Day: September 17, 2021

Abuja, 17 September, 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has reiterated its continuous support to the the Government of Nigeria in its goal of achieving self-sufficiency in the local production of traditional medicine.

Speaking at the commemoration of the 2021 Traditional Medicine Day held at the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja on 13 September, Dr Kofi Boateng said WHO remains committed to continue with the support to the Government of Nigeria in its goal of achieving self-sufficiency in the local production of pharmaceuticals (including Vaccines), traditional medicine and other health products.

Emphasising the importance of African Traditional Medicine in the development of the health sector, Dr Boateng, representing the WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo said that Africa has a long history of traditional medicines and practitioners that play an important role in providing care to populations over centuries.

The theme of 2021 commemoration is “The potential contribution of Traditional Medicine to COVID-19 Response.” Dr Boateng said Nigeria’s listing of 14 herbal medicinal products by NAFDAC against COVID-19 and ongoing clinical trials on them, is in line with the Regional Expert Committee on COVID-19 aim of elevating the standards of clinical trials of traditional medicine for COVID-19.

“The ongoing scientific research projects in the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research & Development and other higher institutions, highlights the interest of the Government of Nigeria to develop and promote African Traditional Medicines. These are in line with the theme of this year commemoration; The potential contribution of Traditional Medicine to COVID-19 Response.

WHO Nigeria has taken it up to support the ministry and in particular the department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, Complimentary in the review of the Traditional Medicines Policy 2007, review of the Nigeria Pharmacopoeia 2008 and the development of a 5-year strategic plan to implement the new policy and the revised pharmacopoeia. It will also continue to provide technical assistance to the TCAM department, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and NAFDAC in improving the quality of medicinal products and ensure the listing of these products in the National Essential Medicines List, he said

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health Dr Adeleke Mamora at the media briefing said the Federal government will not relent in its efforts to develop local content as a means to finding a homegrown solution to ailment affecting Nigerians.

Dr Mamora said one of the tasked assigned to the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research & Development (NIPRD)and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control(NAFDAC) is to scale up their activities towards the search for a local solution to the pandemic.

He further stated that “FMoH has inaugurated an expert committee as a protocol of evaluation of herbal medicinal products as a way of promoting research and a database of traditional medicine practitioners has been developed for ease of collaboration, research and promotion of traditional medicine in Nigeria.”

“The federal government is also working on a traditional medicine policy and a committee to set up a traditional medicine institute which was triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Yaoundé – Local leaders, working with over 2300 community mobilizers and 1450 vaccination teams, were crucial to the success of a rapid COVID-19 vaccination drive that saw 52 000 people vaccinated across Cameroon in just five days in July.

Community leader Jean Calvin Nama-Ntse works to build trust in COVID-19 vaccines in the Nkomassia and Nkolbisson communities in the capital Yaoundé. A life-long community member, he is a traditional Chief, Chairman of the Nkolbisson Health District and Chairman of the Management Committee at Nkolbisson’s Integrated Health Centre.

Tell us about the communities you work with?

Here in northern Yaoundé we have both rural and urban areas. We have more than 80 000 people that come from across Cameroon and other African countries like Mali, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Central African Republic. With a mix of different religions, we respect the right to worship freely. We’re not a rich community and most people live off small businesses or informal trading.

What are the biggest challenges in fighting COVID-19 and demand for vaccines?

Our population is quite young and although we are generally well informed, not everyone is aware of all the risks from COVID-19, so not everyone sticks to the prevention measures or are keen to get vaccinated.

Despite the flood of information on COVID-19, there is still fear, doubt and scepticism around vaccination. Rumours and misinformation spreading on social media and dreamed up by certain people sow doubt and reluctance to get vaccinated, which leaves people at greater risk.

What are the key lessons from your work?

In my experience, people who have had the disease or seen others suffer with it are far more aware of the risks and are much keener to get vaccinated. If we use more of these people as educators I’m sure they will raise the uptake of vaccines.

Also, when leaders get vaccinated in public other people follow, especially big media personalities, artists and religious leaders. As a community leader I made a point of getting vaccinated in public.

