World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa

Strengthening systems to monitor antibiotics. An action oriented approach

Background Antibiotics have become lynchpins of our modern systems of healthcare, animal health and agriculture. Monitoring the types and volumes of antibiotics distributed, used and discharged across these systems is critical to provide evidence for action. With limited resource...

A narrative review of progress and lessons from a decade of implementing infection prevention and control in Sierra Leone following the Ebola epidemic

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is essential for resilient health systems and emergency preparedness. In Sierra Leone, inadequate IPC practices during the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic catalysed the establishment of a national IPC programme. This review examines a d...

Progress towards Onchocerciasis elimination in Senegal’s historical transmission zones, following sustained annual mass drug administration and multilevel surveillance

Onchocerciasis remains a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, despite decades of control efforts. In Senegal, transmission was historically focal but intense along the Gambia and Falémé river basins in the southeast of the country. Building on the legacy of the Onch...

One Health and antimicrobial stewardship: a call to multi-sectoral collaboration to prevent the emerging epidemic of antimicrobial resistance

A common misconception is that Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stems solely from poor treatment management in hospitals and weak health systems. AMR is, however, driven by a multitude of factors, including environmental stressors such as contamination from industrial, agricultural...