World Health Organization

AU Summit Focuses on Conflict Resolution and Self-Reliance

The 38th African Union Summit has commenced in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together leaders from all 55 member states. Key discussions will address ongoing conflicts across the continent and strategies to reduce dependence on foreign aid, especially in light of US funding cuts and its withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Additionally, the summit will see the election of a new AU chairperson, with Kenya’s Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali […]

13 February, 2025 20

Health / Medical

Health Ministry Confirmes Mpox Case in Angola

The Health ministry has confirmed a case of Mpox in Luanda Province, Angola. The affected individual, a Congolese citizen, has been isolated. The African Centers for Disease Control declared the outbreak a public health emergency, followed by the World Health Organization on August 13 and 14. Ben Nangombe is the Executive Director of the Ministry.

21 November, 2024 53

Africa

WHO Declares Mpox a Global Public Health Emergency Amid Congo Outbreak

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency on Wednesday, marking the second such declaration in two years reports Reuters. This decision follows an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has spread to neighboring countries. An emergency committee convened earlier in the day to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the severity of the situation, leading to the classification of the outbreak as a […]

15 August, 2024 31

Africa

Mpox cases are soaring in Africa – what must be done to prevent a global pandemic

By Cheryl Walter, University of Hull Alarmed by the surge in mpox cases, the Africa Centres for Disease Control has taken the unprecedented step of declaring the outbreak sweeping through African countries a continental public health emergency. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also meeting to decide whether to trigger its highest global alert level over the epidemic. These moves come after a virulent strain of the disease […]

13 August, 2024 45

World

WHO manages to evacuate about 85 sick patients from Gaza

The World Health Organization says it has managed to evacuate 85 sick and severely injured patients from Gaza to Abu Dhabi. This was the largest evacuation of patients from Gaza since the war broke out in October. Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations in New York.

2 August, 2024 54

Health / Medical

South African teens are struggling: Western Cape study shows 33% have symptoms of depression

By Mirriam Mkhize, University of Cape Town; Claire van der Westhuizen, University of Cape Town, and Katherine Sorsdahl, University of Cape Town In South Africa, little research has been done on depression and anxiety among younger adolescents, those between the ages of 10 and 14. Existing studies have primarily targeted older adolescents and those living with HIV. The age range of 10- to 14-year-olds […]

26 July, 2024 38

World

HIV breakthrough: drug trial shows injection twice a year is 100% effective against infection

By Linda-Gail Bekker, University of Cape Town A large clinical trial in South Africa and Uganda has shown that a twice-yearly injection of a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug gives young women total protection from HIV infection. The trial tested whether the six-month injection of lenacapavir would provide better protection against HIV infection than two other drugs, both daily pills. All three medications are pre-exposure prophylaxis (or […]

3 July, 2024 51

Africa

WHO Urges Urgent Action on Mpox Surge in Africa Amid Dangerous Congo Strain

The World Health Organization has called for urgent action to address the rising spread of mpox in Africa. Rosamund Lewis, WHO's technical lead for mpox, highlighted the critical need for intervention. Meanwhile, John Claude Udahemuka from the University of Rwanda warned about a highly dangerous strain in Congo's South Kivu province, a mutated version of the clade I mpox. This strain has fatality rates of approximately 5% in adults and […]

26 June, 2024 17

Health / Medical

What is cervical cancer and how can it be prevented? Answers to key questions

By Abba Mallum, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Beatrice M’mboga Akala, University of the Witwatersrand; Maureen Bilinga Tendwa, Rhodes University; Rakiya Saidu, University of Cape Town; Stephen Avery, University of Pennsylvania; Twalib Ngoma, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, and Wil Ngwa, Johns Hopkins University In 2020 the World Health Organization rolled out a global strategy to eradicate cervical cancer by 2030. This is the fourth-most […]

24 June, 2024 31