region African: Latest News

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a new vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, for the prevention of malaria in children. The recommendation follows advice from the WHO: Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) and was endorsed by the WHO Director-General following its regular biannual meeting held on 25-29 September.

New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows the extensive overuse of antibiotics during COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, which may have exacerbated "silent" spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

WHO and Angolan health officials on a mission to stamp out Guinea worm disease ©WHO/Omotola Akindipe

mosquitoes bugging you this summer? You’re not alone.Canada is buzzing with the pesky insects as parts of the country are seeing higher numbers than usual due to damp, hot weather, raising concerns for related diseases, particularly the West Nile virus in humans.“It certainly seems … anecdotally that it’s a big year for mosquitoes,” said Manisha Kulkarni, a medical entomologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.“We had a warm, wet spring, which seems to help the proliferation of mosquitoes in the early season and with the humidity that we’ve been having and the high temperatures, that’s likely to persist into the summer months.” Are dragonflies going extinct? Expert says unlikely Warmer weather amid climate change means Canada could be in for longer mosquito seasons, which typically run from May to October each year, experts say.And if mosquitoes are active for a larger portion of the year, that poses a “bigger risk” to human, wildlife and animals susceptible to mosquito-borne diseases, said Kulkarni.“With climate change, the models and projections are just that we’re going to see a more and more northward expansion of these mosquito populations into more and more regions.”A study published in the Lancet last year predicted that rising global mean temperature will increase the climatic suitability of malaria and dengue, particularly in already endemic areas in the African region, the Americas and the Eastern Mediterranean.The population at risk of both diseases might increase by up to 4.7 billion people by 2070, the 2021 study showed.

COVID-19 Omicron variant on Friday in a child under 12 from Vaughan.The region’s public health unit said the child returned to Canada from the southern African region on Nov. 22 and has been isolating since that time.

public health agency has notified 40 people in the province to test and isolate after recently travelling from several countries in the southern African region as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first detected in South Africa. Saskatchewan health experts weigh in on possible impact of Omicron variant on holiday season Dr.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said he expects a decision later today on the European Union's proposal to stop air travel from the southern African region due to the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant.

After falling for 8 weeks in a row, the world's weekly number of COVID cases increased slightly last week, as multiple countries battle surges, including those in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest situation report.

In its weekly snapshot of global pandemic activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that cases rose again last week, but not as steeply as the previous week, and that half of countries are reporting rises, as activity declines in the other half.

In its weekly snapshot of COVID-19 activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said cases fell for the second week in a row, mainly in the highest-burden countries, but it warned that the pattern masks sharp rises in other countries in some regions.

In its weekly snapshot of COVID-19 activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said cases fell for the second week in a row, mainly in the highest-burden countries, but it warned that the pattern masks sharp rises in other countries in some regions.

On 14 August Korean Ambassador, Ms Ji-ah Paik and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WHO in support of the Organization’s COVID-19 response efforts in the African region. The new MoU follows a recent call between Dr Tedros and Mr Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, during which WHO Director-General expressed the need for additional support to scale up the COVID-19 response in the African region.

As the world neared 12 million COVID-19 cases, new infections are accelerating in at least two World Health Organization regions, with illnesses recently topping 6 million in the Americas and cases in Africa passing the 500,000 mark.

We speak to award winning ‘Frog Lady’, Dr Jeanne Tarrant, who heads up the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Threatened Amphibian Programme, is the Chairperson of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, southern African region, media representative of the Herpetological Association Of Africa and 2020 Whitley Award winner. Dr Tarrant tells us about the state of frogs and the effects of habitat loss, pollution, invasive plants and superstition has had on them. If you don’t hear frogs as much as you used to, Dr Tarrant explains why.

The United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) visited Mozambique from 2-6 November to support the African country’s efforts to tackle these diseases - principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases.