Also In Global Health News: Retaining Nurses, Health Crisis in NW Pakistan, Rwanda Fights Child Malnutrition

South African Province Seeks To Retain Nurses

In the province of Limpopo, South Africa, the health department marked International Nurses Day with a pledge to scale up efforts to retain nurses and prevent them from seeking work in other countries or in the private sector, News24.com reports. Miriam Segabutla, a Limpopo health official, said that retaining nurses in sub-Saharan Africa is a big challenge. "We have no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep our health professionals because of the large burden of communicable and the non-communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, cholera and tuberculosis," she said, adding that the government offers stipends for people who are willing to work in rural areas (Masinga, News24.com, 5/14).

WHO Prepares for Health Crisis in Northwest Pakistan

WHO is "bracing itself for a humanitarian health crisis" as fighting in northwest Pakistan could displace more than 1 million people, Press Trust of India/Hindu reports. Already more than 500,000 residents have been driven from their homes "by violence and natural disasters" in the region, where WHO has reported outbreaks of 22 diseases as well as acute malnutrition in 20% of children under age five (PTI/Hindu, 5/14).

Rwanda To Fight Child Malnutrition

Rwanda's Ministry of Health and Ministry of Local Government have launched a nationwide initiative to combat malnutrition in children under age five, the New Times/allAfrica.com reports. According to Rwanda's health ministry secretary, Agnes Binagwaho, malnutrition enhances susceptibility to disease and accounts for 50% of childhood deaths. Binagwaho said of the one-week campaign, "During this door-to-door operation, health workers will identify and treat malnourished children while those in dire condition will be sent to district hospitals for further treatment" (Nambi, New Times/allAfrica.com, 5/13).