Photo Stories

Uganda records significant reduction in new HIV infections among newborns

Kampala ‒ In Uganda, women are disproportionately affected by HIV. Out of 1.4 million people living with the disease, 860 000 are women and 80 000 are children.

As part of the drive to reduce the number of babies born with HIV, Uganda has a robust prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme. It involves following up women of reproductive age living with, or at risk of acquiring, HIV from their reproductive years, throughout pregnancy and to the end of the breastfeeding period.

Addressing the challenge of antimicrobial resistance in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa ‒ Recent disease surveillance findings from more than 4000 health centres across Ethiopia have shown a rising trend in cases of antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when pathogens change over time and no longer respond to medicines. For instance, resistance by the bacteria that causes typhoid surged nearly nine-fold to 87% of cases in 2019 from 10% in 2006. Equally, strains of infection-causing E. coli bacteria are showing increasing resistance to stronger antibiotics.

Supporting Tanzania’s Marburg survivors

Soon after Tanzania confirmed its first case of Marburg Virus Disease in February 2023, outbreak control measures were rolled out rapidly, with the country drawing on outbreak readiness capacity built up and reinforced in recent months. The efforts by the national health authorities, health workers and communities helped to end the outbreak in just around three months.