[WHO Africa Regional Office] In a strong move for the African state, the Ethiopian Parliament has passed landmark excise tax legislation on tobacco with the express aim of curbing smoking in the country – resulting in some of the strongest taxes on tobacco products on the continent. As a result of the legislation, Ethiopia has […] Continue reading ->
The Director General of the World Health Organization today decided that the smoldering Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should remain a “public health emergency of international concern,” following recommendations from a committee of experts convened under the International Health Regulations. The last embers of the 1.5 year long outbreak appeared to […] Continue reading ->
The number of new Ebola virus cases in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shot up to 27 confirmed cases in the last week, triple the number of 9 confirmed cases reported between 27 November to 3 December. The recent surge in cases comes in the wake of insecurity and a […] Continue reading ->
Nairobi, Kenya (6 December 2019) – An International Conference on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) ended in Nairobi on Friday with calls for increased research, resources and strengthened cross border partnerships to accelerate the elimination of the diseases. The three day inaugural conference in Africa brought together some 230 participants including scientists, researchers, policy makers and […] Continue reading ->
African leaders, scientists, and activists are mobilizing to address the scientific, political, and social challenges inherent to ending the HIV epidemic. That was the key message as the 20th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) kicked off on Monday in Kigali, Rwanda under the theme, “AIDS-free Africa: Innovation, Community and Political Leadership.” […] Continue reading ->
Efforts to eliminate river blindness, a debilitating parasitic disease that causes vision loss in 1.15 million people, may be threatened by another infection known as African eye worm, according to a modelling study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. While the World Health Organization has set a target to eliminate river blindness in most African countries […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization and African Union have signed a sweeping Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on improving access to medicines, strengthening epidemic preparedness, and expanding universal health coverage across the African continent. These are the three main pillars of the MOU signed Monday by the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and African Union Chair […] Continue reading ->