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Efforts to end female genital mutilation are gradually bearing fruit in Tanzania. The prevalence of the ritual that marks a rite of passage among some communities has now fallen to around 10% from 18% in 1996.

Ethiopia has just completed a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign targeting 2.4 million 14 year-old girls across the country in two cohorts. One cohort took HPV1 – the first dose of the vaccine, while the second cohort was vaccinated the second dose of the vaccine (HPV2), which they missed due to school closures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccination was conducted in schools, communities and health facilities from January 25 to 29, 2021.

Early cancer detection improves the chances of successful treatment, which presupposes the availability of equipped facilities and health workforce. Yet without the right information on prevention and care, many patients are diagnosed late, reducing their chances of survival. In her home state of Niger in North-Central Nigeria, Dr Amina Abubakar Bello, also the state’s first lady, is spearheading a campaign to improve awareness and treatment of breast and cervical cancers – the most common cancers in women in Nigeria.

The World Health Organization Ethiopia country office is working with Somali Regional Health Bureau to contain the spread of dengue fever in the region. Close to160 confirmed cases have been recorded in Warder Woreda of Dolo Zone and 47 suspected cases in Dolo Ado Woreda of Liban Zone. Samples of the suspected cases from Dolo Ado have been sent to the regional laboratory in Hawassa for confirmation.

COVAX has notified countries in Africa of the estimated dose allocation for the first phase of COVID-19 vaccine delivery. The global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) aims to start shipping nearly 90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the continent in February, in what will be Africa’s largest ever mass vaccination campaign.

Having survived cancer, Christelle, a mother of five, is now tapping into her experience to raise awareness and kindle hope among cancer patients, making early detection the thrust of her message to women in communities around the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville. She narrates how she overcame the disease and how her outreach is helping others.