WHO presents updated health promotion strategy for Africa

The WHO "has unveiled a new set of priority actions to better address preventable health conditions in Africa," presented on Tuesday at the 62nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa session in Luanda, Angola, Devex reports (Valdez, 11/20). WHO Regional Director for Africa Luis Sambo said in a statement, "This strategy (.pdf) aims to scale up health promotion interventions in order to contribute to reducing the leading causes of preventable deaths, disabilities and major illnesses from communicable and non-communicable diseases, violence and injuries, maternal and child health conditions, and new and re-emerging threats to health in the African Region." According to the statement, the document lists five principles intended to guide the implementation of seven priority interventions, which include "strengthening the stewardship role of the ministry of health; strengthening national technical and institutional capacity for health promotion; sustaining institutional capacity for health promotion at national, regional and local levels; and gathering and disseminating evidence on best practice and effective health promotion approaches" (11/20).