Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Funding crisis threatens Africa’s fight against neglected tropical diseases

The economic cost of neglected tropical diseases is high for affected families

With chronic underfunding threatening Africa’s fight to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases, health officials and donors meeting for the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa have called for increased investments to end the neglected illnesses that affect nearly 400 million people in the region. This year, around…

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    • Nurse Peace (right) counsels a patient before she gets screened for cervical cancer at the RAiSE Foundation office in Niger State on 24 February 2021
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Deaths from noncommunicable diseases on the rise in Africa

The rising burden of noncommunicable diseases will exert pressure on treatment and care services

Noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are increasingly becoming the main cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where the diseases were responsible for 37% of deaths in 2019, rising from 24% in 2000 largely due to weaknesses in the implementation of critical control measures including prevention, diagnosis…

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    • Coronavirus – Africa: European Union funding boosts COVID-19 vaccination in Africa
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus – Africa: European Union funding boosts COVID-19 vaccination in Africa

The funding is part of the European Union’s (EU) humanitarian initiative for COVID-19 vaccination in Africa

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) is supporting the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) to boost COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and increase coverage in 15 African countries. With a total of €16 million from ECHO, WHO is supporting operational and technical aspects…

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    • Low funding, COVID-19 curtail tuberculosis fight in Africa
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Low funding, COVID-19 curtail tuberculosis fight in Africa

Every year the African region requires at least US$ 1.3 billion for TB prevention and treatment

Inadequate investment and funding for tuberculosis (TB) control in Africa is jeopardizing the efforts to meet the global target of ending the disease by 2030, while the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to roll back progress made so far in the continent, an assessment by World Health Organization (WHO) finds. Every year…

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    • WHO Representative in Uganda, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam (white shirt) and Mr. Henrik Jespersen, the Head of Cooperation, Royal Danish Embassy in Kampala exchange signed agreements as Hon Hanifa Kawooya (yellow) and Dr Diana Atwine (white and black) look on at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Kampala
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Uganda: Danish Government Extends Additional Financial support worth over 5 Billion Shillings Towards the COVID-19 Resurgence Response in Uganda

The grant is in addition to roughly UGX 9.3 billion, which was granted in April 2020 for the Emergency Response to COVID-19 outbreak in Uganda

The Government of Denmark through the Danish Embassy in Uganda has extended a grant worth 5 billion Uganda, Shillings, to the Government of Uganda through the World Health Organization (WHO) towards the implementation of the COVID-19 Resurgence Response Plan developed by the Ministry of Health. The one-year project will support…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Uganda: How Previous Ebola Virus Disease Outbreaks Helped Uganda Respond to COVID-19 Outbreak

Years of investment in human resources, equipment and modest infrastructure came in handy when COVID-19 struck giving the country a reasonably decent response to the outbreak

For many public health workers in Uganda, responding to disease outbreaks of epidemic potential in not new. This is because the country has been in preparedness and response modes for quite some time and its disease outbreak system has regularly been tested over the years. Uganda has had four Ebola…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus – Africa: COVID-19 cases top 10000 in Africa

World Health Organization (WHO) is working with governments across Africa to scale up their capacities in critical response areas

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has risen to more than 10 000 and caused more than 500 deaths. While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, infection has grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread. Reaching the…

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    • Nine African Countries Agree to Begin Journey Towards Pooled Procurement to Increase Their Access to Affordable Life-Saving Vaccines
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Nine African Countries Agree to Begin Journey Towards Pooled Procurement to Increase Their Access to Affordable Life-Saving Vaccines

Sharing information and ultimately pooling their orders will better leverage their individual purchasing power

Nine middle-income countries in Africa have agreed to work towards pooled procurement mechanisms by first sharing vital information on their vaccine purchasing practices, including the prices they pay and their suppliers. Sharing information and ultimately pooling their orders will better leverage their individual purchasing power and thus strengthen their vaccine…

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    • Moving from huge fears to busloads of visitors: A Guinean doctor remembers overcoming community mistrust to treat Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Moving from huge fears to busloads of visitors: A Guinean doctor remembers overcoming community mistrust to treat Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Many doctors and epidemiologists from Guinea have offered their skills and experience, through World Health Organization (WHO) teams, to other nations

Marie Claire Lamah is a doctor from the West Africa country of Guinea, whose people experienced a serious Ebola epidemic in 2014–2016. Many doctors and epidemiologists from Guinea have offered their skills and experience, through World Health Organization (WHO) teams, to other nations battling outbreaks of contagious disease. Many of…

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    • Joint External Evaluation Workshop group work
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Cabo Verde bets on preparedness to face emergencies

A workshop is being held from 2nd to 6th September, organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Security of Cabo Verde, with the technical and financial assistance of the World Health Organization

Cabo Verde began the process of conducting its Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to assess its capacity to implement the International Health Regulations (IHR - 2005). This exercise will enable the identification of good practices and opportunities for continuous improvement aiming at strengthening the essential capacities needed for the country to…