Putting vaccination points in public spaces like markets, at crossroads or near churches also builds confidence in the community and leads to more people coming for vaccination.

Tell us about the support you received from WHO and partners?

I joined workshops on how to mobilize communities and to advocate and access more resources for immunization campaigns. These were run by the Ministry of Public Health, with

the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

I also joined City Council meetings led by District Health Officers. These help us raise demand for COVID-19 vaccines in our communities. About 300 people have been covered by these trainings so far and more are planned for this year.

From these we learned to work more closely in our communities, giving talks on COVID-19 and the need for vaccination in local markets and public spaces. We’ve visited families to speak intimately with them. We’ve given talks to local associations and worked with local media. We’ve also worked with religious leaders and local government authorities on spreading prevention messages as they are trusted and people listen to them.

These days I only use information from trustworthy sources, including from the government, WHO and of course from my own life experience.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

17 September 2021, Juba – to improve capacity for coordination and communication to mitigate the risk of cross-border spread of disease and other public health threats, WHO with support from the Government of Japan has established and handed over a port health facility at the Juba International Airport to the Ministry of Health in South Sudan.

The international health regulations (IHR (2005)) mandate countries to designate, strengthen, and maintain capacities at points of entry to mitigate the risk of cross-border disease spread and preserve international public health security.

“Establishing a port health facility in Juba and other designated points of entry will help South Sudan to expand surveillance and response capacity to timely detect, assess, report and respond promptly and effectively to public health risks among international travelers at the frontiers, said Honorable Dr Victoria Anib Majur, Undersecretary, Ministry of Health. “I am grateful to the Government of Japan and WHO for the generous support” Honorable Dr Anib added.

Dr Anib urged the port health team at Juba International Airport to use the facility to the maximum and ensure that surveillance and public health measures are in place to protect travelers and ensure the people of South Sudan.

The Government of Japan, in partnership with the UN agencies, has supported South Sudan’s effort to combat COVID-19 and other diseases through various projects including construction and improvement of health facilities, provision of thermal scanners and medical supplies, and improvement of vaccine cold chain.

“Japan’s assistance to South Sudan through WHO will help in preventing the cross-border spread of COVID-19 and other diseases and accordingly saves more lives”, said H.E. Tsutsumi Naohiro, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of South Sudan.

Dr Fabian Ndenzako, the WHO Representative a.i. for South Sudan noted that South Sudan has reached a significant milestone by establishing the Port Health facility at the Juba International Airport, in fulfilment of its obligation under the IHR (2005) and in line with the South Sudan National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) 2020-2024.

“I commend the Government of Japan for continued support to health system resilience and emergency preparedness in South Sudan,” said Dr Ndenzako, “WHO is also working with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to establish a similar port health facility at the border town of Nimule which is one of the main gateways into South Sudan,” Dr Ndenzako added.

The 2017 Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of national capacities underscored the need to strengthen the port health policy and governance framework. The JEE also recommended strengthening of IHR capacities for Juba International Airport (JIA) and other designated points of entry in Nimule and Renk.

Since August 2018, Juba International Airport, along with other points of entry have conducted screening for several diseases including yellow fever, Ebola virus disease, COVID-19, and other public health threats.

South Sudan has continually faced an increased risk of emerging diseases like Ebola virus, yellow fever, cholera, the ongoing COVID-19 and other diseases with a threat to international public health security due to cross-border diseases spread. To reduce their impact, WHO is working collaboratively with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to strengthen capacities for in-country and cross border surveillance and response within the framework of the integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR). The IDSR is the core strategy for strengthening national disease surveillance systems in the WHO African Region and was approved by the Regional Committee in 1998.

Notes to editors:

The International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR (2005) provide an overarching legal framework that defines countries’ rights and obligations in detecting, preventing, and responding to public health events and emergencies that have the potential to spread locally and cross borders. Under the IHR, States Parties are required to establish and maintain public health surveillance and response capacities at national, sub-national, and community levels and at designated points of entry to ensure that public health threats are locally contained rapidly to mitigate the risk of cross-border disease spread and minimize the risk to travel, trade, and public health security.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Awka, 17 September, 2020 – Anambra State Governor Chief Willie Obiano has launched first Mobile Technology Health Insurance Platform (MTHIP) and Data Operations Centre (DOC) in Nigeria with funding from European Union and technical support from the World Health Organization.

