It’s early morning, but Soba Arão Moma, a traditional leader in Benfica neighbourhood in Huambo province, Angola, is already interacting with residents and handing out leaflets. His mission is clear: to ensure everyone is fully informed about the meningitis outbreak affecting Angola’s Huambo province and that no sick children are at home unattended when they should be in hospital.

Moma was part of a critical collaboration by the World Health Organization (WHO), Angola’s Health Ministry, and the European Union to halt an alarming surge in meningitis cases in the province last year, reduce mortality rates, and boost healthcare capacity.

Between January and December 2023, Angola recorded a significant increase in suspected cases of meningitis, with 68,169 cases and 169 deaths. The high case fatality rate of 40% among the 336 cases reported in Huambo province means that it has accounted for almost 80% of deaths countrywide.

In general, Huambo province has been the focus of intervention to control a possible outbreak in the country since between January and December 2023, Angola recorded a significant increase in suspected cases of meningitis, with 68,169 cases and 169 deaths, of which 336 cases were reported in Huambo province, with a fatality rate of over 40%. This mortality rate is relatively high when compared to the average number of deaths recorded in the countries considered part of the meningitis belt in the WHO African region, of which Angola is not part.

Between January and May 2023, the province recorded 103 meningitis cases, resulting in 42 deaths, with a concerning 41% fatality rate. Medication shortages, healthcare personnel, and health facility understaffing exacerbated Huambo province’s meningitis outbreak. To ensure an effective response and safeguard high-risk populations, a 20-day joint response mission to Huambo aimed to enhance the functionality of local health systems, improve infrastructure and medication availability, and bolster human resources.

Critical outcomes of joint efforts included training 37 healthcare technicians in risk communication and community engagement, training 30 journalists in how to communicate for meningitis prevention and response, engaging 595 community leaders, and training 1548 social mobilisers and community leaders like Moma to disseminate critical messages broadly.

“We never tired of walking the streets, passionate about conveying the crucial message to everyone that if they experienced symptoms of meningitis, they should seek immediate assistance at their nearest health facility,” recalls Moma.

The experts supported local meningitis education initiatives, identified high-risk groups, and advocated with local leaders to disseminate critical messages while conducting assessments to rapidly investigate the social factors impacting meningitis prevention.

Provincial health director Lucas Yamba says, “We have been able to count on the support of the Directorate of Public Health in this regard, with the excellent partnership of WHO.”

Through collaborative efforts involving the community, churches and traditional authorities, information about meningitis prevention and treatment was widely disseminated in healthcare facilities and communities.

“We gave talks to churches on Saturdays and Sundays, while here [at the health centre] in each of the service areas, our users also received information about meningitis,” said Martins Canuela, a technician at the Benfica Baixo health facility located in Moma’s neighbourhood.

According to Yamba, because of the push to bring the outbreak under control, mortality rates from meningitis in the last months of 2023 had decreased from 53% to 35%.

While significant strides had been made to address the meningitis crisis in Huambo, including increased awareness and reduced mortality rates, ongoing support was crucial to sustain these achievements, says Dr Yoti Zabulon, WHO Acting Representative in Angola.

“By continuing to work together and leverage partnerships, we can ensure that all communities have access to quality health care services and can effectively manage preventable diseases like meningitis,” he says.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Angola.

Ethiopia has taken a significant step forward in fortifying its emergency response capabilities through the implementation of the One Health Rapid Response Team (OHRRT) training. Organized by key stakeholders including the World Health Organization (WHO), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the National One Health Steering Committee. 

This initiative demonstrates Ethiopia’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health.

Took place from March 20-22, 2024, in Addis Ababa, the training brought together over 50 participants from national and subnational levels, representing various regions across Ethiopia. These focused capacity-building sessions aim to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively respond to health emergencies.

Dr. Eshetu Wassie, speaking on behalf of WHO Ethiopia EPR Team Lead and WHO Representative OIC, Dr. Patrick ABOK, emphasized the importance of practical skills, adaptability, and a commitment to saving lives in building a prepared workforce.

By integrating One Health principles, which amalgamate human, animal, and environmental data, Ethiopia is enhancing its surveillance systems and preparedness against emerging health threats. This collaborative effort underscores the government’s dedication to strengthening the nation’s public health infrastructure and ensuring the well-being of its citizens.

The OHRRT training serves as a testament to Ethiopia’s proactive measures in addressing public health challenges. As the nation continues to invest in emergency preparedness and response, it stands poised to effectively mitigate health threats and safeguard the health and well-being of its population.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

As part of the innovative drive towards transforming primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) under the “Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Program (ADHFP)”.

