Health in Mauritania

  • Global Malaria Target Met Amid Sharp Drop in Cases

    BOTSWANA, 2015/09/22 Malaria death rates have plunged by 60 % since 2000, but the ancient killer remains an acute public health problem with 15 nations mainly in sub-Saharan Africa accounting for some 80 % of cases and deaths globally, according to a new United Nations statement released today. “World malaria control is one of the great public health success stories of the completed 15 years,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). “It’s a sign that our strategies are on target, and that we can beat this ancient killer, which still claims hundreds of thousands of lives, mostly children, each year.”
  • Unicef, UN Health Agency Report Increase in Immunization Figures for World's Children

    BOTSWANA, 2015/07/18 An increasing number of children are receiving life-saving vaccinations around the world, according to the new data released by two United Nations agencies. In a press release issued before today, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) confirmed that the number of nations reaching and sustaining 90 % vaccination coverage for their children with the required three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis containing vaccines (DTP3) had doubled since 2000. In 2000, 21 million children did not receive even a initial dose of DTP, a figure that has presently dropped to 12 million, the WHO and UNICEF said.
  • Mauritania takes preventive measures against ebola virus

    MAURITANIA, 2014/03/31 The Mauritanian government Friday announced preventive measures against the Ebola fever, which has for several weeks ravaged Guinea, causing dozens of deaths, 'No cases of Ebola fever has been detected in Mauritania. But during its weekly conference on Thursday, the government was briefed on the subject and decided to take preventive measures following instructions from the President of the Republic,' according to the Minister of Health, Ahmedou Ould Hademine Ould Jelvoune . He said that a technical committee, in collaboration with partners, has been put in place to monitor developments, strengthen surveillance and ensure epidemiological prevention at all levels by controlling travelers coming from or going to neighboring nations by air, land or sea.
  • UNAIDS is working to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Arab world

    MAURITANIA, 2014/03/22 UNAIDS is working to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Arab world following 'records of alarming' spread of the pandemic in those nations, sources told PANA on Wednesday ahead of the visit of the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé. Despite the weak prevalence of the pandemic in the Arab world, statistics indicate that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS went up by 47% between 2001 and 2011. It jumped up from 170,000 in 2001 to 230,000 in 2011 with new infections going up from 19,000 to 28,000 during the same period. The sources said the situation forced UNAIDS to sound the emergency bell and urge the Arab authorities to 'intensify efforts to fight for a drop in the prevalence rate'.