Development Health Advice 

Ending AIDS by 2030 a ‘political and financial choice’

That’s the message from UNAIDS, the UN agency dedicated to ending the epidemic, which said on Thursday that truly eradicating it boils down to a “political and financial choice”.  The agency’s Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, said that today’s leaders have the opportunity to save millions of lives and be “remembered by future generations” as those who put a stop to… Read More
Development Health Advice 

More African countries to receive lifesaving malaria vaccine

The RTS,S vaccine has been administered to more than 1.6 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since 2019 and has been shown to be safe and effective. It has resulted in a substantial reduction in severe malaria and a fall in child deaths. A top killer WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases,… Read More
Development Health Advice 

New guidance to protect children from ‘aggressive’ food marketing

“Aggressive and pervasive marketing of foods and beverages high in fats, sugars, and salt to children is responsible for unhealthy dietary choices,” said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the UN health agency’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety. “Calls to responsible marketing practices have not had a meaningful impact.” As such, he said governments should establish strong and comprehensive regulations.… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Pride Month: UN’s transgender rights campaign goes global

“If we want a healthy world, then it needs to be a kind and welcoming one too,” said Benedict Phillips, the UNAIDS Director of Communications and Global Advocacy. That means ensuring all communities are included, especially marginalized groups, he said. However, in many countries, stigma, discrimination, and criminalization tend to make transgender people invisible, with extreme forms of discrimination leading to… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Eastern DR Congo: Health system at breaking point warns WHO

Speaking from Kinshasa, Dr. Jorge Castilla, WHO’s Senior Emergency Officer, told journalists at the regular briefing in Geneva there had been a major increase in displacement due to ongoing violence fuelled by armed groups, leaving around 7.4 million in need of health assistance. Disease and displacement Since March 2022, almost three million people have been forced from their homes in… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Child health: More focus needed on earliest years, urges WHO

The report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Children’s Fund UNICEF find that the first years of a child’s life provide “irreplicable opportunities to improve lifelong health, nutrition and well-being” according to a press release. It tracks progress against the global Nurturing care framework, which provides guidance on supporting the healthy physical, intellectual, and emotional development of young children. Protecting… Read More
Development Health Advice 

First Person: Reducing the harm caused by drugs in Thailand

Watcharapol Mahaprom, who goes by the name Paan, accesses services at a clinic in Bangkok run by the UNODC-supported non-governmental organization, Ozone. The organization promotes harm-reduction services which focus on their clients’ needs with the aim of preventing the health and social impacts of drug use. He spoke to UN News ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and… Read More
Development Health Advice 

In a dangerous and divided world, yoga yields ‘precious’ benefits

This year’s observance organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in collaboration with the Secretariat, took place under the theme, Yoga for Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (“the world is one family”). In his video message for the event, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres reminded everyone that in a dangerous and divided world, the benefits of this ancient practice are particularly… Read More
Development Health Advice 

World Food Safety Day: ‘Nobody should die from eating food’

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are highlighting the issue ahead of World Food Safety Day, observed annually on 7 June.  This year, focus is on the role of established food safety practices and standards which ensure that what we eat, is safe to consume.  Ending ‘preventable deaths’  Food safety has a direct impact… Read More
Development Health Advice 

World must ‘work as one’ to end plastic pollution: Guterres

“Every year, over 400 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide – one third of which is used just once”, said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. 2,000 truckloads a day “Every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes.” He noted that microplastics are finding their way into the food we… Read More