WHO Stories

Ethiopia nears milestone in tobacco control - WHO
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Jun 24, 2025

Ethiopia is among seven countries that are just one step away from fully implementing the World Health Organisation's (WHO) MPOWER tobacco control str...

40 killed in Sudan after drone strikes hospital in West Kordofan - WHO
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Jun 24, 2025

According to WHO, the attack at Al Mujilad hospital claimed the lives of both women and children, with the organisation's Sudan office confirming the...

30 per cent of medicines in Africa are fake - report
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 17, 2025

The report reveals that essential medicines such as HIV antiretrovirals, antimalarials, painkillers like tramadol, and antibiotics are the most freque...

Kenya partners with WHO to tighten tobacco control, review existing laws
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 10, 2025

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the partnership will help advance the country’s efforts to reduce tobacco-related harm by updating its legal...

Rwanda's health ministry warns of Covid-19 as dry season begins
New Times  |  Jun 10, 2025

Nsanzimana also warned of the possibility of increased malaria during the period, calling upon people to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, drain stan...

WHO urges HIV testing for all mpox patients as global cases top 129,000
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 07, 2025

WHO pointed to mounting evidence that people living with untreated or poorly managed HIV are at significantly higher risk of developing severe complic...

WHO approves new vaccines to protect infants from deadly respiratory virus
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 02, 2025

In a statement, WHO recommended the maternal vaccine be administered to pregnant women in their third trimester, offering newborns passive immunity at...

Why long-life and flavoured milk may harm your toddler’s health
Margaret Wanjiru  |  May 26, 2025

At 20 months (or under two years), toddlers need full-fat, fresh pasteurised milk in moderation, and breast milk if still nursing — in line with recom...

Kenya joins global push to combat snakebite deaths which claim around 4,000 lives annually
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 24, 2025

This condition, considered one of the world’s most neglected tropical diseases, disproportionately affects people in poor and rural communities.

WHO snubs Kenya over weak trans fat enforcement
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 24, 2025

Trans fats, especially those produced industrially, are commonly found in baked goods, margarine, vegetable shortening, fried foods, and products like...

Kenya to increase WHO contributions by 20pc as part of global health funding push
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 22, 2025

The WHO donor base expanded this year with both long-standing supporters and new contributors providing fresh voluntary funding.

Tanzania’s Mohamed Janabi elected WHO Africa regional director after strong diplomatic push
Mwangi Maina  |  May 18, 2025

Mohamed's nomination will now be submitted to the WHO executive board for formal ratification, a step widely expected to be procedural.

WHO urges global action as medicalised FGM puts millions of girls at risk
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Apr 28, 2025

An estimated four million girls are still at risk each year, underlining the urgent need for global action to end this harmful tradition once and for...

Malaria scorecard: battles have been won and advances made, but the war isn’t over
The Conversation  |  Mar 27, 2025

Mosquitoes have also developed mechanisms to resist the effects of insecticides. Malaria vector resistance to certain insecticides used in malaria con...

Explainer: Why your child needs that polio vaccine
Charity Kilei  |  Apr 27, 2025

The WHO emphasises the importance of providing the polio vaccine to all children under five years old, starting at birth. The vaccine is typically adm...

Global immunisation campaigns struggle as funding cuts, outbreaks threaten progress
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Apr 26, 2025

Despite the success of vaccines in saving over 150 million lives over the last five decades, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus warned that f...

Billions lost as taxpayer-funded markets lie incomplete, vandalised
Lucy Mumbi  |  Apr 20, 2025

This comes even as President William Ruto continues to launch new market initiatives, including recent projects in Nyandarua and Laikipia counties, ra...

Tanzania launches diplomatic push for Prof Mohamed Janabi to head WHO Africa office
Mwangi Maina  |  Apr 17, 2025

To spearhead the lobbying effort, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has deployed former President Jakaya Kikwete as a special envoy, highlighting the high...

WHO members reach deal on global pandemic preparedness after 3 years of talks
Reuters  |  Apr 16, 2025

The agreement is widely seen as a victory for the global health agency at a time when multilateral organisations like the WHO have been battered by sh...

WHO launches first-ever global guidelines to combat meningitis and save lives
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Apr 15, 2025

While meningitis can affect anyone, the disease burden is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries and areas experiencing large-scale epi...

Katwa Kigen quits race for IEBC commissioner job, citing suitability concerns
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Apr 10, 2025

His withdrawal comes amid concerns raised from various quarters about the independence and fairness of the electoral body if a close associate of the...

Aid cuts could leave more women dying in pregnancy and birth, UN says
Reuters  |  Apr 08, 2025

Even before the aid cuts led by the United States, things were backsliding in some countries, and progress has slowed globally since 2016, the report...

Five dead as cholera outbreak hits Nairobi, Kisumu and Migori counties
Lucy Mumbi  |  Apr 05, 2025

Kenya Red Cross, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Nairobi County Health Team, has intensified sanitation and hygiene campaigns in...

Trump slaps 10% tariffs on Kenyan goods in new "economic independence" blitz
Mwangi Maina  |  Apr 03, 2025

The move was part of a dramatic trade policy overhaul he dubbed "Liberation Day," announced in a fiery address from the White House Rose Garden on Wed...

Born too soon: The crisis of premature births in Kenya
Charity Kilei  |  Mar 30, 2025

The rising cases of preterm births are becoming a major global health concern, with devastating consequences for newborns and their families.​

WHO proposing to cut jobs and slash budget by a fifth, memo shows
Reuters  |  Mar 29, 2025

Trump's administration withdrew from the WHO upon taking office in January, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and o...

Voice of America staff put on leave after Trump directive
Reuters  |  Mar 16, 2025

Michael Abramowitz, Voice of America's director, said nearly his entire staff of 1,300 journalists, producers and assistants had been put on administr...

Details of five candidates shortlisted for WHO Africa leadership position
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Mar 15, 2025

Following the death of Dr Ndugulile, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus formally submitted the names of five candidates for considera...

Health Ministry seeks Sh140 million to digitise HIV care, Sh5 billion to counter USAID cuts
Lucy Mumbi  |  Mar 13, 2025

The ministry argues that the move aims to integrate HIV-related health records into Kenya’s digital health superhighway, ensuring data accessibility a...

920,000 children in high-risk counties vaccinated against polio, says WHO
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Mar 11, 2025

The vaccination campaign took place between February 21 and 25, 2025, as part of the second phase of mass polio immunisation in regions deemed at high...

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