Over the past two weeks, I have continued to work on the research paper on the status of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) supply strategies in the African Region as reported by the Parties to the Convention. My plans to have the first event of the employee community service program in March have been stalled. We also had an unfortunate incident in Brazzaville on the 5th of March. A fire started at a military arms depot and set off a series of explosions killing more than 150 people and leaving thousands displaced. This sad event was felt at the office as many workers lost their homes. As a result, things were a bit slow at the office this week.   The event has been postponed to April to allow time for things to settle back down.

However, I have been able to make contact with two Units- Human Resource for Health; and Planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation.  The Human Resource for Health Unit is engaged in ensuring an available, competent, responsive and productive health workforce in the African region to ensure improved health outcomes. The latter unit enables the effective and the efficient implementation of the WHO managerial framework through the development of regional policies, systems and tools.

The mission of these two units was explained to me and I was given materials to read in order to have an understanding of their work. I am hoping to do a rotation in those units soon.