Speaking during the event on 11 September 2021 in Awka, the Governor underscored his firm decision to leave a legacy of health reforms in the State to reduce poverty among the people especially the poor and vulnerable while providing financial risk protection on health. He was glad to demonstrate the impact such political will is making on the lives of his people.

In his remarks, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon said, “the Data Operation Centre is strategic in making informed decisions and policies to drive a better healthcare access to residents.” “The centre meets international best standard and I want to urge other states to visit Anambra and copy the reforms the state has implemented in the health sector.

“We are quite impressed with the level of technology being maximized by the state Health Insurance agency to ensure access to quality healthcare to all in the state.”

He appreciated the EU and WHO for providing the required support to the State which will be key to making decisions towards promoting health of the Anambra people.

Accurate and timely data generated through a country’s health information system are needed to assess the state of a population’s health, towards establishing priorities and tracking progress towards goals and objectives, including Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As an International body, we are committed to giving high technical assistance to the state to ensure quality healthcare delivery,” he said

On his part, Anambra Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, said the partnership and funding from EU and WHO contributed significantly to strengthening healthcare delivery in the state.

“Through WHO’s technical support, the Data Operations Center was established to facilitate integration of data on the indicators across programmes and systems. “The integrated approach provides general health planners and managers with an overarching or “cross-cutting” view of health services, based on a limited set of tracer indicators that represent multiple health programmes and service components”. “Evidence generated through the State health accounts provided the baseline for tracking progress towards UHC in the State and the design of the State health insurance Scheme”.

Equally, the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) Dr Simeon Onyemaechi said, “WHO’s technical support with funding from the European Union informed our health financing reforms in terms of the adoption model and innovative mobile technology health insurance program through which the state has recorded over 35% increase in population enrolment into ASHIA.”

The WHO Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, who witnessed the launch, mentioned that over the past four years, “We have worked with the leadership of the SMOH in developing the State Health Financing Policy and Strategy especially as the Government of Anambra State is instituting health reforms including operationalization of the Health Insurance Law. To provide sustainable governance structures to drive these reforms, the WHO supported the establishment of the Health Financing Equity and Investment Unit in SMOH and Technical Working Group.”

The highlight of the launch was the renewal of enrollment of Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano into the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme and adoption of over 1,200 poor and vulnerable community members in different categories into the scheme by dignitaries, of which 355 came from the United Nations.

Finally, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, decorated the Governor, Chief Willie Obiano as a “Champion of Sustainable Development”.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Minna, 17 September, 2021 – Most people do not know what happens to their excreta when they flush the toilet or passed it out into the environment. But, for some houses in Niger state municipal, the sewages are broken down or blocked leading to improper disposal of untreated human waste into the environment.

Also, the state is not yet open defecation-free. These practices are not safe and poses various risks to human health from diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and worm. To strengthen sanitation systems towards preventing communicable diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the Niger State government to implement a State Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP) to mitigate the health hazards from improper disposal of faecal sludge and grey wastewater management in the state through a risk management approach.

The Secretary to the Government of Niger State (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, speaking during an advocacy visit from the members of Niger State Steering committee and WHO sanitation officer said the programme is of specific interest because it would reduce to the barest, minimum health hazards and communicable diseases posed by faecal sludge and open defecation in the state.

The team visited the SSG’s office to evaluate the current status of the state’s sanitation solicit the government’s support for the improvement of sanitation and environmental activities in the state.

Alhaji Matane noted that the state is facing challenges with its sanitation management, and the government is determined to find a lasting solution to promote sanitation activities in the state.

“The state is fully aware of the problem posed by sanitation especially in the urban areas, open defecation and disposal of faecal sludge are one of the greatest challenges and how it can be controlled to reduce health hazards”.

He further expressed his gratitude to WHO for selecting Niger state as one of the six states in the country where the SSP programme is been piloted.

