Latest news with #ChikweIhekweazu
Zawya
29-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Hon. Aden Duale Hosts World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Acting Regional Director for Bilateral Talks
Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale today held bilateral discussions with the World Health Organization (WHO) Acting Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who paid him a courtesy call at his office. The talks focused on sustainable responses to Kenya's multiple and complex public health emergencies, including Mpox, Cholera, Kala-azar, Polio, and Measles, which continue to exert pressure on the healthcare system. The meeting also reviewed progress on the operationalization of the Kenya National Public Health Institute (NPHI), a key body coordinating disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and response. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to support the NPHI in alignment with its public health mandate. Hon. Duale appreciated WHO's longstanding support to Kenya's health sector and called for enhanced collaboration in emergency logistics and supplies, health worker training and capacity building, as well as community-based surveillance and risk communication. These areas are crucial to advancing the Universal Health Coverage agenda. The CS was joined by Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga, Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, Ag. DG, NPHI Dr Maureen Kamene and Dr. Stephen K. Muleshe, Senior Deputy Director, Office of International Health Relations, MOH. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Zawya
26-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Uganda declares end of Ebola outbreak
Uganda today declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak, less than three months after the virus was confirmed in the capital Kampala. During this outbreak, 14 cases, 12 confirmed and two not confirmed through laboratory tests (probable), were reported. Four deaths, two confirmed and two probable, occurred. Ten people recovered from the infection. A total of 534 people were identified as having been in contact with the confirmed and probable cases and were closely monitored. The last confirmed patient was discharged on 15 March 2025, triggering the 42-day countdown to officially declare the end of the outbreak, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. This was Uganda's second Ebola outbreak in less than three years. It was confirmed on 30 January 2025. The country's long-standing experience in managing outbreaks enabled a fast, coordinated, and effective response. With support from WHO and partners, the Ministry of Health activated national coordination structures, deployed rapid response teams, strengthened surveillance systems and established treatment units. Border health measures, particularly in Kampala and at points of entry, were reinforced to prevent cross-border transmission. WHO mobilized more than 130 national and international staff to support the response in the areas of case investigation, contact tracing, laboratory diagnostics, and case management. More than 1500 samples were tested with WHO providing logistics, training and quality assurance to ensure biosafety. WHO also facilitated the deployment of Emergency Medical Teams and anthropologists to reduce stigma, build trust and work with affected communities, which was critical in driving behaviour change. 'This outbreak challenged us in new ways. It touched both urban and rural communities across the country and unfolded against the backdrop of significant global funding constraints,' said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa. The response demonstrated Uganda's long-standing leadership in tackling public health emergencies. As WHO, we are extremely proud to have supported these efforts every step of the way.' The Ebola strain that has been contained in Uganda is of the Sudan virus disease (SVD) subtype. This strain is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. In past outbreaks, SVD killed 4 in 10 of the people infected. Despite the absence of licensed countermeasures against this species of Ebola, candidate vaccines are in various phases of clinical trials. Within four days of the government's declaration of the outbreak, a randomized clinical trial for vaccine safety and efficacy using the ring vaccination approach was launched. In addition, the administration of Remdesivir treatment under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Experimental Interventions (MEURI) protocol was initiated. 'Uganda's leadership and resilience were crucial in containing this outbreak,' said Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative in Uganda. From day one, WHO worked hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health, deploying expertise, providing essential supplies, and ensuring every suspected case was investigated. The people of Uganda have shown extraordinary resolve.' Although the outbreak is over, the Ministry of Health, with continued support from WHO and partners, will continue investing in surveillance, survivor care, and preparedness to ensure Uganda remains safe. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization - Uganda.
