The number could rise to over 2.5 billion by 2030.
Mr Ghebreyesus said that oral health had long been neglected in global health, but many oral diseases could be prevented and treated with the cost effective measures.
The world health body said the rate of suicide remained a concern given the exponential rates of alcohol use and abuse among adolescents as young as 13 years of age.
The world health body says around 11 people per 100,000 die by suicide yearly in Africa.
“This achievement affirms South Africa’s trailblazing endeavour in health research,” said WHO official Matshidiso Moeti.
“Compared to other regions globally, Africa saw a disproportionate number of conditions requiring donor blood, impacting as many as seven million patients every year.”
“Countries are clocking an impressive vaccination pace, but we must ensure this speed doesn’t slow down to a crawl.”
Guinea’s health department had reported that four people died of Ebola in a resurgence of the disease that first emerged five years ago.
The NPHCDA chief explained that a hundred thousand doses of the Pfizer inoculation to Nigeria would have been “a drop in the ocean.”
Highest number of solutions were from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda.