Addressing the sanitation challenges has become pivotal to mitigating the spread of water-borne diseases as a large percentage of the population suffer from gastrointestinal disorders.

Recently, the state inaugurated a multi-sectoral committee supported by WHO, to develop a Sanitation Safety Plan (SSP) for the state.

Members of the State Steering Committee was drawn from the Ministries of Water Resources and Dams Development, Environment, Agriculture, Health and Niger state Water and Sewage Corporation (NISWASEC), Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RUWATSAN) Agency, Niger State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA), Nigerian Environmental Society, and Academia.

In 2014, WHO estimated that moving from no sanitation to improved sanitation only reduces diarrhoea by 16%; however, when excreta are properly removed from households, treated and safely disposed of, an additional 63% reduction in diarrhoea results. To achieve this aim, WHO is helping six states in Nigeria ( Niger, Bayelsa, Lagos, Bauchi Sokoto and Abia) to develop the Sanitation Safety Plan (SSP), a risk management tool to help sanitation operators apply WHO’s Guidelines for safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture and aquaculture and identify and manage the health risks along the sanitation chain. This also incorporates the one health approach.

In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources and Dams Management, and member of the committee, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Idris, said addressing faecal disposal and sanitation management requires multi-sectoral coordination and that is why the committee consists of an official from different departments.

He noted that the problem cuts across the agricultural, water, environmental and health sectors.

“The problem is interwoven, as such, you cannot tackle them in silos. Everybody needs to come together to find a solution. The waste is thrown into the environment and used by farmers who later show up in the hospital sick from diseases like cholera. As such, I urge everyone to stop open defecation, use proper toilets, maintain their sewage, and treat water before using, he said.

Meanwhile, the Niger state SSP facilitator, Dr Yahaya Saidu Madaki, said the SSP plan will assist the state implement and manage a sanitation service chain, including toilet containment/storage and treatment, conveyance, treatment and end-use or disposal. Some of the activities looked into included WASH coordination, Open defecation and sewage onsite facility inspection/assessment, SSP report validation workshop, media awareness campaigns and donation of WHO healthy cities wastes collection bins.

“The launching of the SSP is quite timely, given the outbreak of cholera in the country and the need to strengthen multisectoral coordination in addressing both communicable and non-communicable diseases through a one-health approach”, stated Dr Edwin Isotu Edeh, National Consultant, Public Health and Environment who spoke on behalf of WHO Nigeria Country Representative.

According to him, “SSP reduces the prevalence of diarrheal diseases, addresses direct and indirect Open Defecation, promotes health, reduce risks of groundwater pollution and assures occupational health and safety of workers in the sanitation chain.”

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Brazzaville — The World Health Organization (WHO), a South African consortium and partners from COVAX, are working to set-up a technology transfer hub for mRNA vaccines in South Africa to help boost and scale up vaccine production in Africa.

The initiative marks “a major advance in efforts to build vaccine development and manufacturing capacity that will put Africa on a path to self-determination,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the launch of the initiative in June.

Yet making mRNA vaccines is a complex business, there are many steps to take before safe and effective mRNA vaccines can be made in Africa. Dr Bartholomew Dicky Akanmori, Regional Adviser for Vaccine Research and Regulation with the WHO Regional Office for Africa, explains.

What is the technology transfer hub?

The technology transfer hub in South Africa will teach African manufacturers how to make mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, here in Africa.

Foreign manufacturers will share techniques with local institutions and WHO and partners will bring in production know-how, quality control and will assist with the necessary licenses.

There will be a training centre with all necessary equipment in place for African manufacturers to learn. The manufacturers will pay for their staff to receive training, which must be completed before they can start production.

Several partners have signed up take part, including the Medicines Patent Pool, Afrigen Biologics, the Biologicals and Vaccines Institute of Southern Africa, the South African Medical Research Council and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hubs like this exist all over world. For example, scientists at Oxford University shared their techniques with AstraZeneca, which then made the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The hubs show producers the formulas needed to make quality, safe and effective vaccines.

Can’t African countries already manufacture vaccines?