Zawya
25-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Vaccination progress helps save millions of lives in African region
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 to government efforts and the support from partners including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and others. More than 5 million 'zero-dose' children – children who have not received a single dose of an essential routine vaccine – in the African region have been vaccinated since 2024 through the 'Big Catch-Up' initiative launched in 2023 in 24 priority countries to protect communities from vaccine-preventable outbreaks, save children's lives and strengthen national health systems. Despite a growing birth cohort between 2022 and 2023, the region recorded a two-percentage-point increase in the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) immunization coverage among 1-year-olds, from 72% to 74%, an important sign of recovery in routine immunization services post-COVID-19. This progress means that amid a rising number of births, governments are vaccinating more children each year than ever before. Notable gains were seen in Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda. In addition, more girls than ever are being protected against cervical cancer, a disease that kills a woman every two minutes worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage (one dose) has increased to 40% in 2023 up from 28% the year before – making Africa the region with the second highest coverage rate globally, empowering millions of girls to fulfil their potential. 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. This year, World Immunization Week/African Vaccination Week, which is being marked under the theme Immunization For All is Humanly Possible, aims to promote the life-saving power of immunization to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases. 'We have made great progress in expanding vaccination and saving lives, thanks to the dedication of governments and partners. But we still have more ground to cover. We must sustain and expand these life-saving efforts to build a stronger, healthier future for all,' said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa. Despite the progress, challenges persist in reaching children in the region. One in four children remain under-vaccinated (missing out on key routine vaccines) and one out of five children are unvaccinated, with many countries facing recurring outbreaks, particularly of measles – a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease. These gaps, which leave the region vulnerable, can be attributed to persistent barriers including limited access to healthcare in remote areas often due to conflict and instability, logistical and cold chain constraints, vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation, and insufficient funding for immunization programs. These challenges are further compounded by disruptions caused by public health emergencies. 'The progress seen across African countries—bolstered by an unprecedented record of co-financing toward vaccine programmes in 2024 by African governments—demonstrates the tangible impact of sustained commitment,' said Thabani Maphosa, Chief Country Delivery Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. 'However, this momentum must not stall. Conflict, population growth, displacement, and natural disasters are creating ideal conditions for outbreaks to emerge and spread. Investing in immunization and securing sufficient funding for Gavi to carry out its mission over the next five years is essential to protect our collective future.' Building on the gains in Africa, Gavi has launched an ambitious five year strategy, 'Gavi 6.0' which is anchored on three key pillars: protecting the world against pandemics and disease outbreaks; protecting people by vaccinating more children against more diseases than ever before - including reaching 50 million children with the malaria vaccine by 2030; and protecting communities by reducing the number of zero-dose children. A successful replenishment for Gavi will enable the Vaccine Alliance –a coalition of partners that includes 39 African governments - to implement this impactful 6.0 strategy and will enable countries to protect and advance the progress that has been made to date. Full engagement across the Alliance to obtain the necessary funding over the next few months will be critical. 2025 also marks the mid-point of the Immunization Agenda 2030, which aims to prevent diseases, promote equity and build strong immunization programmes. To achieve these goals, African governments and partners are encouraged to accelerate progress towards reducing zero-dose children, increase routine immunisation coverage, accelerate malaria vaccine introductions and expand access to HPV vaccines. Maintaining the progress achieved in immunization over the years will also require regional commitment to implement key strategies. These include increasing investment in health systems and infrastructure for effective vaccine delivery; enhancing surveillance systems to respond swiftly to outbreaks; addressing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation; bolstering domestic funding for immunization programmes; increasing the use of innovation and technology for better vaccine delivery; and investing in research and development for vaccine development. In 2024, Gavi and partners launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financing mechanism established to make up to US$ 1.2 billion available over ten years to accelerate the expansion of commercially viable vaccine manufacturing in Africa. Two new collaborations under this initiative were signed earlier this year, in a positive step towards enhanced regional health security. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
Zawya
18-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
African health experts commit to accelerate efforts to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases
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 set in motion discussions and collaborations aimed at driving bold and more strategic approaches to end NTDs in Africa. The African region is home to twenty of the 21 recognized NTDs, including river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, and several skin diseases that disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginalized communities. These diseases can cause severe disabilities, social stigma, and even death. Despite progress in recent years, all 47 countries in the WHO African Region remain endemic for at least one NTD, and 37 are battling five or more concurrently. 'We must step up our efforts while ensuring that no one is left behind,' said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa. 