El Niño health risk prep: WHO says El Niño is strengthening and Kenya is ramping up readiness for floods and climate-linked disease outbreaks, focusing on surveillance, early warning, lab response, safe water and sanitation, risk communication, and keeping essential services running. Polio progress: Uganda reports an independent assessment confirming interruption of variant polio transmission detected in 2024, with the outbreak officially closed—an encouraging reminder of why surveillance and vaccination must stay strong. Genital theft rumours fuel violence: A BBC-linked report says false “genital theft” beliefs have driven deadly mob attacks across multiple African countries, including Burundi, highlighting how misinformation can quickly become a public health emergency. Cross-border health access amid Kenya crackdown fears: After Kenya’s directive on small businesses run by foreigners triggered panic around Burundi’s embassy, Kenya announced a temporary amnesty and a registration/documentation window so undocumented East Africans can regularise status and access services like healthcare without harassment. Local health safety incident: In Siaya, Kenya, police arrested 12 suspects after youths allegedly blocked a dignitaries’ convoy and attacked officers—an example of how community tensions can disrupt public order and safety. Heart disease death in the region: Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, died in Zanzibar after treatment for a heart condition, prompting condolences across East Africa.