The signing ceremony by WHO Representative in Nigeria Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, and Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of PSHAN, Dr Tinuola Akinbolagbe, which took place on 4 April 2024. was witnessed by the Nigerian Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammed Ali Pate and the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina. 

The partnership between WHO and PSHAN signifies the collaborative effort to accelerate financing and access to quality primary health care delivery for improved health outcomes in Nigeria as the foundation for Universal Health Care Coverage (UHC) and health security. It comes at a time when the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare is rolling out implementation of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Program (HSRIP) and the innovative Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in collaboration with the States, and development partners.

Delivering the keynote address. Professor Pate congratulated both organizations on the partnership and appreciated the contribution of notable stakeholders in the initiative which keys into the government’s health transformative agenda. 

“We are very pleased to see this beginning to gather momentum. It is good to see a partnership like this being crafted. A few years ago, the “Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Program” was launched and we acknowledge the leaders who have contributed already. So, congratulations for keeping the flag flying and WHO also for supporting PSHAN. 

Making a call for more private sector collaboration in the health sector, Prof Pate advised WHO and PSHAN to prioritize tracking the progress recorded in the newly forged partnership. 

He explained that the government is particular about health and PHC as the basis for delivering health services to the people.

“It will government at the federal, state, and local government levels as well as the private sector to happen. In the spirit of a sector wide approach we are improving the quality of governance in the health space in terms of holding ourselves accountable at all levels and also private sector.

“I look forward to tracking progress that is being made in terms of facilities that are adopted and made functional and encourage the private sector to support this initiative under the oversight of NPHCDA which is the government institution that drives the primary healthcare agenda of the country”, he said.

In his opening remark, the WHO Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo said that this unique partnership between WHO and PSHAN aims to leverage on the comparative advantages of the two organizations to accelerate primary healthcare revitalization towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and health security in Nigeria in line with the one plan, one budget, one report, and one conversation principles of the SWAp agenda of the Federal Ministry of Health. 

“This partnership is consistent with the WHO offer to the Government of Nigeria as encapsulated in the 4th Generation Nigeria Country Cooperation Strategy (CCSIV) which over the next 4 years, would guide our commitment and investment to ensure that no one is indeed left behind, in line with the GPW13 and ensuing GPW14.

As the secretariat to member states on health, there, the WHO is committed to providing ongoing technical assistance to PSHAN and NPHCDA on this project, to ensure capacity strengthening and adherence to guidelines, norms and standards: accountability for results and value for money, as well as expansion of the learning agenda through innovative financing evidence generation and use,” he stated. 

Delivering the welcome address, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of PSHAN, Dr Tinuola Akinbolagbe expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with WHO and reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s healthcare sector towards achieving UHC by leveraging on the strengths, expertise, and resources of both partners to address pressing health challenges and improve health out comes across the country. 

“At the core of our partnership lies the visionary Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme (ADHFP), a flagship initiative aimed at establishing global-standard Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas. 

This initiative embodies our collective resolve to bridge the gap between healthcare demand and supply, empower local communities, and catalyze systemic change from the grassroots up. Through targeted investments, capacity-building initiatives, and innovative approaches to service delivery, we aim to create a healthcare ecosystem that is resilient, responsive, and inclusive’, she stated.

Under the MOU, WHO and PSHAN will work together to identify priority areas for intervention, assess healthcare facilities in need of support, mobilize resources to implement targeted interventions, track results of achievements, and document best practices for ongoing learning and scale-up. 

As the country grapples with various health challenges, including high out-of-pocket payments, infectious diseases, maternal and child health issues, and non-communicable diseases, this partnership holds great promise in addressing complex healthcare challenges while using innovative approaches to drive positive change towards improved health outcomes for generations to come.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Nigeria.

Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, and Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, signed Uganda’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2024-2029 on 16 February 2024. A CPF is the frame of reference for the medium-term planning of technical cooperation between a Member State and the IAEA and identifies priority areas where the transfer of nuclear technology and technical cooperation resources will be directed to support national development goals.

Uganda has been an IAEA Member State since 1967. Its 2024-2029 CPF identifies seven priority areas:

Nuclear and radiation safety

Food and agriculture

Human health

Water and the environment

Introduction of nuclear power

Uranium production

Feasibility studies on industrial applications such as: research reactor, industrial irradiator and non-destructive testing

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).