WHO Regional Office for Africa / Press Release

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | May 28, 2025

Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi appointed World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa

Professor Janabi expressed gratitude and pledged to intensify efforts to improve the health of the people of the African Region

The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board today appointed Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi as Regional Director of WHO African Region following his nomination during a Special Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held on 18 May 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. “I offer my warm congratulations to Professor Mohamed…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | May 19, 2025

Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi of Tanzania nominated as next director of World Health Organization (WHO) African Region

Professor Janabi’s nomination will be submitted for appointment by the 157th session of the WHO Executive Board, which takes place from 28 to 29 May 2025 in Geneva

Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi was today nominated as the next Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region during a Special Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Geneva ahead of the World Health Assembly. The Special Session by Member States of the WHO African…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | May 17, 2025

World Health Organization (WHO) Strengthens Field Presence and Support to Cholera Response During High Level Visit to Kwanza Sul and Benguela

The visit highlighted the importance of a whole-of-society response to cholera, one that not only treats the disease but addresses its root causes: lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and health services

As part of ongoing efforts to support Angola’s fight against the cholera outbreak and to reinforce regional health systems, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Angola, Dr Indrajit Hazarika, conducted a field mission to the provinces of Kwanza Sul and Benguela this week. The visit served to strengthen collaboration…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | May 05, 2025

Midwives in South Sudan provide a lifeline in times of calm and crisis

This is especially important as the country reports one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, with 692 maternal deaths for every 100 000 live births

Midwives play a critical role in South Sudan, facilitating antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and postnatal care for mothers and newborns to prevent death and promote a healthy future for both mothers and children. This is especially important as the country reports one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally,…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Apr 27, 2025

The end of Ebola outbreak in Uganda demonstrates World Health Organization (WHO)’s value in controlling and stopping diseases

With the international imperative to prevent cross-border transmission, health workers were rapidly reoriented, thermal scanners were deployed, and screening protocols were enforced at 13 key entry points, especially at Entebbe International Airport

Uganda has officially declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak, which was confirmed on 30 January 2025 by Uganda’s Ministry of Health. The outbreak infected 14 people, two of whom were probable (not confirmed by laboratory tests) and caused four deaths (including two probable). Disease outbreaks, such as Ebola,…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Apr 25, 2025

Digitalization is revolutionising Mozambique’s malaria response

The country’s Ministry of Health faced an enormous challenge of dealing with large volumes of data from several different areas of its malaria control programme

Filipe Basílio, officer in charge of monitoring and evaluation in Mozambique’s malaria programme in the northern Nampula Province recalls the laborious task of data collection and analysis in his day-to-day work: "All record-keeping tools were manual and it used to take a long time for the data to reach the…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Apr 25, 2025

Vaccination progress helps save millions of lives in African region

Africa has also made tremendous progress in the fight against polio, recording a 93% decline in circulating variant poliovirus type 1 cases from 2023 to 2024 and a 65% decrease in variant poliovirus type 1 cases in just the past year

An increase in vaccine coverage in Africa is helping protect millions of people from life-threatening diseases such as measles, polio and cervical cancer. In 2023, vaccination saved at least 1.8 million lives in the African region, nearly half the global figure of 4.2 million. These advancements have been possible thanks…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Apr 18, 2025

African health experts commit to accelerate efforts to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases

WHO is working closely with Member States and partners to adapt public health strategies, enhance surveillance, and ensure timely responses to evolving NTDs challenges

African health experts have renewed commitment to accelerate efforts to end Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) that continue to affect over a billion people globally, 40% of whom live in the African region. Meeting in Togo from 15 to 17 April 2025 for the NTD Programme Managers meeting, the experts also…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Apr 17, 2025

Health ministers launch landmark polio vaccination campaign to protect 83 million children in Lake Chad Basin

Over 50% of the polio cases reported in Chad in 2024 are linked to the strain circulating in Cameroon, underlining the importance of coordination and synchronization of polio response efforts

In a renewed effort to eradicate circulating polio variant type 2 in the Lake Chad Basin, Ministers of Health from Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Nigeria launched today a synchronized regional vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 83 million under 5 children. The initiative is a crucial milestone…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Apr 09, 2025

Africa faces critical shortage of oral health workers amid rising disease burden

The WHO Africa regional oral heath workforce fact sheet will serve as a reference for policymakers and a wide range of stakeholders

Africa faces a chronic shortage of oral health workers due to underinvestment, leaving millions of people without adequate care and vulnerable to preventable oral diseases, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) workforce fact sheet on oral health released today. The WHO fact sheet states that the region has been experiencing the…

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