In the first study of its kind on global and regional trends among 11 to 17-year-olds, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that around 80 per cent of them do less than 60 minutes of activity per day – the minimum daily recommendation. Philippines boys and South Korean girls ‘least active’ According to the study, the Philippines had the highest… Read More

US declaration on Israeli settlements does not alter international law The longstanding position of the UN regarding Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory – that they are in breach of international law – is unchanged, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing on Tuesday in New York, reacting to the policy reversal announced by the United States. Mr. Dujarric… Read More

Ahead of World Toilet Day, which is marked annually on 19 November, WSSCC’s acting Executive Director, Sue Coates, has been speaking to UN News about how to end open defecation. What is open defecation and where is it mostly practiced? Open defecation is when people defecate in the open – for example, in fields, forests, bushes, lakes and rivers –… Read More

Noting that more than 1.3 million people die in road accidents every year, Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that more young people between the ages of 15 and 29 die from road crashes annually than from HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis or homicide. World Health Organization (WHO) Facts on road traffic injuries “The World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims is an… Read More

Yemen’s public sector has been pushed to “a breaking point”, as the country enters its fifth year of conflict, prompting the closure of half of the country’s health facilities. As of 11 September, 1,095,072 health consultations were provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of its emergency lifesaving services and support to the health sector to ensure… Read More

Bolivia crisis: UN chief sends envoy to support peace, amidst renewed clashes UN chief António Guterres announced on Thursday that he had appointed a Personal Envoy who would be travelling to Bolivia later in the day, to offer support to national leaders, following the departure of former president, Evo Morales.  “The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the developments in Bolivia”, his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York. “He reiterates his appeal to all Bolivians… Read More

Using a process known as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) – developed decades ago to target crop-eating insects in the United States – UN researchers have spent the last 10 years adapting it to mosquitoes. Working with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) tropical diseases programme,  they have now drawn up guidelines for nations wanting to tackle disease outbreaks transmitted by the… Read More

That’s according to UN Special Envoy Josette Sheeran, writing in an op-ed published in The Miami Herald  last week, who reported that there have been no laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera in the entire country for the past nine months. She said the “momentous achievement” was the result of an innovative strategic partnership between the Government, the UN and key stakeholders.… Read More

Highlighting the dangers for the millions of people who clean toilets, sewers and septic tanks, ahead of World Toilet Day next Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) insisted that while the workforce performs an essential public service, their own health is compromised and they are often shunned. “Workers often come into direct contact with human waste, working with no equipment… Read More

UN leads bid for cheaper insulin, expanding access for diabetics worldwide Overly expensive insulin could be a thing of the past – and life-changing news – for millions of diabetics under a plan launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday to diversify production globally, just ahead of World Diabetes Day. The two-year pilot programme, launched Wednesday, aims to boost access to… Read More