WHO Regional Office for Africa / Press Release

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Feb 24, 2026

Newly released 2025 scorecard unveils progress and setbacks on health and gender equality across Southern Africa

First developed in 2019, the scorecard serves as a social accountability tool and uses a "traffic light" system to track 20 indicators

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has launched its biennial scorecard, a critical tool that tracks progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across its 16 Member States. New data, including from demographic health surveys, shows great strides in improving the sexual and reproductive health of people across the…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Feb 23, 2026

World Health Organization (WHO) convenes global experts in Brazzaville to strengthen clinical care for filovirus diseases

The continent bears the heaviest burden of FVD outbreaks, with increasing frequency in recent years

As outbreaks of Filovirus Disease (FVD) continue to regularly affect countries across Africa and in efforts to increase preparedness capacities, the World Health Organization (WHO) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has convened 50 clinicians, researchers and public health specialists globally and partners for a five-day Filovirus Disease Optimized Supportive Care…

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

Improving access to maternal health care in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, improving access to obstetric care is a major strategic focus in the efforts to curb maternal mortality

"During my first pregnancy three years ago, I had to travel 45 km just to have get an ultrasound. I had to pay for transport, wait for an appointment and sometimes even go to a private clinic and pay 10 000 CFA francs. Between the cost of transport and the…

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Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Jul 21, 2025

Advancing access to sexual and reproductive health services in South Sudan

Health authorities, with support from WHO and partners, have focused on expanding access to care that responds to people’s needs, choices and rights, through resilient primary health systems

In an effort to address severely limited access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, has been implementing several initiatives to expand access in seven of its 10 states. Years of overlapping…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Jul 10, 2025

Zimbabwe undertakes second Joint External Evaluation to strengthen National Health Security

The JEE is a voluntary, collaborative process used globally to assess a country's readiness to manage infectious disease outbreaks and other health emergencies

From 29 June to 4 July 2025, Zimbabwe conducted its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to assess the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats under the International Health Regulations (2005). The JEE, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with support from…

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 08, 2025

African region’s maternal and newborn mortality declining, but progress still slow

Despite a 40% decline in maternal mortality, from 727 to 442 deaths per 100 000 live births between 2000 and 2023, the region still accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths

The African region has made progress in lowering maternal mortality since 2000 but needs a 12-fold increase in the annual reduction rate to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030, new estimates by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Feb 04, 2025

Urgent action needed to reinforce breast cancer control measures in Africa: World Health Organization (WHO) report

The WHO report underscores the urgent need for investment in leadership, governance and financing as fundamental steps

An estimated 135 000 women could lose their lives to breast cancer by 2040 in sub-Saharan Africa if urgent actions are not taken to reverse the trends, a new World Health Organization (WHO) report finds. The WHO study assessed breast cancer control capacities in 42 of the 47 countries within…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Nov 27, 2024

New step in African region’s efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), syphilis and hepatitis B

Over 21.3 million people are now on life-saving antiretroviral treatment, and in Eastern and Southern Africa, 90% of pregnant women receive antiretroviral therapy to protect their babies from HIV

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa has launched a Regional Validation Committee for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B virus, marking a pivotal moment in ensuring a healthier future for every mother and child across Africa. The Regional Validation Committee has a…

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa | Aug 29, 2024

African health ministers, partners urge equitable access to critical tools to curb cervical cancer threat

Of the more than 76 000 cervical cancer deaths globally in 2022, the most updated data available, nearly a quarter (23%) were in Africa

Inequitable access to vaccines and high-performance screening tools is hampering efforts to effectively reduce the growing burden of cervical cancer in the African region, which accounts for the highest rates of new cases and deaths due to the disease. Despite being preventable and treatable through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and…

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