The response was uniform: "No vacant bed available". By 12:50 am GMT, Charles Amissah was dead —not for lack of medical expertise or a responding ambulance, but for lack of a piece of furniture.

His tragic death has reignited fury over Ghana’s "no bed syndrome," a systemic failure where emergency care is routinely denied based on physical space. 

However, a look into healthcare systems across sub-Saharan Africa reveals that Amissah’s death is not an isolated incident; it is a symptom of a continental crisis where hospital beds have become a tool of lethal exclusion.

The Ghana context

In Ghana, the "no bed syndrome" is a chronic ailment. In 2024, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), the nation’s largest medical facility, had to suspend referrals to its Surgical Medical Emergency unit because it was housing 60 patients in a 36-bed unit. Photos on social media captured the dehumanising reality: patients receiving treatment in plastic chairs, wheelchairs, and on the bare floor.

The Ministry of Health, on February 18, announced that it had constituted a three-member committee to probe Amissah’s death , examining decision-making processes and contributing factors. Yet, local experts argue the problem is structural. Beyond the physical shortage, the system suffers from abandoned facilities, a lack of medicines, and a severe brain drain as medical professionals flee for better opportunities abroad. 

Despite a national health insurance scheme, the cost of emergency care remains prohibitively high for many, and the referral chain is often broken by a lack of coordinated communication between ambulances and receiving wards.

The Nigerian mirror

Nigeria faces a nearly identical "no bed" crisis, often overshadowed by the "Japa syndrome"—the mass exodus of healthcare workers. The story of Ifelola Abiona last year, a 42-year-old mother of two, mirrors that of Charles Amissah. 

Despite doctors being physically present and ready to operate at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), she was left to "languish" and eventually die because no bed could be found. Her husband recounted a harrowing ordeal of being referred between facilities, paying nearly a million naira (about $745) for redundant tests, only to be told again: "No bed".

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) blamed this on a dysfunctional referral system and a weak primary healthcare foundation.

Chairman of the NMA in Lagos, Dr Saheed Babajide, revealed that in Lagos, only 57 out of 300 primary health centres are comprehensive enough to have doctors, forcing patients to swarm tertiary hospitals for minor ailments. This over-subscription, according to reports, means that many hospitals consistently operate at over 90% occupancy.

Furthermore, the lack of space extends to the families. Informal caregivers—relatives who perform the roles of nurses due to staffing shortages—are forced to sleep on staircases , wooden benches, or bare concrete. They report being bitten by mosquitoes, shivering in the rain, and eventually falling ill themselves, creating a secondary public health risk.

The ICU crisis in South Africa

In South Africa, the crisis shifts from general ward beds to the even more critical shortage of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds. Reports reveal that South Africa has a mere five ICU beds per 100,000 people . In some provinces, the ratio drops to one bed per 100,000.

The consequences are visceral. In Gauteng, South Africa's economically dominant province, which houses its financial capital, Johannesburg, a 29-year-old man died after a one-hour wait for medical attention; his family attributed the delay to "corruption led by the political elite" and a lack of available ICU space. Another patient waited six weeks for an ICU bed for a bypass surgery; during that time, gangrene spread, resulting in a double amputation.

The shortage is not just about infrastructure but specialised human capital. Only 25% of ICU nurses in the country are actually trained in critical care. This deficit, combined with crumbling utilities and water/power shortages, means that even when a physical bed is available, there may be no one qualified to man it. 

There have also been reports of financial mismanagement where security budgets outweigh clinical budgets, leaving hospitals under-equipped while funds are siphoned away.

Liberia and Kenya: Crumbling walls and digital deadlocks

In Liberia, the "no bed" crisis is exacerbated by the scars of civil war and the 2014 Ebola epidemic. At Phebe Hospital, the second-largest in the country, reports from 2024 indicated that a lone surgeon had been forced to carry out operations by the light of storm lanterns because of frequent electricity cuts. 

The hospital, burdened by $300,000 in debt to vendors, often lacks basic drugs, forcing doctors to watch patients die while relatives run to local pharmacies to buy supplies. At the James Jenkins Dossen (JJ Dossen) Hospital in Harper, the coastal capital of Maryland County in southeastern Liberia, the influx of patients was so high that pregnant women and their newborn babies were forced to sleep on the floor.

Kenya offers a more modern, albeit equally frustrating, version of the crisis. Recent transitions to the Social Health Authority (SHA) portal resulted in chaotic situations where hospitals with physical beds were shown as having "zero occupancy" in the digital system. Hospital owners reported being forced to turn away women in need of maternity services because the digital dashboard "locked," preventing admissions and reimbursements. 

Officials claim this was a deliberate downgrade to protect patient safety in facilities lacking essential equipment, but providers allege it is a cost-containment strategy by a state grappling with billions in unpaid claims.

A continental death trap

The collective data across these nations paints a grim picture:

Why the bed is just the symptom

The "no bed syndrome" is rarely just about furniture. It is the end result of the "Three Delays" model, according to researchers :

Many governments in Africa still view Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as a luxury rather than an essential component of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

In Nigeria, for instance, only 9% of the population is covered by a formal EMS system. Governments struggle to maintain ambulance fleets, and most response is left to expensive, private hospital-owned vehicles that can cost more than a month’s wages to hire.

The path forward: Essential, not optional

The African Critical Illness Outcomes Study , which investigated about 20,000 patients from 180 hospitals in 22 countries across the continent, suggests that thousands of lives could be saved through simple, low-cost interventions that can be provided in general wards, such as ensuring oxygen availability and training staff in basic life support.

Case studies in Sierra Leone and Malawi show promise. Sierra Leone utilised ambulances from its Ebola response to create a national EMS system that now achieves national coverage with 80 ambulances and over 400 paramedics. Malawi is piloting a coordinated "118" emergency number and trauma registry along its deadliest road corridor.

These projects mark the first components of a broader regional strategy to confront a rapidly escalating threat to human health and economic stability.

“Few regions feel the impacts of extreme heat as sharply as South Asia ,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. “We all know that every death primarily due to excess heat can be prevented and heat health action plans are saving lives.” 

Where the funding will go

The South Asia Climate Health Desk, established under the joint programme and implemented with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the India Meteorological Department, will improve how weather and climate data are translated into public health action. 

This desk is expected to develop early warning systems, risk assessments and decision-support tools to help authorities respond before heatwaves peak.

A second initiative, the South Asia Scientific Research Consortium, backed by a Rockefeller Foundation grant to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, will deepen scientific understanding of how extreme heat affects different populations. 

Under this program, researchers aim to develop tailored heat-risk thresholds to strengthen preparedness plans and community-level adaptation.

Why heat is a major problem in South Asia

In India and Pakistan, pre-monsoon temperatures regularly exceed 50°C. Heat-related mortality across the region now surpasses 200,000 deaths annually. 

Beyond the health toll, extreme heat is eroding productivity. In 2024 alone, India lost an estimated 247 billion potential labor hours due to heat exposure, translating to roughly $194 billion in income losses, according to the Lancet Countdown.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the partnership will strengthen the “science-to-services pathway” and improve early warning support for health agencies.

These investments respond to calls by António Guterres for urgent global action on extreme heat, especially in South Asia, the world’s most populated region.

For the first time this century, the number of children dying before the age of five is projected to increase. In 2024, an estimated 4.6 million children died before turning five. That figure is expected to rise to 4.8 million in 2025.

“That means more than 5,000 classrooms of children, gone before they ever learn to write their name or tie their shoes… It doesn't have to be like this,” Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, said.

The report attributes the rise to a significant decline in global development assistance for health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that external health aid will decrease by 30% to 40% in 2025 compared to 2023, severely disrupting health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Projections in the report suggest that continued funding cuts of 20% could result in an additional 12 million child deaths by 2045. If the cuts reach 30%, the figure could rise to 16 million.

 “If we take this path, we’re the generation that almost ended preventable child deaths. Almost eradicated polio. Almost wiped malaria off the map. Almost made HIV history… But we can’t stop at almost. We know kids are dying. We know why. And we know how to stop it,” the report stated.

Amidst significant aid cuts by the United States government under President Donald Trump, the Microsoft founder has pledged $200 billion of his wealth to charity and revealed earlier this year that most of it will be directed towards Africa, with the main goal of ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, eliminating deadly infectious diseases, and reducing poverty across the continent over the next two decades.

Funding cuts have resulted in a 70% reduction in some countries for vital services like disease surveillance, immunisation, maternal care, and emergency preparedness and response, according to WHO survey data from 108 LMICs gathered in March 2025. 

The Goalkeepers report outlines several interventions with high potential to save lives. These include strengthening primary health care systems, maintaining routine immunisation programmes, improving vaccines , and using data to drive better decision-making.

According to the report, primary health care systems that cost under $100 per person annually could prevent up to 90% of child deaths.

Since 2000, the number of child deaths worldwide has decreased by half as a result of vaccines being given to the most vulnerable children, the report noted.

“And every dollar spent on immunisation gave countries a return of $54.”

The outbreak, which was officially declared on September 4 after the first known patient died on August 25 from multiple organ failure, resulted in a total of 64 cases—53 confirmed and 11 probable—and 45 deaths.

"On behalf of the government— and taking into account all the scientific and operational indicators confirming that the chain of transmission of the virus has been broken—I hereby officially declare the end of the 16th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," said Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare.

The Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners, worked to contain the outbreak in a span of three months. According to Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, the rapid containment effort reflects strong coordination among all parties involved.

"Controlling and ending this Ebola outbreak in three months is a remarkable achievement. National authorities, frontline health workers, partners and communities acted with speed and unity in one of the country's hard-to-reach localities," he stated. "WHO is proud to have supported the response and to leave behind stronger systems, from clean water to safer care, that will protect communities long after the outbreak has ended."

For the first time in a DRC Ebola response, a specialised care facility—the Infectious Disease Treatment Module (IDTM)—was introduced. Developed by the WHO, the World Food Programme, and other stakeholders, the IDTM aimed to ensure better protection for health workers and provide safer and more dignified treatment for patients.

Vaccination efforts also formed a key part of the response. More than 47,500 people were vaccinated against Ebola, beginning with known contacts of confirmed cases and later extending to surrounding communities in and near Bulape.

This outbreak took place against the backdrop of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the country, marked by conflict in eastern DRC and widespread internal displacement. Over 7 million people currently face limited access to basic services , including food, clean water, and healthcare.

Ebola virus disease is a severe and often fatal illness in humans. It spreads through direct contact with blood or body fluids from an infected person or from contaminated surfaces. The DRC has experienced multiple outbreaks since the disease was first identified in 1976, including previous ones in Kasai Province in 2007 and 2008.

The country will now enter 90 days of heightened disease surveillance to monitor for any potential resurgence.

The report focused on Africa, a critical market where Nestlé holds a market share exceeding 50% and where annual Cerelac sales surpass USD 250 million.

With the assistance of various civil society organisations in Africa, Public Eye collected and analysed nearly a hundred Cerelac products sold in 20 countries on the continent. Analysis conducted by Inovalys, a specialised agri-food laboratory, found that more than 90% of the products contained added sugar, often in high quantities.

The findings show that Cerelac products sold in Africa contain significantly more sugar than those sold elsewhere:

In contrast, in Switzerland, where Nestlé is headquartered, the main baby cereal brand contains zero added sugar. Similarly, in key European markets such as Germany and the United Kingdom, all Cerelac products targeted at babies six months and older have no added sugar.

Experts and advocates warn that the practice carries serious public health consequences on a continent where obesity is rapidly increasing. 

In 2019, 24% of the world's overweight children under the age of five lived in Africa. 

Previously thought to be a problem in high-income countries, overweight is becoming more common in low- and middle-income countries; in Africa, the number of overweight children under the age of five has increased by nearly 12.1% since 2000.

WHO has long cautioned that early exposure to sugar can create a lasting preference for sugary products, serving as a major risk factor for overweight and obesity. 

The report also highlighted a lack of transparency, noting that for about two-thirds of the analysed products, the amount of added sugar was not disclosed in the nutritional information on the packaging, which critics argue “undermines consumer rights and public health”.

While Nestlé promotes Cerelac as being fortified with vitamins and minerals to "help fight malnutrition".

