threat to malaria control and elimination – particularly in Africa, where the disease hits hardest. A new WHO initiative, launched today, aims to stop the further spread of this invasive mosquito species in the region. Originally native to parts…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Monkeypox: Experts Give Virus Variants New Names

The monkeypox virus was named upon first discovery in 1958, before current best practices in naming diseases and viruses were adopted

A group of global experts convened by WHO has agreed on new names for monkeypox virus variants, as part of ongoing efforts to align the names of the monkeypox disease, virus and variants—or clades—with current best practices. The experts agreed to name the clades using Roman numerals. The monkeypox virus…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

World Health Organization (WHO) Launches Appeal to Respond to Urgent Health Needs in the Greater Horn of Africa

Millions of lives are in peril, including children. US$ 123.7 million is needed for the health agency’s response until December 2022

The health and lives of people in the greater Horn of Africa are threatened as the region faces an unprecedented food crisis. In order to carry out urgent, life-saving work, WHO is today launching a funding appeal for US$ 123.7 million. Over 80 million people in the 7 countries spanning the region…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Kenya, WHO Launch Bold Initiative to Transform Africa’s Health Emergency Response

WHO analysis finds that fewer than 10% of countries in the African region have the workforce required to prepare, detect and respond to public health risks

The Government of Kenya and the World Health Organization (WHO) held a ground-breaking ceremony today in Nairobi for a WHO Health Emergency Hub, which will include a Centre of Excellence for the Health Emergency Workforce, laying the cornerstone for a wider initiative that aims to change the way the continent…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

WHO intensifies response to looming health crisis in the greater Horn of Africa as food insecurity worsens

The health risks in the region are increasing, while access to health care is deteriorating

WHO is scaling up its operations in eastern Africa as the region faces acute food insecurity caused by conflict, extreme weather events – including the worst drought in 40 years – induced by climate change, rising international food and fuel prices and the impact of the pandemic. Over 80 million…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Bolstering Monkeypox Laboratory Testing in Africa

The continent has, as of 28 June, reported 1821 cases in 13 countries of which 109 are laboratory confirmed in nine countries

With three African countries with no previous history of human monkeypox transmission reporting cases, World Health Organization (WHO) is working with national health authorities in the region to bolster surveillance and laboratory diagnosis to detect cases and deter a silent spread of the virus. The continent has, as of 28…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Aiming to stop the risk of cholera transmission in Juba

Cholera spread through contaminated food and water and it can spread quickly and widely in overcrowded, unclean conditions

With support from WHO and Health Cluster partners, the Ministry of Health is targeting to vaccinate over 633 000 people against cholera in Juba county of South Sudan. "The oral cholera vaccine (OCV) confer immunity up to a maximum of three years. We appreciate the efforts of the state Ministry…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Elimination of Human African Trypanosomiasis as a Public Health Problem Validated in Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea has now been validated by WHO as being the latest country to eliminate the gambiense form of the disease as a public health problem

Efforts to eliminate human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, are continuing to show excellent progress, in line with the targets set out in WHO’s 2030 road map for the control, elimination and eradication of neglected tropical diseases. Human African trypanosomiasis has two principal forms, referred to as…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

WHO Director-General's Opening Address at the World Health Assembly

Reported cases have declined significantly from the peak of the Omicron wave in January of this year

The pandemic is most certainly not over. This virus has surprised us at every turn – a storm that has torn through communities again and again, and we still can’t predict its path, or its intensity. We lower our guard at our peril. Almost one billion people in lower-income countries remain unvaccinated.  Only…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Disease outbreak news: Monkeypox - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The West African clade of monkeypox was identified in the two confirmed cases

Situation at a glance On 13 May 2022, WHO was notified of two laboratory confirmed cases and one probable case of monkeypox, from the same household, in the United Kingdom. On 15 May, four additional laboratory confirmed cases have been reported amongst Sexual Health Services attendees presenting with a vesicular…