South Africa News

From November 14 to 17, 2023, the National Department of Health (NDOH), the National Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), Health Systems Trust and the  World Health Organization (WHO) hosted the first-ever South African Primary Health Care (SAPHC) Conference in East Lo

The South African National Department of Health (NDOH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), initiated the establishment of a network of Public Health Emergency Operating Centers (PHEOCs) at national and provincial levels on 2-3 November 2023.

To reduce the increasing number of zero dose children in the Eastern Cape Province, the National Department of Health, planned a four-day Zero Dose training program for the province, fully funded by the WHO Regional Office for Africa, from 26-29 September 2023.

In a concerted effort to combat the outbreak of measles and bolster the ongoing measles elimination phase, the National Department of Health in South Africa, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) South Africa and other partners, concluded a measles vaccination campaign.

On October 10, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) South Africa attended the World Mental Health Day (WMHD) commemoration hosted by the National Department of Health. The event took place at Madadeni Hospital in Newcastle within the KwaZulu-Natal Province to mark World Mental Health Day.

Polio, a disease targeted for eradication, has been a persistent focus for South Africa. In 2006, South Africa proudly received its polio-free certification, a significant milestone. However, in 2017, this status was rescinded, only to be regained in 2019. The entire African continent achieved Polio Free Certification in 2020. Nevertheless, the unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic compromised vaccination efforts, leading to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), including polio, in Southern Africa.

In a remarkable collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in South Africa, the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) , and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), a National Bridging and One Health Framewor

Demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to the protection of public health through collaborative efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) South Africa worked closely with the National Department of Health (NDOH) and partners to successfully wrap up its Cholera preparedness and readiness training sessions in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

South Africa's multisectoral response to the Cholera Outbreak has culminated in successful containment within 165 days of the cholera outbreak official declaration. The initial cases were reported in Gauteng, with both patients having a history of travel to a neighboring country grappling with a cholera outbreak. Subsequently, the outbreak rapidly spread, affecting 17 out of 52 districts across five provinces, including Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, North-West, and Limpopo.