Nestlé maintained that it has a "consistent approach to nutrition for all babies everywhere" when contacted by Public Eye. The company asserted that it fully complies with national legislations and that its internal guidelines set an added sugar threshold well below that stipulated by the international standard of the UN Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Nestlé also stated that it declares sugar content transparently according to local regulatory requirements: “We do not mislead consumers.”

Nestlé further stated that it has accelerated the global rollout of Cerelac with no added sugar, including in Africa, and aims to introduce variants with no added sugars to all markets where it operates by the end of 2025.

Civil society organisations from Africa are calling on the multinational to immediately comply with the WHO guidelines. In an open letter, 20 organisations across countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, and Tunisia, demanded that the food giant immediately stop adding sugar to its baby foods.

Chiso Ndujkwe-Okafor, Executive Director of the Nigerian Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), whose country is the largest market for Cerelac in Africa, called on Nestlé to “align with WHO guidelines”.

Advocacy groups warned Nestlé, stating, “All babies have an equal right to healthy nutrition—regardless of their nationality or skin colour. All babies are equal. So do the right thing. The world is watching.” 

A previous 2024 petition signed by 105,000 people was delivered to the company, but Nestlé has reportedly been “turning a deaf ear” to the appeal.

“Gaza’s health system continues to be overwhelmed by the influx of mass casualties, limited medical stocks and supplies, and the shortage of medical equipment and blood units,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva on Thursday.

He said the escalation has left traumatised families “forced into an ever-shrinking area as famine persists,” with medical workers struggling to keep hospitals running.

According to Ghebreyesus, the Al-Rantisi Hospital — the only remaining paediatric facility in the enclave — was struck on Wednesday while 80 children were inside. The incident, he said, underscored how escalating violence

WHO said the country had not recorded a single case of locally transmitted malaria in the past three years, meeting the standard required for certification.

It becomes the third country in the WHO’s South-East Asia region to achieve this, following Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Malaria once posed a serious threat to the country’s population.

In 2006, Timor-Leste recorded over 220,000 cases, but through investment, strong leadership, and support from global partners, the government managed to reduce the number to zero.

After independence in 2002, Timor-Leste’s health ministry launched a national programme to fight the disease.

During this period, health workers were trained, mosquito nets were given out for free, and early testing and treatment were made available.

Despite the challenges with the number of health workers among other things, focus was given particularly to remote areas.

International partners like the Global Fund and the WHO also provided funding, advice, and technical support, introducing mosquito control methods such as indoor spraying and improved testing.

Timor-Leste also set up a system to detect new cases quickly, especially at the country’s borders, where new infections could arrive from outside.

“This elimination honours every life lost and every life now saved.  We must safeguard this victory with continued vigilance and community action to prevent malaria's re-entry,” Timor-Leste’s health minister Dr Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral said.

Trachoma is a contagious eye disease that can lead to blindness if left untreated. It spreads easily in areas with poor hygiene and limited access to clean water.

In Senegal, it had been present since the early 1900s and was a leading cause of vision loss in many parts of the country.

Senegal began taking steps to eliminate the disease more than two decades ago.

In 1998, the country joined WHO's global push to stop trachoma. By 2017, it had completed detailed mapping of the disease across the country with help from global health partners.

Over the years, the Senegalese government integrated trachoma control into its national health plans and kept the fight going through its national eye health programmes.

The WHO says Senegal reached 2.8 million people across 24 districts through efforts that included surgeries for advanced cases, mass distribution of antibiotics, public awareness campaigns on face washing, and improved access to water and sanitation.

These actions followed the WHO’s SAFE strategy, which combines medical treatment with hygiene and environmental improvements.

“This long-awaited validation is not only a milestone for public health but a powerful tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline health workers, communities, government leaders, and partners who never gave up,” said Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Representative in Senegal.

Senegal had earlier beaten another disease known as dracunculiasis, or Guinea-worm disease, in 2004. Its health officials say they are now focused on ending other neglected tropical diseases such as sleeping sickness and river blindness.

WHO data shows that trachoma still affects 32 countries and over 100 million people, mostly in Africa. In the African region alone, 93 million people were living in at-risk areas as of April 2024.

However, the number has dropped significantly in recent years.

WHO says it will continue working with Senegal to make sure trachoma does not return, and to support other countries still struggling with the disease.

The World Health Organisation describes measles as one of the most contagious viruses in the world. It can spread easily through coughing, sneezing, or even breathing in the same space as an infected person.

Although measles is preventable with two doses of vaccine, it continues to pose a serious threat in many parts of the world.

In 2023, the disease killed over 100,000 people globally, most of them children under five.

Health officials in Mongolia are now urging parents to make sure their children receive all recommended vaccine doses.

Kenya’s health sector is faced with a severe $355 million budget deficit that threatens to disrupt critical services, including HIV and tuberculosis treatment, vaccine procurement, and the employment of thousands of healthcare workers under the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiative. Read more here .

Trump confronts South Africa's Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide

U.S. President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 21, with explosive false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a tense White House meeting that was reminiscent of his February ambush of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Read more here .

Cholera devastates Sudan’s capital amid conflict, power outages, and water scarcity

Sudan’s Ministry of Health has reported a rise in cholera cases in the capital region, particularly in Karrari locality (Omdurman) and Jabal Awliya, south of Khartoum amid ongoing water crises and weakened public health infrastructure. Read more here .

Asia

China to give $500 million to WHO in next 5 years, official says

China will give an additional $500 million to the World Health Organisation over five years, an official told the World Health Assembly on May 20, as the U.N. agency seeks extra funding to offset the expected loss of its top donor, the United States. Read more here .

Singapore wine investment scam: Man jailed for siphoning $12.7 million

A Singaporean businessman, Eldric Ko, was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent wine investment scheme that defrauded over 200 investors of S$17 million (approximately US$12.67 million) between 2008 and 2011. Read more here .

Bangladesh's Yunus could quit over lack of reform progress, student leader says

Bangladesh's de-facto prime minister has threatened to step down if political parties cannot agree on reforms that citizens await with growing impatience, a top student leader has said, deepening uncertainty in the wake of deadly protests last year. Read more here .

