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This year, in Côte d’Ivoire, the celebration of World Health Day coincided with the official launch of a major vaccination campaign aimed at eradicating cervical cancer.
Efforts are underway in Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen services dedicated to mothers and children. The country has adopted an ambitious program to invest in infrastructure, human resources, and the implementation of targeted strategies and interventions.
On April 7, the international community celebrated World Health Day. This occasion marked the launch of a campaign focused on maternal and neonatal health. The campaign, titled “Good health at birth for a hopeful future,” will run for a year and calls on countries to accelerate efforts to end preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, while prioritizing women’s long-term health and well-being.
Côte d’Ivoire is already actively working toward this goal. Pregnant women and children aged 0 to 5 receive special attention. In fact, the government’s policy of targeted free healthcare in both urban and rural areas reflects its ambition to eliminate preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. This targeted free care is a key initiative within the Government’s Social Program. From 2023 to June 2024, 4,096,400 cases of malaria in children and 507,949 cases in pregnant women were treated free of charge. This has been a great relief for many families. “My wife gave birth in this health center without paying anything. Free care is a real relief,” said Hervé Coulibaly, whom we met at the Dimbékaha health center in Katiola. This time, he had come to accompany his sick son. His satisfaction is shared by Salimata Coulibaly, whose daughter was also treated free of charge for malaria.
This year, World Health Day also marked the official launch of a large-scale vaccination campaign to eradicate cervical cancer through an innovative multi-age approach, reaffirming the government’s commitment to offering a brighter future to girls and women. More than 3 million girls aged 9 to 18 were targeted for vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)—the primary cause of cervical cancer.
The prevention of cervical cancer is another major initiative, with the HPV vaccine now included in the Expanded Immunization Program, targeting girls aged 9 to 14.
Côte d’Ivoire continues to reaffirm its determination to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for women. Numerous health indicators have shown improvement: maternal mortality has decreased by 38%, from 614 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2012 to 385 in 2021. As part of the “Hospital Program” launched in 2018—Côte d’Ivoire’s largest ever health sector investment—26 maternity wards will be equipped with obstetric operating rooms for Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) by the end of 2024. The percentage of births attended by qualified personnel increased from 59% in 2012 to 84% in 2021, and the C-section rate rose from 2.7% in 2012 to 9% in 2021.
In the area of family planning, 452 million contraceptive products were distributed in 2023, raising the contraceptive prevalence rate from 12.9% in 2012 to 25% in 2024.
This celebration has once again allowed Côte d’Ivoire to reaffirm its unwavering commitment to improving maternal and child health indicators through the construction of new infrastructure and the strengthening of existing programs, ensuring that every woman has access to quality care.
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Lusaka — African health ministers and partners are calling for increased investment in integrated health services to address the growing burden of severe noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly those affecting women and underserved populations across the region. At a high-level side event during the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for NCDs. Disparities are especially pronounced in rural areas, where health infrastructure and services remain inadequate. Breast and cervical cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa—particularly cervical cancer, which is both preventable and treatable. It remains the most common cause of cancer death for women in the region. In 2022, Africa accounted for nearly a quarter (23%) of the 76 000 global cervical cancer deaths. Meanwhile, severe NCDs such as Type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and heart conditions claim more than half a million lives annually, including among children, adolescents, and young adults in some of the continent’s poorest communities. Inequitable access to health services continues to hinder efforts to reduce this burden. To improve cervical and breast cancer care in the region, urgent investment is needed in leadership, governance, and financing. Strengthening these foundations is critical in the current funding landscape. Advancements in strategic planning, healthcare infrastructure, workforce training, and—most importantly—equitable access to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services are essential. To address these challenges, WHO and its partners showcased successful integrated models such as the Women’s Integrated Care for Cancer Services (WICS), the BEAT Breast Cancer Project, and the PEN-Plus Strategy. WICS strengthens early detection, treatment, and integration of women’s cancer services into primary health care systems in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The BEAT Breast Cancer Project is a transformative multi-year initiative aimed at reducing breast cancer mortality among women in Tanzania and Ghana through early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment access. “PEN-Plus, WICS and the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative are models for a new standard of care, rooted in equity, access and health justice. I urge countries to prioritize policies that embed these models into broader health system strengthening, said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa”. Côte d’Ivoire offers a compelling example of progress, combining high HPV vaccination coverage—reaching over three million girls (91.4%)—with WICS-supported community-based screening campaigns to strengthen cervical cancer prevention. In Kenya, cervical cancer screening has been successfully integrated into national health services. “This gathering marks a pivotal moment to accelerate action for breast cancer prevention in Africa. We deeply value the leadership of the Ministries of Health of Ghana and Tanzania, and the steadfast support of the Pfizer Foundation in helping us achieve this milestone. The side event builds momentum for the policy prioritization of women’s cancers, partnerships to strengthen the broader women’s cancer ecosystem, and advance a health-systems approach to breast cancer prevention and management”, said Dr Somesh Kumar, Senior Director, Jhpiego. PEN-Plus expands access to care for severe NCDs at the district hospital level. Since its implementation, 20 countries in Africa have increased access to services for severe NCDs. Over 15 000 people are currently receiving treatment for chronic conditions such as sickle cell disease and Type 1 diabetes through PEN-Plus clinics.
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