Seychelles News

Victoria, Seychelles, 15th April 2015 - The Seychelles has embarked on a national mapping survey for Soil Transmitted Helminthes (STH) or otherwise known as intestinal worm infections. Funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO), this initiative is part of the global 2020 Neglected Tropical Disease Goals aimed at accelerating work in all countries to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

Victoria, Seychelles, 15th April 2015 - Seychelles has a concentrated epidemic of HIV. This means that though the prevalence is less than 1% in the general population, some special population have high incidence rates.

So much is therefore being done to try to prevent and even reduce the cases of HIV and AIDS amongst the whole population as well as targeting high risk groups such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, intravenous drug users, migrant workers and adolescents.

Under the theme ‘Vaccination: A gift for life’, Seychelles joined the rest of the African region to celebrate African Vac-cination Week from the 24th to 30th April 2015. This year’s commemoration in the Seychelles focused more on raising awareness and reinforcing immunisation health messages to various target groups, with the objective of further strengthening immunization programmes and coverage in the country.

The Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, aims to ensure that maternity facilities become centres to protect, promote & support breastfeeding. The initiative has measurable and proven impact, increasing the likelihood of babies being exclusively breastfed for the first six months.

Victoria, Seychelles, 20 January 2016 -- The Minister of Health (MOH) signed the biennial plan of work for the period 2016 – 2017 at a media event held on Friday 16th January 2017. The plan was formally approved by Minister Mitcy Larue in the presence of senior Ministry of Health officials and the media, following the endorsement of the plan by the Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti. The signed plan was handed over by the Minister of Health on behalf of the Government of Seychelles to the World Health Organization acting WHO Liaison Officer for Seychelles Dr.

Seychelles joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Health Day under the theme “Beat Diabetes” in a series of activities throughout the week. The activities were organised by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and other key partners including various other ministries and agencies.

Victoria, Seychelles, 17 April 2016 - will remain an important date in the history of immunisation in Seychelles. This is because April 17th was Seychelles national ‘Switch’ date, where the country ceased the use of all trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) and started using bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). Following Rwanda, Seychelles became the second country in Africa to ‘switch’.

Victoria, Seychelles, 29th April 2016 - Equitable and sustainable health financing is a key component of any health system and disease-specific preventive programmes. In the Seychelles, primary health care is free at the point of use for all citizens. To efficiently deliver this service, health care is financed almost entirely through general taxation and social security contributions. The Ministry of Health (MoH) receives one of highest budgetary allocations every year. In 2014 for example MoH received Rs535,400,00.

Victoria, Seychelles, 29th April 2016 - Following its commitment to implement the Global Polio Eradication Strategy, on the 1st of September 2015 Seychelles  joined the global effort to introduce the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) into its routine immunization schedule. The vaccine is being administered to all children at the age of four months along with their second dose of DPT-HepB-Hib and oral polio vaccine (OPV2).

Rotavirus causes severe diarrhea and is often fatal in children before the age of five years.  It is a public health concern in developing countries, and the Seychelles is not an exception. The first infection is usually most severe with subsequent infections being milder. An effective vaccine administered to  infants could therefore save many lives.  However before introducing the vaccine, the knowledge of disease burden and of circulating genotypes is essential and can only be done through a network of effective supervision.