'As we reach the mid-point of the 2021–2030 NTD Roadmap, it's not just a moment of reflection—it's a call to action.' The three-day hybrid meeting brought together over 45 national programme managers and various stakeholders, including global health partners and civil society organizations. The health leaders committed to enhance country leadership and increase domestic financing for NTD programmes to ensure long-term sustainability, accelerate the adoption of innovative diagnostic tools, digital technologies, and treatment methods to improve disease prevention, detection and patient care, strengthen national and community-based surveillance systems to track disease outbreaks and monitor progress more effectively and develop concrete national action plans to address persistent gaps in access to prevention and treatment services, particularly in underserved populations. The meeting, organized with support from the Kuwait Fund and other partners, was an opportunity for participants to reflect on key milestones, identify challenges, and shape effective strategies for NTD elimination. Representing the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Togo, Dr Wotobe Kokou commended the country's leadership in eliminating four NTDs—Guinea Worm, Lymphatic Filariasis, Human African Trypanosomiasis, and Trachoma—making Togo the first in the region to achieve this milestone. 'These successes are the result of strong political commitment, close collaboration with our partners, and exemplary community engagement. They demonstrate that with concerted efforts and innovative strategies, eliminating neglected tropical diseases is possible,' he said. Dr Amadou Bailo Diallo, WHO Representative in Togo, also lauded Togo's achievements and reaffirmed the importance of multisectoral and community-centered approaches in fighting NTDs. 'With funding cuts and climate change posing emerging threats to global health programmes, including NTD elimination efforts, addressing NTDs requires not just innovative strategies, but targeted support that focuses on the most vulnerable communities.' Dr Dorothy Achu, Team Lead for Tropical Vector-Borne Diseases at WHO Regional Office for Africa. 'We must ensure diseases disproportionately affecting the poorest and most marginalized populations receive needed attention and resources, particularly those that can be eliminated. With sustained efforts, we can end the burden of NTDs on Africa's communities'. WHO is working closely with Member States and partners to adapt public health strategies, enhance surveillance, and ensure timely responses to evolving NTDs challenges. By convening NTD stakeholders, disseminating guidelines, strengthening governance, and providing technical support in strategic and operational planning, policy development, capacity building, and strengthening surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation systems, the Programme Managers' meeting is a WHO initiative aimed at supporting country leadership and governance, with ongoing support from the Regional Programme Advisory Group The 2025 NTD Programme Managers' Meeting reinforces the commitment of the WHO AFRO and its partners to eliminate NTDs and improve the health and well-being of communities across the African Region. The meeting significantly contributes to aligning national and regional efforts with the global roadmap for NTD elimination and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With renewed momentum, African countries are signalling a united front to bring an end to these preventable and treatable diseases. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
Zawya
09-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Africa faces critical shortage of oral health workers amid rising disease burden
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 highest increased number of cases of oral diseases like dental caries, gum diseases, and tooth loss over the last three decades across all WHO regions. In 2021, around 42% of the population in the African region suffered from untreated oral diseases. This is compounded by a chronic shortage of health workers to address diseases burden. For example, between 2014 and 2019, the number of dentists and the number of oral health workers, including dentists, dental assistants/therapists and dental prosthetists per 10 000 population in the Region was one tenth and one sixth of the global ratio, respectively. In 2022, the region had only about 57 000 oral health professionals, representing a mere 1.11% of the total health workforce in the region and a ratio of 0.37 professionals per 10,000 people. This figure falls far below the 1.33 oral health workers per 10 000 (158 916 total; 83 099 dentists and 75 817 dental assistants and therapists) needed in 2022 to achieve basic universal health coverage targets. This deficit exposes millions to preventable suffering and highlights a critical breakdown in oral health workforce. It also reveals the need for about 199 170 oral health workers (1.37 per 10 000 population) including 103 858 dentists and 95 312 dental health assistants and therapists by 2030. Oral health remains a low priority in many African countries, leading to inadequate financial and technical investment. Moreover, oral health has historically been siloed and treated as separate from general health and the broader health care system. This might contribute to isolated oral health management approaches, separated workforce training, increasing costs, and siloed care delivery infrastructures. This silo approach has led to competition for already scarce human and financial resources. Although there are over 4,000 health training institutions in the Region, only 84 dental education institutions were identified across 26 Member States. The shortage of skilled oral health workforce hampers progress towards achieving universal health coverage. Only 17% of the regional population have access to essential oral health interventions as part of the health benefit packages of the largest government health financing schemes. Progress in disease prevention is also slow, including fluoride use and sugar reduction efforts. 'Africa cannot afford to neglect oral health. Neglect has severe, lasting consequences for overall well-being,' said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa. 'It's crucial for countries to do more to increase health workforce, access to affordable prevention and care services and ensure that people are equipped with the knowledge and skill on promoting oral health.' The WHO Africa regional oral heath workforce fact sheet will serve as a reference for policymakers and a wide range of stakeholders. In addition, it guides the advocacy process toward better prioritization of oral health in the region to tackle this alarming oral health situation. It calls for urgent action to address the oral health workforce crisis, including aligning national oral health and health workforce strategies with the WHO Global oral health strategy, implementing needs-based planning for human resources for health, especially at the primary care level, enhancing data management systems, such as National Health Workforce Accounts to track workforce numbers and trends, shifting from treatment-oriented oral health care to integrated prevention and promotion approaches, particularly at the community and primary care levels and implementing innovative workforce models such as task-sharing of oral health services with oral health workers and non-oral health workers, improving training curricula, and developing retention and migration strategies. 'This factsheet calls for action. Increased investment and targeted interventions are critical to closing Africa's oral health workforce gap. We must prioritize oral health as a fundamental component of Universal Health Coverage to improve health outcomes and reduce the disease burden across the region," said Dr Ihekweazu. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