Latin America

Cat caught smuggling drugs into Costa Rica prison

Prison guards in Costa Rica have captured a cat used to smuggle drugs into a jail, in an incident that has shocked and amused the public.The black-and-white cat was spotted near the Pococí Penitentiary, moving suspiciously close to the barbed wire fence. When officers stopped the animal, they found marijuana, heroin and rolling papers strapped to its body with tape. Read more here .

How Brazil dismantled a Russian 'spy factory' training deep cover operatives

A Russian spy operation based in Brazil has been exposed, leading to the dismantling of a network involved in training new intelligence recruits. Nine operatives were uncovered living in Brazil under false identities, according to a recent investigation by the New York Times. Read more here .

Brazil hopes to be officially free of bird flu in 28 days

Brazil began a 28-day bird flu observation period on May 22, which it hopes will show the country's chicken farms are free of the disease after local authorities said a farm where its first outbreak was detected had been fully disinfected. The outbreak in the world's largest chicken exporter, detected in the town of Montenegro in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, triggered trade bans from multiple countries. Read more here .

The World Health Organisation's decision-making annual assembly adopted the plan on Tuesday at its Geneva headquarters. "It's a historic day," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told AFP after the vote.

The text of the agreement was finalised by consensus last month, following multiple rounds of tense negotiations. The United States pulled out of those talks, following US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw his country from the WHO, a process that takes one year to complete.

"The world is safer today thanks to the leadership, collaboration and commitment of our member states to adopt the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement," Tedros said in a statement. "The agreement is a victory for public health , science and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats. "It is also a recognition by the international community that our citizens, societies and economies must not be left vulnerable to again suffer losses like those endured during Covid-19."

Afghanistan, with a population of 45 million that has long been dependent on aid, faces the world's second-largest humanitarian crisis. Since US funding cuts earlier this year, about three million people have lost access to health services because of the closure of more than 364 medical centres, with a further 220 centres at risk of closing by the third quarter of 2025, the UN's health agency said.

"That's maybe another two or three million people who have no access to healthcare services," Edwin Ceniza Salvador, the WHO representative in Afghanistan, told AFP in an interview in Kabul. "When the funding stopped, of course, the existing donors tried to step up. But you're talking about a significant gap to US funding," Salvador added.

Afghanistan's ramshackle healthcare system has been weakened by decades of war and records some of the world's highest infant and maternal mortality rates. The global aid situation has grown dire since President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development early this year and began Washington's withdrawal from the WHO. His administration scrapped 83 percent of humanitarian programmes funded by USAID. 

The plant is run by TKMD Rwanda, a branch of a Chinese company called Anhui Tiankang Medical Technology .

It was built with support from the Gates Foundation and has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). This makes it the first of its kind in Rwanda.

Most of the syringes will be sent to UNICEF for use in vaccination programs across the continent. Until now, many African countries have relied on syringe imports from Asia , which can take months to arrive.

The Ministry of Health said the new plant will also help Rwanda by creating jobs. More than 100 people are already working there, and 80% of them are women.

Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda’s health minister, said during the launch that the factory brings Rwanda one step closer to being self-reliant in healthcare.

“This is not just about syringes — it’s about saving lives and building local strength,” he added.

While the disease can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medical treatment, the number of people dying from the same is startling. Nearly 600,000 persons died from Malaria globally according to 2023 WHO statistics, with 263 million malaria cases recorded.

Out of this number, 246 million, representing 94% and 569,000 representing 95% respectively were recorded in the WHO African Region.

Children under 5 suffered the most, with about 76% of deaths coming from that category in the region. In this article, we put together a list of countries with some of the highest malaria mortality rates:

1. Nigeria

Nigeria can be said to be leading the malaria burden globally, accounting for approximately 31% of all malaria deaths worldwide. In 2022, the country reported nearly 200,000 malaria-related deaths. Children under five and pregnant women are the most affected groups, with a national malaria prevalence rate of 22% among children aged 6-59 months as of 2021, according to the WHO .

2. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

As a result of its tropical regions and other major challenges in DRC's healthcare infrastructure, high incidence and mortality rates associated with malaria are consistently recorded in the country. ​The country currently accounts for approximately 12% of global malaria deaths.

3. Niger

Malaria is a leading cause of death in Niger, representing approximately 6% of global malaria deaths. The country's predominantly rural population and limited access to healthcare services make malaria a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. ​

4. Tanzania

Approximately 4% of Tanzanians die globally from malaria deaths, according to the World Health Organisation. Despite ongoing control efforts, malaria remains a major public health issue, particularly affecting children under five years old.

5. Mozambique

Mozambique contributes to approximately 4.2% of global malaria deaths. The country's climate and environmental conditions promote malaria transmission, leading to significant health impacts. 

6. Uganda

Uganda has relatively higher numbers compared to other African countries as far as number of global malaria deaths are concerned. With an estimated 5.1% of global malaria deaths , malaria is endemic across the country, with high transmission rates posing substantial health risks to the population.

7. Angola

Angola represents approximately 3.4% of global malaria deaths. Many, particularly pregnant women and children die from malaria in this part of Africa, according to statistics available to the World Health Organisation.

8. Burkina Faso  

Burkina Faso contributes to about 3.2% of global malaria deaths. According to the World Health Organisation, the high transmission rates are a significant public health concern, especially in rural areas. ​

9. Mali

Mali accounts for approximately 3.2% of global malaria deaths. The country's malaria situation poses ongoing challenges to public health efforts. ​

10. Cameroon

Cameroon represents about 2.6% of global malaria deaths. Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with children under five being the most vulnerable.

Here's a video compilation:

WHO officials say traditional medicine has long played a key role in many cultures but has often been overlooked in global health discussions.

By recognising it within its health framework, the organisation hopes to promote research, safety standards, and fair regulation.

“WHO’s work on traditional medicine is a response to the requests from countries for evidence and data to inform policies and practice, global standards and regulations to ensure safety, quality and equitable access,” WHO indicated.

This decision means that traditional medicine will now be studied and recorded more systematically.

WHO plans to create official guidelines that can help countries ensure these practices are safe and effective. This will also allow governments to regulate herbal treatments, traditional therapies, and other natural remedies more effectively.

“Integration of T&CM with the national health system and the mainstream of health care must be done appropriately, effectively and safely, based on the latest scientific evidence. WHO assists countries that want to embrace traditional medicine practices to do so in a science-based manner to avoid patient harm and ensure safe, effective and quality health care,” a statement by WHO indicated.

