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In Namibia, blood donations rise thanks to free transport to donor clinics

WHO/OLUSIMI Vijay

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In Namibia, blood donations rise thanks to free transport to donor clinics

17 June 2022

A blood donor since 2018, Alfred Ndapanda had always considered his donations part of being a good citizen. But last year, the act hit closer to home than ever.

Senegal takes to social media to boost blood donations

WHO/OLUSIMI Vijay

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Senegal takes to social media to boost blood donations

16 June 2022

Like many countries, Senegal has seen a spike in social media usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty-two per cent of all Senegalese have a smartphone, and 58% are regular internet users.

A long-standing commitment to saving lives

14 June 2022

Kigali - Every year, World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14. This is an opportunity to raise public awareness on the essential contribution of voluntary blood donors to boost national blood transfusion services and save lives. This year's theme, “Giving Blood: An Act of Solidarity. Join the movement and save lives! was heard by Alphonse, a regular blood donor at the National Blood Transfusion Center in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

Fuel crisis pumps up the pressure for Zambia’s Polio Mop-Up Campaign

Zambia’s polio mop-up reaches almost half a million children in 48 hours

14 June 2022

Following a Polio outbreak in Malawi earlier this year, frontline health workers in Zambia distributed 4,5 million Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) to children under five. During the campaign’s last stretch, or ´mop-up´ phase, teams revisited those who were missed, immunising close to 500,000 in the space of two days.

Mop-up priority zones also include areas with high population mobility. Should children miss a vaccination round because they are on the farm during the day, mop-up teams will go back in the evening, or for very remote areas, set up camp overnight to see the children early in the morning. Back at Palabana Clinic, Veria removes an OPV from the freezer for the two missed children identified earlier in the day. Vaccinator Brian and his team have rushed in. Shamaya. briefs them on the location of the household

Ramping up polio outbreak response in southern Africa

08 June 2022

Following a case of wild poliovirus in February 2022 in Malawi, the country and four other geographically close nations kicked off a large-scale vaccination campaigns and ramped up disease surveillance to halt the debilitating virus.

Smoking is not funny: South African comedian on tobacco harm

03 June 2022

“There is something about smoke (wafting around) your head that’s cool. Why is that?” South African comedian Riaad Moosa has been pondering the image and allure of smoking to conjure up punchlines on the ills of tobacco use during his comedy tours.

WHO, partners seek to reboot Africa’s health emergency response

02 June 2022

With at least 100 health emergencies per year in Africa, ranging from disease outbreaks to natural or human-made disasters, health emergency partners are rallying to reform the continent’s current crisis response architecture.

Fresher air, cleaner lungs: Ethiopia expands smoke-free zones

02 June 2022

Dereje Amsalu is breathing easier nowadays. The manager of the Blendana Hotel, located in the Benishangul region of northwest Ethiopia, is enjoying the hotel’s new status as a smoke-free environment.

Le Sénégal en quête d’une certification internationale pour son équipe médicale d’urgence

WHO/Ben Sock-Baas house PR

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Senegal seeks international certification for its emergency medical team

24 May 2022

Thiès, Senegal, In the operating room, the regular beep of machines confirms the good news: the “patient”, tested positive for COVID-19 and having just undergone an emergency Cesarean section, is fine. Everyone can breathe easier: the simulation exercise is a success. The fake patient sits up, the doctor reviews the proceedings with those present, and the observers put away their evaluation forms.

Supporting Togo’s health care improvement drive

19 May 2022

In collaboration with World Health Organization in Togo, World Bank is supporting the country to improve its health care quality. This includes equipping 14 training schools for paramedical personnel with teaching, computer and videoconferencing materials, with more than 600 nurses and midwives recently trained in infection prevention and care for COVID-19 patients. World Bank Resident Representative in Togo, Hawa Wagué, explains why training is crucial for quality health care.

News from countries

News from countries

In Namibia, blood donations rise thanks to free transport to donor clinics

Senegal takes to social media to boost blood donations

A long-standing commitment to saving lives

Zambia’s polio mop-up reaches almost half a million children in 48 hours

Ramping up polio outbreak response in southern Africa

Smoking is not funny: South African comedian on tobacco harm

WHO, partners seek to reboot Africa’s health emergency response

Fresher air, cleaner lungs: Ethiopia expands smoke-free zones

Senegal seeks international certification for its emergency medical team

Supporting Togo’s health care improvement drive

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