WHO Stories

Kenya officially eliminates sleeping sickness as public health threat, WHO confirms
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Aug 08, 2025

Sleeping sickness, often called the “silent killer” of rural areas, begins with symptoms such as fever and headaches before progressing to confusion a...

Africa’s push for HIV independence advances with first procurement of locally made medicines
UN News  |  Aug 03, 2025

In 2023, Kenya-based pharmaceutical company Universal Corporation Ltd became the first African manufacturer to receive World Health Organisation (WHO)...

How fake medication is a problem across the world
DW News  |  Aug 02, 2025

Demand for drugs, including weight-loss injections, is sending people to dangerous places to get their medicine. But spotting dodgy marketplaces is no...

First malaria treatment for babies a major step to ending the disease in Africa – Biochemist
The Conversation  |  Aug 01, 2025

The new drug marks a major milestone in the fight against malaria, offering life-saving treatment specifically designed for the youngest and most vuln...

Duale blames corruption for weak tobacco law enforcement as Kenya rolls out stricter warning labels
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 30, 2025

Duale said enforcement efforts have repeatedly been undermined by corrupt individuals who frustrate government initiatives aimed at safeguarding publi...

Mombasa leads Kenya’s mpox outbreak as MoH, WHO step up response
Farhiya Hussein  |  Jul 29, 2025

The Director-General of Health, Dr Patrick Amoth, confirmed that out of the 300 cases recorded nationwide, Mombasa alone accounts for 139, the highest...

Hepatitis B: The overlooked health crisis silently spreading across Kenya and Africa
Charity Kilei  |  Jul 28, 2025

Over 70 million people in the WHO African Region live with chronic hepatitis B or C, 63 per cent of the global burden, yet fewer than 10 per cent are...

Calls for safety awareness as world marks Drowning Prevention Day
Mary Wambui  |  Jul 25, 2025

According to World Health Organization (WHO)'s statistics, over the last decade at least three million people have lost their lives to drowning.

Health experts, officials convene in Uganda for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis elimination across Africa
XINHUA  |  Jul 22, 2025

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, represented by Vice President Jessica Alupo, emphasised the importance of unity and innovation in tackling the cont...

Vegetable intake low in Kenya amid growing health concerns
Margaret Wanjiru  |  Jul 19, 2025

Vegetables are densely packed with vital nutrients, and including them regularly can significantly influence not just how we feel today, but how we ag...

Sharp decline in childhood vaccinations leaves 133,000 children unprotected – report
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 16, 2025

Measles vaccination was among the most affected, with around 178,000 children missing their first dose in 2024, making it the second least administere...

Burundi becomes Africa’s 8th country to eradicate trachoma
Charity Kilei  |  Jul 12, 2025

Trachoma primarily affects the poorest and most underserved populations, particularly in rural areas with limited access to clean water, sanitation, a...

Pneumonia still top killer among Kenyan men as cancer rates surge - report
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 09, 2025

Among women, cancer was the top killer, claiming 4,498 lives in 2024, up from 3,940 in 2023.

WHO lists Kenya among countries below tobacco tax target
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 08, 2025

A report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that as of 2024, Kenya’s tobacco tax share stands between 70 and 74 per cent of the ret...

Measles and rubella rebound amid dropping vaccination rates
Charity Kilei  |  Jul 06, 2025

Between 2010 and 2019, measles vaccination rates declined in 100 of the 204 countries studied. Notably, 21 out of 36 high-income countries experienced...

WHO calls for global tax hike on tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks to reduce consumption
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Jul 03, 2025

According to WHO, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, now account for more than 75 per cent of all global deaths, with tobacco, alcohol, and sugary d...

One in six cancer drugs in Kenya, Ethiopia found to be substandard
DW News  |  Jul 01, 2025

Across Africa, cancer medications have been found to be substandard or counterfeit. That means people are being given medicine that may not work, or t...

Mpox continues to spread in Africa, with 18 countries reporting active transmission
Charity Kilei  |  Jun 28, 2025

The majority of cases have been reported in Busia (48 cases) and Mombasa (37), followed by Nakuru (16) and Makueni (10). Smaller clusters emerged in N...

Mongolia's confirmed measles cases exceeds 10,000
XINHUA  |  Jun 27, 2025

The majority of new measles infections were among school-age children who had only one shot of the measles vaccine.

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.

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