“To further support Uganda‘s response to the Ebola outbreak, I am releasing an additional $2 million from the WHO  Contingency Fund for Emergencies," he said .

Previously, the WHO granted $1 million to Uganda last month, acknowledging the country’s swift response to the outbreak.

Historically, there have been eight outbreaks of Sudan virus disease: five in Uganda and three in Sudan. The last outbreak reported in Uganda occurred in 2022.

Sudan virus disease is a severe illness, often lethal, affecting humans and primates, caused by the Sudan virus from the Orthoebolavirus genus. Previous outbreaks have had case fatality rates ranging from 41% to 100%.

Uganda has so far identified six new Ebola cases, bringing the total to nine confirmed infections, including one death, as reported by the Ministry of Health.

Seven of the patients are receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital, while one is at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.

The Ministry of Health has placed 265 contacts under quarantine and is rigorously following up to contain the outbreak, which was officially declared after a nurse's death from the disease.

WHO officials expressed regret over Trump's decision in a statement.

“We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe,” WHO said .

Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and an advisor to WHO during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, told Science that a loss of U.S. funding would limit WHO’s capacity to respond to health crises.

The Marburg virus belongs to the same family as Ebola and has been declared an epidemic by WHO since 2023.

Initially detected in 1967 after two simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade, Serbia, the outbreak was associated with laboratory work using African green monkeys from Uganda.

Today, many outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in many parts of Africa including Angola, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Tanzania.

Equatorial Guinea recorded its first outbreak in February 2023 with 12 deaths and 200 people quarantine. 

In the most recent record of cases, fifteen people have died and hundreds have been affected following the bleeding eye virus outbreak in Rwanda and East Africa.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, and in some cases, bleeding. The illness can worsen, causing jaundice, liver failure, and shock. The WHO warns death often occurs within 8 to 9 days after symptoms appear in severe cases.

Treatment and prevention?

There is no specific treatment for the Marburg virus. Supportive care such as fluids, oxygen therapy, and medications to control symptoms can help. 

Who on containing the virus

WHO and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised early detection and strict isolation to prevent further spread. “Timely medical care and preventive measures can save lives,” says WHO.

According to WHO , over 200,000 suspected cholera cases were reported between March and September 2024, leading to 710 deaths.

Malnutrition is also worsening, with nearly 120,000 children expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition by the end of the year.

As a result of this, the WHO has signed a €3.4 million agreement with Germany to provide lifesaving health and nutrition services in the country.

The funding will help improve disease response and health services and support 96 therapeutic feeding centres treating severely malnourished children in the country. Essential medicines, supplies, and skilled health workers will also be provided.

Germany has been a key partner in Yemen's health response since 2017.

According to WHO , Germany’s support has "enabled millions of Yemenis to access essential health care during the conflict."

The city, known for its annual winter smog, is often ranked as one of the world’s most polluted places.

Levels of PM2.5 particles, which are harmful to health, were recorded at over 50 times the World Health Organisation's safe limit this week.

This has been worsened by stubble burning on farms, vehicle emissions, and cooler winter weather, which traps pollutants.

The issue which has been recurring has led to school closures and restrictions on trucks and construction work.

Many schools across the city have now been taken over by animals.

Efforts to address the crisis have included spraying water and launching drones to control dust, but critics have described the measures as insufficient.

A Supreme Court ruling recently declared clean air a fundamental human right, urging stronger action from authorities. However, political disagreements between state and central governments have slowed progress.

Director General of the World Health Organisation Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the government and citizens while urging other countries to draw inspiration from this.

 “Great news: #Egypt is malaria-free!” Dr Tedros wrote on X . “This certification is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people and government of Egypt to rid themselves of this ancient scourge. I congratulate Egypt on this achievement, which is an inspiration to other countries in the region, and shows what’s possible with the right resources and the right tools.”

Egypt initiated its strategy towards the elimination of malaria in the 1920s. They established the malaria control facility and initiated strategies to decrease interaction between humans and mosquitoes.

According to the World Health Organisation , the certification of malaria elimination requires the elimination of the four main human parasite species: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae.

A country or area certified once it has been proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the chain of mosquito-borne transmission has been interrupted nationwide, resulting in zero indigenous malaria cases for at least the past 3 consecutive years.

The WHO also looks out for a programme in place for preventing the re-establishment of transmission (24). No countries were certified malaria-free in 2022, but three countries – Azerbaijan, Belize and Tajikistan – were granted certification in 2023.

So far, an estimated forty-four countries have been declared malaria-free globally.

Malaria kills more than 600,000 people every year, 95 percent of them in Africa, according to the WHO.

Monks at the temple use relaxing techniques to ease the mental and physical suffering of these patients.

Section 12 of Thailand’s National Health Act allows terminally ill patients to refuse medical treatment ethically.

Such patients are encouraged with these methods which improve their overall well-being and align with  Buddhist teachings.

The temple’s practice complements the World Health Organisation’s mission to improve the quality of life for terminally ill individuals.

Wat Pa Noen Sa-Ard temple has been certified by the Department of Health as a public palliative care facility but lacks financial support from the Office of National Health Security (NHSO).

Despite easing the burden on local hospitals by caring for patients usually abandoned by their families, the temple depends mainly on donations to operate.

The World Health Organisation is projecting an increase in palliative care with an estimated 56.8 million people expected to benefit from such services annually.

This was contained in a global study released by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on July 15.

According to the report, there was a significant reduction in the number of children who have not received any doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP1) in 2023 in Brazil. The number reduced from 710,000 in 2021 to 103,000 in 2023.

Similarly, the numbers for DTP3 reduced within the same period from 846,000 to 257,000.

Agencia Brasil reports that Brazil moved from its 7th-rank position among countries with the most unimmunised and unvaccinated children after showing steady progress in 14 of the 16 immunisations surveyed.

Head of Health in UNICEF Brazil, Luciani Phebo highlighted the country’s win after years of low coverage of child immunisation performance but urged that more should be done.

“It is essential to continue moving even faster to find and immunize every girl and boy who has not yet received the vaccines. Efforts must go beyond the walls of basic health units, and reach other spaces where children and families are, including schools, assistance centres, and other public spaces and facilities,” she was quoted .

The UNICEF and WHO have reported a stall in global childhood immunisation coverage in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

According to the findings , the number of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) in 2023 - a key marker for global immunization coverage - stalled at 84 per cent (108 million). However, the number of children who did not receive a single dose of the vaccine increased from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023.

More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases because of disruptions and lack of access to security, nutrition, and health services.

Additionally, 6.5 million children did not complete their third dose of the DTP vaccine, which is necessary to achieve disease protection in infancy and early childhood.

In Q1'24, Nigeria spent N2.46 trillion to service its N121.67 trillion ($91.46 billion) public debt, comprising N1.47 trillion ($991 million) in foreign debt service payments and N989.24 billion ($666 million) in domestic debt service payments. The domestic debt for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory stood at N4.07 trillion. The increase in domestic debt was from new borrowing to part-finance the 2024 budget deficit and securitisation of a portion of the N7.3 trillion Ways and Means Advances at the Central Bank of Nigeria. The government expects improvements in revenue to enhance debt sustainability as reported by Vanguard .

Manufacturing regulatory functions

Manufacturing experts at the MAN CEO breakfast meeting in Lagos on Thursday, June 20 called for the adoption of good regulatory governance principles to address the impact of overlapping regulatory functions on business operations. They emphasised the need to minimise regulatory risk and harmonize regulations to reduce operational costs and promote business growth. MAN President, Otunba Francis, also noted the importance of harmonisation in creating a more coherent and business-friendly regulatory environment. NAN further reports that the Chairman of MAN Ikeja Branch, Elder Robert Ugbaja, called for collaborative efforts to develop practical strategies for regulatory harmonization to unlock the full capacities of Nigerian businesses and industries.

Cholera outbreak

The World Health Organisation has reported a global resurgence of cholera, with over 195,000 cases and 1,900 deaths in 24 countries in 2024. Nigeria is struggling to contain the spread, with 882 suspected cases and 16 deaths. The outbreak is most severe in Bayelsa State. Lagos State is also affected, with challenges in managing the disease due to poor access to clean water and sanitation facilities, reports NairaMetrics . Efforts to curb the spread of cholera have included improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, as well as deploying rapid diagnostic tests and enhancing surveillance. However, persistent challenges of urban slums, lack of potable water, and limited healthcare infrastructure hinder progress. The World Health Organisation has faced challenges in managing the outbreak, with a high demand for vaccines exceeding supply.

Foreign exchange gains

Nigeria's foreign exchange reserves have reached a three-month high, standing at $33.58 billion as of June 19, 2024. This milestone comes after a period of stability in the exchange rate and a surge in financial commitments from the World Bank. NairaMetrics reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria has seen a 5% increase in reserves in the last two months, with improved liquidity in forex turnover. Multiple loans and support from international organizations, such as Afrexim Bank and the World Bank, are expected to further stabilise the country's forex market and support its economy.

UK study visas issued to Nigerians fall by 38%

Recent statistics from the UK Home Office indicate a significant 38% reduction in the issuance of study visas to Nigerian nationals from March 2023 to March 2024. The report highlights a downturn in study visas granted to individuals from India and Nigeria, the two principal sources of study visa applicants for the UK. Indian nationals saw a 16% decrease in visa approvals during the same period. According to NairaMetrics , this downward trend is seemingly linked to the January 2024 policy amendment that limits international students from having dependents accompany them, except for those engaged in research-oriented postgraduate studies.

By June 2 this year, there were 977 reported cases, surpassing 2023’s total of 941, according to Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The STSS is caused by Group A Streptococcus (GAS), which usually causes minor infections like strep throat in children. However, certain strains can rapidly lead to severe symptoms such as limb pain and swelling, high fever, and dangerously low blood pressure. In severe cases, this can progress to tissue death, breathing difficulties, organ failure, and even death. People over 50 are particularly at risk of this disease.

Professor Ken Kikuchi from Tokyo Women’s Medical University warned that if current infection rates continue, Japan could see up to 2,500 cases this year, with a mortality rate as high as 30%.

"Most of the deaths happen within 48 hours,” Kikuchi said. "As soon as a patient notices swelling in (their) foot in the morning, it can expand to the knee by noon, and they can die within 48 hours,” he was quoted by The Japan Times .

Similar outbreaks have been reported in several European countries in late 2022, following the lessening of COVID-19 measures. The World Health Organization (WHO) noted an increase in cases of the invasive Group A streptococcus (iGAS) disease, which includes STSS.

Kikuchi stressed the importance of maintaining hand hygiene and promptly treating open wounds to prevent infection. He also pointed out that patients can carry GAS in their intestines, which may contaminate their hands through fecal matter.

Students at the school produced lipstick from Ya Dok Khao grass (Leptochloa chinensis, commonly known as red sprangletop). The grass is usually consumed as a tea by smokers in many parts of Thailand to reduce cravings.

Deputy Director supervising the project, Sirphob Jaroensakul said extracts from the grass were added to a colourless lip balm which can be applied frequently by smoking addicts. It changes the taste of cigarettes and therefore reduces the urge for it.

According to Jaroensakul, the increasing use of tobacco products especially by teenagers in the country accounted for the innovation.

“What inspired us to make this lipstick is the continued increase in the number of new smokers, especially among teenagers and college students. Smoking is the second biggest killer in Thailand, with more than 40,000 deaths per year, and is responsible for at least 12,000 new lung cancer patients per year,” he was quoted as saying.

62% of the users who tested the product between four to six weeks saw a significant reduction in the urge for smoking. According to local media platform Nation Thailand , 69% said their lips felt slightly numb, which significantly reduced their cravings.

The Ya Dok Khao lipstick has been recognised through an award of excellence from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Social Innovation for Creative Society.

Jaroensakul said the team is preparing to file a patent for and is looking into ways of improving the product’s colour and fragrance to attract a wider group of users.

World No Tobacco Day is observed on May 31 every year as part of the World Health Organisation’s campaign to fight against the use of tobacco.

Approximately 37 of 47 counties in the country have been affected by the rains, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Many have been left homeless and several others reported dead from the floods, raising serious concerns from citizens and humanitarian groups globally.

Here is a chronological compilation of events that have happened in Kenya since April.

March rains

Rains that began in March affected many counties in Kenya including the Nairobi, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Garissa, and the Baringo counties. The rains affected schools and major roads. On 17 April, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration had warned that River Tana was likely to burst its banks and cause flooding in Garissa, Tana River, and Lamu counties after filling up the Seven-Forks dams, including Masinga Dam, which was already overflowing. In other areas, there were landslides recorded.

32 deaths recorded by April 18

By April 18, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA)’s review of flash floods in Kenya indicated that at least 32 persons had died with 15 injuries and two missing persons recorded. An estimated 103,485 people (20,697 households) had been affected by the rains, out of which 40, 265 persons had been displaced in 21 out of 47 counties. Over 960 livestock had been killed and 24,010 acres of croplands had been destroyed.

Major dam bursts

The situation was exacerbated on April 29 after a major dam, the Old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region, burst amid torrential rainfall. The dam in the north-western Nakuru county resulted in at least 71 deaths and 110 injuries. Vehicles were seen overturned and being swept away together with uprooted trees and homes.

Toll reaches over 200 by May

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at least 210 people had died by May 3, 164 had been injured and 72 were still missing. In addition, more than 205,000 people were reportedly affected by the rains while over 40 thousand households were displaced according to figures from the interior ministry. By May 5, the numbers had reached 228, the interior ministry said.

Rivers overflow their banks

Water sources including Rivers Tana, Athi, and Mara have overflowed their banks, worsening the flooding situation. The Talek River has also been affected.

Health facilities closed

The heavy rains have cut off access to health facilities in some areas, The Star reports. The Ministry of Health has since activated the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in various parts of the country while urging other counties to activate their emergency operation centres for response efforts.

Tourists rescued from flooded camps

On May 1, the Kenya Red Cross announced a rescue operation was embarked on to save trapped tourists affected by the flood waters in over 14 tourist camps in Talek, and Narok after the Talek River broke its banks. Tourists were rescued by air and aqua rescue teams after camps and tents were swept away at the Maasai Mara camp.

Relief and rescue efforts

Rescue efforts are underway to search for persons affected and killed by the floods in the country. Rescue teams are deployed in various parts of the country to search for victims while the Kenya Red Cross Society helps with the provision of first aid among other health intervention assistance.

According to the Interior Ministry , the government has set up more than 100 camps across the country to provide shelter for some 62,000 persons displaced and evacuated with plans to increase the numbers. There are also government efforts to distribute food and other essential supplies.

Amidst the disaster, the Government of Kenya, through the Kenya Disaster Emergency Operations Centre is gathering information from the 33 affected counties for analysis and decision making. The National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre is leading the health situation and response, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners including the Kenya Red Cross Society, AMREF, FHI360 and Foundation for Professional Development.

The Ministry of Health has also set up an incident management system team for surveillance, case management, laboratory, logistics risk communication and community engagement to monitor and manage disease outbreaks. Medical camps have been set up with the support of the Red Cross where health services are being rendered to persons affected by the closure of health facilities in the country. According to WHO , over 720 first responders, trained by WHO, are being deployed or on standby for deployment to deal with the situation.

Presidential response

The President William Samoei Ruto has since been touring some areas including the Mathare Depot area to assess flooding in the area. He has pledged support to all persons affected by the crisis. In a post on X , the president pledged food and bedding as well as shelter for affected persons. He also pledged KSh1 billion (7.6 million dollars) towards the rebuilding of schools for affected students. President William Ruto also set May 10 as a mourning day for victims who have died in the floods. The day was observed by national tree planting activities to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Weather warnings

The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued warnings, saying the rains will persist until the end of May.

Cholera outbreak

Dozens of cholera cases have been reported amidst the floods. According to WHO, 44 cases of the disease has been reported in the Tana River County alone. The outbreak is as a result of destroyed sanitation facilities resulting in the flow of waste water from latrines. Other factors like inadequate sanitation, limited water and untreated water is highlighted as contributing factors. The WHO has meanwhile procured around 87 cholera, 58 interagency and 20 pneumonia kits that are being distributed to key counties and can treat around 10,000 affected people.

Flooding in other East African countries

Some of Kenya’s neighbours have also experienced flooding in recent times. In Tanzania, hundreds have died from the floods and hundreds of thousands have had to flee their homes in Burundi.

East Africa was hit by record floods during the last rainy season in late 2023. Scientists say climate change is causing more intense and frequent extreme weather events.

Haitians have urged the Transitional Presidential Council to prioritise security and restore stability following the selection of Edgard Gardy Leblanc Fils as president and Fritz Bélizaire as prime minister. The council's slow progress has been criticised, and calls have been made for urgent action to address the country's crisis. Despite concerns, there is hope that the council's recent meeting with the police and army signals a commitment to restoring national security. Haitian Times explained that expectations are high for the council to address the ongoing security and social violence issues swiftly and effectively.

New Prime Minister

The appointment of Haiti's new prime minister appears to have divided the transitional council. Four of seven members choose Fritz Bélizaire, causing unexpected political alliance and surprise among Haitians. The Montana Accord, a civil society group represented by a council member with voting powers, described the election as a "complot" hatched by four council members against the Haitian people "in the middle of the night," Daily Journal reported.

Haiti's new president

The Haitian Transitional Council has selected a new president and interim prime minister amid ongoing gang violence, international media Reuters reports. The nation's capital has been rocked by attacks, leading to a mass exodus of people. The situation remains unstable as the transitional council takes on the task of leading Haiti through the crisis.

Limited healthcare access

The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the limited access to healthcare facilities in Haiti due to ongoing violence. Only three hospitals are operational in Port-au-Prince, and gangs have brought the health system to the brink of collapse. Patients participating in TB and HIV/AIDS programs are unable to attend hospitals due to gang violence, Media agency TeleSur explains. The chaos in Port-au-Prince also affects vaccination campaigns, epidemic control, and chronic disease prevention efforts. The international community is being urged to increase support and financial resources to provide vital services and essential supplies.

