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WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Health profession regulators agree on education quality standards in Africa

The agreement comes at a critical time for the Region, which faces a projected shortage of 6.1 million health professionals by 2030, driven by high attrition, outmigration and persistent mismatches between training outputs and evolving population health needs

Health professions regulatory bodies, education leaders and technical experts from across the African Region have reached a landmark consensus on the Africa Health Professions Education Quality Standards (AHPEQS), establishing a shared continental framework to strengthen the quality, relevance and responsiveness of health professional training. The agreement comes at a critical time…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

African health ministers endorse framework to accelerate progress on oral health

The framework emphasizes that oral health must be recognized as a fundamental component of universal health coverage

African ministers of health gathering for the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa today adopted a pivotal framework to accelerate efforts to address oral health diseases that affect around 42% of the region’s population. The regional oral health framework, endorsed at the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Namibia: The Journey of Gobabis Primary School to becoming a Platinum Health Promoting School

The HPSI was introduced in Namibia in 1998 and the MoHSS and MoEAC have been working collaboratively in ensuring that the school health programme is cascaded to all Namibian schools

Mrs Regina Diergaardt, school principal of the Gobabis Primary School, shares the story of how her school has remained a health promoting school through the years despite numerous challenges.   “I have realized that if we take HPSI seriously, we will see a change in the behaviour of our learners who in…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Reversing Suicide, Mental Health Crisis in Africa

Around 11 people per 100 000 per year die by suicide in the African region, higher than the global average of nine per 100 000 people

World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a campaign to raise awareness and spur action for suicide prevention in the African region, which has the world’s highest rates of death by suicide. Around 11 people per 100 000 per year die by suicide in the African region, higher than the global…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Uganda: WHO works with the Army to educate a fishing community about COVID-19 in Uganda

Overall, the WHO-supported intervention managed to reach over 150 army officers and men, 300 fishermen, community leaders and community members

At Rwenshama point of entry on the shores of Lake Edward in Rukungiri district, western Uganda, it’s a warm windy day and the place is bustling with activity. At one end, many sailors in groups of over eight are standing by their boats and preparing their nets for the day’s…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Africa: WHO, UNICEF urge safe school reopening in Africa

School closures in sub-Saharan Africa could result in lifetime earning losses of US$ 4500 per child

The unprecedented and prolonged school closures aimed at keeping students safe from COVID-19 are harming them in other ways, World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said today, urging governments in Africa to promote the safe reopening of schools while taking measures to limit the spread of the virus. A WHO…

WHO Regional Office for Africa

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    • WHO Representative to Namibia, Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses handing over the COVID-19 medical supplies to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Namibia: WHO supports supplies for front line health workers

Health care workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 outbreak response and as such are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of infection

The first United Nations ‘Solidarity’ flight started delivering vital medical supplies from last week to all countries in Africa where these are needed the most.  The flight was facilitated by the World Food Programme and included WHO supported supplies of face shields, gloves, goggles, gowns, masks, medical aprons and thermometers. Supplies for…

WHO Regional Office for Africa

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    • Dr Onyibe (right) leading other personnel on contact tracing
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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Nigeria: Nigeria’s polio infrastructure bolster COVID-19 response

The polio programme was among their first calls for support for its human resources, technical expertise, disease surveillance and community networks, as well as its logistical capacity

When the Nigerian Government announced the first confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID-19) case in the country on the morning of February 27th, Dr Rosemary Onyibe was ready to report for duty. Dr Onyibe, who has worked with the Polio Eradication Initiative for more than 10 years, is the South West Nigeria…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - Africa: World Health Organization (WHO) urges African countries to scale up COVID-19 response

The African region is witnessing a rapid rise in the number of reported confirmed COVID-19 cases

The African region is witnessing a rapid rise in the number of reported confirmed COVID-19 cases, with a 25% daily increase over the past five days. Today, 39 countries reported a total of 216 cases in the past 24 hours, this a significant increase from a month ago, when one…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Rapid Response Teams are racing against the spread of COVID in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already helped train 1,500 Kenyan health workers in various health facilities to prepare for just this situation

When the Kenyan Government announced the country’s first case of COVID-19, clinician Jackson Njoroge was already hard at work.  He and his colleagues from the Kenyan Ministry of Health’s Rapid Response Team had already drawn up a list of people who might have come into contact with the first patient. …