As of October 2024, only nine African countries are certified malaria-free: Egypt, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritius, Libya, Morocco, Seychelles, and Lesotho.
Egypt and Cape Verde are the newest members of this group.
Over 40 African countries remain uncertified, with the continent recording 233 million malaria cases in 2022.
On #WorldContraceptionDay, it's vital to highlight that in 2023, many women and girls aged 15 to 49 globally still have unmet contraceptive needs.
Samoa (28%), Angola (27%), and Liberia (25%) are among the top 10 countries.
Notably, seven of the top 10 are African, underscoring the urgent need for better reproductive health services.
As of 2022, Libya had the highest dentist availability in Africa.
Many top African countries have fewer than 5 dentists per 10,000 people, with several falling below 1, and Nigeria at just 0.2.
The WHO recommends at least 2 per 10,000 for adequate care.
As of 2022, only seven African countries met the WHO's recommended doctor-to-population ratio of 10 doctors per 10,000 people.
Cape Verde, Seychelles, Libya, Eswatini, Tunisia, Mauritius, and Algeria are leading the way in healthcare accessibility in Africa. However, the continent still averages only 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people.
A recent UNICEF report shows that 293m children worldwide did not have drinking water in their schools in 2023. Six African and four Asian countries make up the top ten, with Ethiopia and Nigeria occupying first and second positions, respectively, with 33.2m and 29m children.
The top five countries account for 42% of the total affected population.
The African countries with the highest life expectancies as of 2023 are: Algeria - 77 years, Tunisia - 77 years, Cape Verde - 77 years, Mauritius - 76 years.
The African countries with the lowest life expectancies: Central African Republic - 55 years, Lesotho - 55 years, Nigeria - 54 years, Chad - 54 years.
World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 every year as a day dedicated to raising awareness about the AIDS epidemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. In 2020, there were an estimated 37.6 million people infected with HIV globally, and 27.4 million people living with HIV receiving treatment.
In 2020, there were an estimated 37.6 million people infected with HIV globally, and 27.4 million people living with HIV receiving treatment. Since the peak in 2004, as of 2020, the number of AIDS-related deaths globally has declined by 65.5%.
There is a rising concern about the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in many African countries. Only about 1.3% of the continent's population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Here are the countries with the highest share of fully vaccinated population as of July 11, 2021.
Thirty-four percent of North Americans have gotten the COVID-19 vaccination as of July 2021 compared to Asia, Oceania, and Africa have less of their population vaccinated.