The vaccines being made in Africa, like those for yellow fever or tetanus, use a simple technology in which scientists take the bacteria, grow the toxin from the bacteria, and then make it incapable of acting.

New technologies are needed to make mRNA vaccines. It is far more complex process and there is no room for error, so the correct transfer of knowledge is absolutely crucial. This is why we need technology transfer hubs.

When will mRNA COVID-19 vaccines be made in Africa?

It’s hard to say. We started working to set up the hub in South Africa earlier this year and this work is still going on. It depends on several factors, including funding, a willingness to transfer technologies and the ability of local institutions to absorb knowledge.

However, the assumption is that knowledge transfer will move faster than we’ve seen before, in the same way that COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time.

Once all the elements are together, we expect the training to take at least six months.

What is the long-term vision for vaccine manufacturing in Africa?

The long-term plan is self-sufficiency, for a future where Africa makes enough vaccines for its own people, but right now Africa imports around 90% of its vaccines.

The technology transfer hub will help to change this, helping African manufacturers to move to more advanced levels of production where they can make mRNA vaccines from start to finish without any outside support.

Many other vaccines use the same mRNA technology that we’ll be transferring, such as vaccines against Ebola, Lassa Fever and Marburg, and eventually this mRNA technology could even be used to produce vaccines against HIV or tuberculosis.

The hub has a research and development arm, which can identify new ways to use this technology. There are also plans to establish a second hub in another African country.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

A Medical Doctor with an MSc in Public Health and over 20 years of experience, Dr Carolina Leite led Cabo Verde’s programme to fight malaria and waterborne diseases and served as Director of Patient Management, Medical Records and Statistics at the Agostinho Neto Central Hospital in Praia before joining the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2009.

Since then, she’s worked on HIV-Tuberculosis and Malaria programmes, served as Co-ordinator of the joint United Nations team for HIV-AIDS and as Disease Prevention and Control and Programme Support Advisor for WHO in Cape Verde since 2011.

Tell us about your work with WHO in Cape Verde

I am responsible for providing technical support to the planning, implementation and the evaluation of Cabo Verde’s integrated disease surveillance and response system, as well as the disease prevention and control programme. This involves helping the country put in place a comprehensive strategy and working to build up strong systems to track trends around diseases, detect outbreaks early and then quickly respond to them based on good evidence.

I also lead WHO’s work on routine immunization and the introduction of new vaccines, including the inactivated polio vaccine in 2017, the yellow fever vaccine in 2018 and of course COVID-19 vaccines this year.

What are the big successes and challenges in Cabo Verde’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout?

The biggest successes are around the government’s political will and drive to meet the standards set by COVAX, which, with partners, helped ensure the country was well prepared to roll out the vaccines when they arrived.

Strong community outreach helped ensure that many people were keen to get vaccinated. Cabo Verde built on its long experience and skilled workforce that was built up through routine immunization campaigns. Working with partners to share WHO-approved tools and guidelines, as well as jointly monitoring activities, has been key to continually improving.

Like much of Africa, supply security has been the biggest issue and the rapid spread of new variants made this even more urgent. Like other countries, a lack of funds and resources for operational aspects, whilst maintaining other essential health services, stretched the country’s capacities quite thin.

Cabo Verde is administering three different types of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines. Among people aged 18 and over we have hit 69% coverage for the first dose and 20% for two doses.

What drives your commitment to your work with WHO?

I have always enjoyed working with people and communities, hence the focus on public health. WHO is the lead agency in public health.

Working on the response to this unprecedented pandemic has been rewarding and I’ve particularly enjoyed helping to strengthen Cabo Verde’s laboratory capacities and supporting the vaccine rollout.

What are you most proud of?

I’m proud to play a part in improving the health of the population of my country, including eradicating vaccine preventable diseases and in keeping routine vaccination coverage for polio, measles and neonatal tetanus above 95% for over 10 years running, as well as supporting the introduction of new vaccines, such as for HPV and COVID-19.

It was great to play a small part helping Cabo Verde be declared polio free in 2016 and in working towards eliminating malaria. We have had three years with zero cases of indigenous malaria so far and we are very much looking forward to being certified as malaria free.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa