Namibia’s capacity to detect and respond to public health threats is expected to improve significantly following the launch of the Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) Guideline in Windhoek on Monday. World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Richard Banda says the guideline is part of the third edition of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy, which Namibia…
Monrovia, Liberia — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), through its West Africa Regional Coordinating Centre, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing public health capacity across the region. The pledge was made at the conclusion of a three-day workshop held…
Addis Ababa — To address gaps in sexual and reproductive healthcare access, widened by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing humanitarian crises, Ethiopia is reinforcing its health system, making these vital services more accessible for women and adolescents in remote and crisis-affected areas. A key part of this effort is promoting self-care, by giving people the…
In an age marked by conflicts, disease, dysfunction and mental health challenges, yoga offers a steady, time-trusted path to help find calm and harmony within – and without. This powerful message of International Yoga Day, observed annually on 21 June, reverberated through UN Headquarters in New York on Friday as hundreds gathered to embrace the…
A new report released by WomenLift Health lays bare a critical but often overlooked barrier to resilient health systems in Southern Africa: a persistent leadership gap for women in the public health sector, despite decades of progressive gender equality policies. Based on a comprehensive stakeholder analysis across ten countries including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi,…
AI therapy chatbots offer on-demand mental health support, but can synthetic empathy truly match human compassion?
By Hatice Beton, Roberto Durán-Fernández, Dennis Ostwald and Rifat Atun As G7 leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations wrapped up their summit in Kananaskis June 16, a critical issue was absent from the agenda: the future of global health financing. Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts and cuts to development aid, health has been sidelined…
United Nations — Although access to mental health and psychosocial support services is considered a fundamental human right by the United Nations (UN), hundreds of millions of people experience limited or inadequate access to mental health and psychosocial support services. On June 6, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO)…
Uganda’s borders have always been busy and vulnerable. Over the past decade, Ebola, COVID-19, leptospirosis, Marburg, measles and cholera have all emerged, stretching an already burdened health system. With Mpox still active and the memories of the recent Ebola outbreak fresh, the country is intensifying efforts where it matters most: at the borders. With over…
Africa CDC’s Bingwa PLUS Y-Health Incubator Programme has awarded its first 15 grants, worth €45,000. These grants will support youth-led, community-focused initiatives that promote innovation, impact, and sustainability in addressing public health, social justice, education, and development challenges by transforming them into actionable public health solutions. The pitching contest was held from 27 to 30…
