Africa and Arab countries

On Wednesday 25 April, PSI affiliates join the World Health Organization (WHO), governments, and civil society organisations to observe the World Malaria Day 2018. The day serves to provide information on the year-long implementation of national malaria-control strategies, including community-based activities for malaria prevention and treatment in endemic areas.

Unions from every PSI region successfully negotiated new ILO guidelines to ensure decent work in public emergency services (PES). Workers, employers and governments adopted the new guidelines on 20 April 2018, which will be presented to the November 2018 ILO Governing Body for approval.

PSI’s updated research “Tackling Violence in the Health Sector - A Trade Union Response” was highlighted in a webinar held on March 5 by the WHO’s Global Health Workforce Network (GWHN) thematic hub on Gender Equity in the Health and Social Workforce. The updated publication was one of four submissions in the webinar that showcased the wide range of research, policies and actions to achieve gender-transformative change in the health and social workforce.

The Zimbabwean government has fired all nurses who went on strike earlier this week. This extraordinary move might be a tactical attempt by the government to force the nurses back to work. Now the striking nurses are refusing to accept the government’s statement announcing their sacking.

The West Africa Health Sector Unions’ Network (WAHSUN) launched its Health for All West in Africa Campaign, in Abuja, Nigeria on 10 April 2018. This is the sub-regional momentum of the PSI global campaign for the Right to Health.

Union women from around the world attended the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW62), which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 12-23 March 2018.

The Algerian Government is trampling the Human Rights of its people. We invite all PSI affiliates to join our campaign and to sign the petition to stop government attacks on human rights in Algeria.

PSI affiliates in Nigeria in collaboration with the Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria held a workshop in Lagos on 3-4 April. Representatives from Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda also attended the meeting.