First Regional Rehabilitation Meeting for Africa: Advancing Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology in the Africa Region

Hosted by the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, the meeting brought together leaders from ministries of health and healthcare professionals from nineteen African nations

The first Regional Rehabilitation Meeting for Africa took place from November 21st to November 23rd, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hosted by the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, the meeting brought together leaders from ministries of health and healthcare professionals from nineteen African nations. Organized by the World Health Organization…

Coronavirus: Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine uptake increases by 15%

A mass vaccination campaign in Ethiopia, for instance, pushed up the number of doses administered by 136% between 23 January and 6 March 2022

Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine uptake rose by 15% between January and February as several countries embarked on mass vaccination drives to expand coverage and protect populations against the adverse health impacts of the virus. Around 62 million doses were administered across the continent in February up from 54 million in January.…

Helping diabetic patients live positively

Ethiopian Diabetes Association (EDA) works to empower diabetic patients, their families, and the wider public through up-to-date information on diabetes prevention care and the right kind of treatment

Ketsela Asmare is a nurse counselor at the Ethiopian Diabetes Association (EDA), where she has been working since the year 2000.  Driven by her passion to help people, Ketsela started volunteering at the Association as a teenager, several years prior to joining as staff.  When asked how she decided to…

Ethiopia launches the first ever nOPV2 vaccination campaign alongside commemoration of World Polio Day

State Minister of Health, Honorable Dr Dereje Duguma urged health workers, partners, religious leaders, parents, caregivers, and other stakeholders to support this campaign

On 22 October 2021, Ethiopia launched a polio vaccination campaign with type 2 novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) targeting over 17 million under-five children aiming to end the circulation of vaccine-derived poliovirus. The campaign was officially launched by the Ministry of Health and polio partners in Hawassa, Sidama, alongside the…

WHO Logistics Hub Airlifts its Largest Single Shipment of Humanitarian Cargo to Ethiopia

WHO and partners are working closely to address the health needs of nearly 2.5 million people in the current crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) Logistics Hub in Dubai delivered 85 metric tons of life-saving medical supplies to Ethiopia, the largest single shipment of humanitarian cargo to date airlifted by the Hub. The supplies including essential medicines, trauma and surgical medicines, infusions, consumables equipment and cholera kits were flown by…

Ethiopia to vaccinate 2 million against cholera in Tigray region

The vaccination drive, which began on 10 June, will cover 13 priority districts in Tigray

Ethiopia today officially launched a preventive oral cholera vaccination campaign targeting 2 million people aged 1 year and above in Tigray region in the north of the country to avert a potential outbreak. The vaccination drive, which began on 10 June, will cover 13 priority districts in Tigray and is…

Coronavirus - African countries face high risk of COVID-19 resurgence

Three countries face very high risk of COVID-19 resurgence, 20 face high, 22 moderate risk, and only one country faces low risk, according to the risk assessment of 46 countries

The risk of COVID-19 resurgence remains high in several African countries due to poor adherence to public health measures, mass gatherings, low testing and vaccination rates, an analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown. Three countries face very high risk of COVID-19 resurgence, 20 face high, 22 moderate…

COVID-19 cases in Africa to top 4 million, vaccine rollout underway

Following a second wave which peaked at much higher numbers than Africa’s first surge, new case numbers declined for five weeks, and then plateaued during the past three weeks

Africa is poised to surpass 4 million COVID-19 infections this week since the continent’s first confirmed case in February 2020. The year-long battle against the virus, which has also claimed over 106 000 lives, is now receiving a crucial boost with the arrival of vaccines through the COVAX Facility –…

COVID-19 Hits Life-Saving Health Services in Africa

A new wave of COVID-19 infections could further disrupt life-saving health services, which are only now recovering from the initial impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to key health services in Africa, raising worries that some of the continent’s major health challenges could worsen. The preliminary analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) of five key essential health service indicators that include outpatient consultation, inpatient admission, skilled birth…

Coronavirus - Africa: Decrease in COVID-19 deaths in the African Region

The number of COVID-19 cases in the WHO African Region is now at 1,262,476, with 28,601 deaths. The number of new deaths decreased by 37%, with South Africa reporting 46% of total. For more detailed analysis, read our most recent COVID-19 Situation Report. 10 countries account for 86% (1,080,986) of…