Regional Health Financing: Somalia’s Health Minister Ali Haji Aden joined a regional health investment forum in Nouakchott to discuss stronger healthcare financing, South-South cooperation, resilient health systems, and expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing for fair access to care. Child Health & Rights: A renewed spotlight on Mauritania’s Leblouh (gavage) force-feeding tradition describes how girls were historically pushed to extreme calorie intake to meet “ideal bride” beauty standards, raising serious health and child-rights concerns. Public Health Milestone: WHO validated El Salvador as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, a major step toward global elimination by 2030. Water Safety in Crisis: In Mali, water returned to Bamako after sabotage disrupted electricity to the Manantali-linked supply line; hospitals reported residents relying on boreholes and being advised to add bleach. Health Emergency Claims: Deportees held in a hotel in Equatorial Guinea allege authorities quarantined suspected Ebola patients there, with lawyers calling for transparency. Humanitarian Coordination: Qatar Red Crescent Society representatives attended ARCO’s 50th General Assembly in Nouakchott, discussing regional humanitarian priorities and plans to expand support for vulnerable communities.