African health debate includes South–South cooperation

Ecuador became the second country verified free of river blindness after Colombia.

The announcement recognized interrupted transmission, with monitoring still relevant.

WHO reports President Boni Yayi addressing the regional committee on this date during a debate on stronger health systems.

At the Cotonou meeting, Boni Yayi asked African countries to consider conventional and traditional medicine in health cooperation.

The 2014 regional health meeting considered inherited care within a broader call to strengthen systems facing epidemics.

Cuba became the first country validated for eliminating mother-to-child HIV and syphilis transmission as public-health problems.

Testing and treatment during pregnancy formed part of the services WHO assessed.

The validation recognized work to prevent both infections passing from mother to child.

The finding does not mean that every possible individual transmission had become impossible.

The 2015 regional observance used regulation of traditional health practitioners as its theme.