Colombian weapons in Haiti

Stolen Colombian weapons and ammunition may have ended up in the hands of armed gangs in Haiti, according to President Gustavo Petro. The missing supplies include explosives, hand grenades, and anti-tank missiles. The discovery came amid reports of foreign smugglers supplying weapons to gangs in Haiti. President Petro described the theft as a scandalous corruption involving officials in charge of protecting the state. Miami Herald indicated that the government is taking action to separate members of the public force from any criminal association.

According to WHO, Nigeria is one of the 26 meningitis hyper-endemic countries of Africa situated within the African Meningitis Belt, where the menace of meningitis has inflicted devastating tolls year after year.

WHO explained that Meningitis is a serious infection that leads to the inflammation of the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and poses a grave threat to public health, with bacterial strains capable of causing rapid deterioration and even death within a mere 24 hours.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, who lauded Nigeria's proactive stance, said on social media platform X, “Meningitis is an old and deadly foe, but this new vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of the disease, preventing future outbreaks, saving many lives, and bringing us closer to our goal to eliminate meningitis by 2030.”

The new vaccine protects against the five primary strains of meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W, Y, and X) with just a single shot and has the potential to significantly reduce meningitis cases.

“Northern Nigeria, particularly the states of Jigawa, Bauchi, and Yobe were badly hit by the deadly outbreak of meningitis, and this vaccine provides health workers with a new tool to both stop this outbreak but also put the country on a path to elimination,”   Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate of the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was quoted by WHO .

The meningitis vaccine received funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which supports the global meningitis vaccine stockpile and facilitates routine vaccination against meningitis in lower-income countries.

Rwanda mRNA vaccine facility

In December 2023, Rwanda and German biotech company BioNTech inaugurated Africa's first manufacturing facility for mRNA-based vaccines.

The Rwandan facility is equipped to manufacture at an annual capacity of 50 million doses targeted to the needs of the African Union member states.BioNTech plans to establish additional factories in Senegal and South Africa while the facility in Rwanda will become a node in a decentralised and robust African end-to-end manufacturing network.

Gavi

In December 2023, Gavi, an international organization that improves access to vaccines, introduced a fund named “ the First Response Fund ” of US$22 million to support pandemic prevention, preparedness and response activities.

In December 2023, The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said it had welcomed Gavi's establishment of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) AVMA will function as a financing mechanism of up to US$ 1 billion for vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

World Health Organization

During the State of the Nation Address of South African President Museveni, he announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) has selected six African countries, including South Africa, to receive the necessary technology for large-scale production of mRNA vaccines.

African Union

In 2021, the African Union Heads of States and Governments launched The Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) to enable Africa to develop, produce, and supply more than 60 per cent of the total vaccine doses needed on the continent by 2040. PAVM has seen various vaccine manufacturing projects underway already.

European Investment Bank (EIB) and African Development Bank

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed US$1 billion for vaccines, medicines, and health technology in Africa. In a parallel move, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has established a US$3 billion facility to support healthcare in Africa, with a focus on vaccine production.

International Finance Cooperation

On July 9, 2021, the International Finance Cooperation and four other institutions announced $14 million in grant funding to Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal (IPD) along with project development support, in support of vaccine production. The project is also co-financed by the Government of Japan.

Institut Pasteur de Dakar and Mastercard Foundation

On June 1, 2023, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) and the Mastercard Foundation announced a $45 million partnership named MADIBA (Manufacturing in Africa for Disease Immunization and Building Autonomy) to enable Africa to achieve vaccine manufacturing autonomy. MADIBA seeks to establish a globally competitive workforce by training skilled young individuals to contribute to vaccine production and distribution.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed a $40 million investment to support various African manufacturers in producing mRNA vaccines locally. Senegal’s Institut Pasteur de Dakar and South Africa's Biovac will each receive US$5 million to acquire the needed technology to develop locally relevant vaccines. The remaining $30 million will support other African manufacturers in vaccine manufacturing and production.

But, with many new projects underway, there's a concern that if efforts aren't coordinated, there could be duplicate investments in some areas and not enough in others, putting long-term impact at risk.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The tragic tally of road crash deaths is heading in the right direction, downwards, but nowhere near fast enough…The carnage on our roads is preventable. We call on all countries to put people rather than cars at the centreESTIMATIONVERSES of their transport systems and ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users."

The report shows that 28% of global road traffic deaths occurred in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 25% in the Western Pacific Region, 19% in the African Region, 12% in the Region of the Americas, 11% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and 5% in the European Region. Nine out of 10 road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where fatalities are disproportionately higher relative to the number of vehicles and roads. The risk of death is three times higher in low-income countries compared to high-income countries, despite low-income countries having only 1% of the world's motor vehicles.

The victims

Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians (23%), riders of powered two and three-wheelers like motorcycles (21%), cyclists (6%), and users of micro-mobility devices such as e-scooters (3%), comprise 53% of all road traffic fatalities. Deaths among car and other 4-wheeled light vehicle occupants slightly decreased to 30% of global fatalities.

The report highlights that the WHO Southeast Asia Region accounted for 28% of global road traffic deaths, followed by the Western Pacific Region at 25%, the African Region at 19%, the Region of the Americas at 12%, the Eastern Mediterranean Region at 11%, and the European Region at 5%.

“Our mission at Bloomberg Philanthropies is to save and improve as many lives as possible, and one of the best ways to do that is to make more of the world’s roads safe for all. For more than a decade now, we’ve made encouraging progress together with the World Health Organization and our partners. Still, as this new report makes clear, road safety demands stronger commitments from governments worldwide – and we’ll continue to urge more leaders to take lifesaving action,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries .

Why the prevalence?

In terms of a legal framework, only six countries have laws that align with WHO best practices for all risk factors, including speeding, drunk driving, and the use of motorcycle helmets, seatbelts, and child restraints.

Further, the research suggests that a staggering 80% of the world's roads do not meet pedestrian safety standards, and a mere 0.2% have designated cycle lanes, leaving these road users vulnerable to danger. Surprisingly, although 9 out of 10 people identify as pedestrians, only a quarter of countries have policies in place to promote walking, cycling, and public transport. It is interesting to note that only 35 countries have legislation on all safety features in vehicles.

The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges that ongoing efforts to enhance road safety have yielded some positive results. However, these advances still fall significantly short of meeting the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 target to reduce road deaths by half by 2030.