Since late September 2024, the Afar region of Ethiopia—particularly Awash Fentale and Dulecha woredas in Zone 3—has experienced a significant increase in seismic activity. The situation reached a peak in December and intensified again in early 2025, with up to 14 earthquakes recorded in a single day, including a magnitude 5.8 tremor. The tremors, ranging

The Gambella region has successfully concluded a comprehensive Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign, marking a critical milestone in the ongoing fight against the cholera outbreak that has impacted multiple districts. Launched at the end of March, the campaign aimed to reach more than 990 communities, with strong coordination between federal and regional health authorities. With

As countries around the world observed World Health Day on April 7, 2025, Botswana used the moment to reflect on its maternal health journey and renew its commitment to ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths. The national commemoration, jointly hosted by WHO Botswana and the Ministry of Health, brought together government officials, health experts, development

Pretoria – Each year, more than 8 million people worldwide lose their lives to tobacco-related diseases including over 1 million due to second-hand smoke. These are not just numbers; they are parents, siblings, children, and friends. As a parent and grandparent, I worry deeply about the world we are leaving behind for our children. The

Entebbe. Uganda and 13 other countries in Eastern Africa have successfully concluded a three-day joint simulation on outbreak preparedness and response.  With more than 50 participants, including specialists in case management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infection prevention and control, and logistics, the simulation exercises took place inside the Infectious Diseases Treatment Module (IDTM), an innovative

The Kingdom of Eswatini is making notable strides in its fight against cervical cancer through the successful implementation of a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program. Launched in June 2023, the initiative targets girls aged 9 to 14 years, aiming to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women

Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board today appointed Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi as Regional Director of WHO African Region following his nomination during a Special Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held on 18 May 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. “I offer my warm congratulations to Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi, and

Mbabane - To cultivate a healthy and productive population, the Kingdom of   Eswatini successfully conducted a nationwide vaccination catch-up campaign as part of the 2025 African Vaccination Week (AVW) commemoration.  The campaign, conducted from 5-9 May 2025, reached 5,181 children with essential vaccines, a major milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to close immunization

Ana Rita's life has improved since she started attending regular appointments at the local health unit in Assomada, on the island of Santiago. She is returning to normal life after a stroke she suffered during the covid-19 pandemic and is benefiting significantly from the country's efforts to improve care for the elderly. “I feel welcomed at

As Ghana faces a rising tide of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), the need for early prevention and evidence-based interventions has never been more urgent. In recent years, conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers have been on the rise — many linked to unhealthy behaviours that begin in childhood and adolescence. Poor dietary

As Malawi celebrates its first anniversary after officially closing its reimported wild poliovirus (WPV1) outbreak, the country is taking strategic steps to sustain hard-won gains and strengthen its broader health system. On 24 April 2025, health leaders, partners, and stakeholders gathered for the National Polio Transition Planning meeting, an important milestone in ensuring that the

Brazzaville/Amman/Geneva – For nearly a decade, the Horn of Africa has battled persistent outbreaks of variant poliovirus. Low immunity in children and unmonitored population movement have fuelled poliovirus spread. At a programmatic level, the lack of access to children living in insecure areas, variable levels of national ownership of polio eradication efforts across countries, limited