News Releases

With an acute public health event reported every four days on the continent, it is more important than ever before for African countries to be able to respond to health emergencies. African health ministers today adopted a 10-year regional strategy that aims to strengthen integrated disease surveillance and response and mitigate the devastating impact of outbreaks, such as Ebola.

The 69th session of WHO African Regional Committee adopts a strategic plan to reduce the double burden of malnutrition, particularly prevalent in countries undergoing “nutrition transformation” in which undernutrition and overweight or obesity coexist.

Africa marks three years without a case of wild poliovirus, crossing a landmark that sets in motion a comprehensive evaluation to determine if the entire WHO African Region of 47 countries indeed can be declared to have eradicated wild poliovirus.

The 47 Member States of the WHO African Region nominate Dr Matshidiso Moeti to serve a second five-year term as Regional Director for Africa.

The annual ministerial gathering shapes Africa's health agenda. During the five-day meeting ministers agreed to important decisions on improving disease surveillance and response, reducing malnutrition, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, controlling vector-borne diseases and strengthening district health systems.

The three winners of the first World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Innovation Challenge were honoured during an evening awards ceremony as part of the WHO Regional Committee meeting of health ministers taking place this week in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Given the massive numbers of people moving across the borders between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its neighbouring countries and that four of those countries are at high risk of imported Ebola virus disease, more than 35 of their government representatives met in Goma this week to forge stronger collaboration to keep a potential case from crossing over.

Only three of the 47 countries in WHO African Region are on track to eliminate viral hepatitis that affects one in 15 people in the region, according to a new WHO scorecard. Administration of the hepatitis B vaccination at birth and in early infancy is the most effective way to halt transmission, but only 11 countries are following this recommendation.

WHO officially recognizes Algeria as malaria-free. The certification is granted when a country proves that it has interrupted indigenous transmission of the disease for at least three consecutive years.

In an effort to counter rising obesity, Seychelles introduced a tax on drinks with a high sugar content. WHO encourages countries to enact laws promoting healthier populations.