“At this time, we do not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox”, the agency’s chief Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus told journalists on Wednesday. Tedros informed that one smallpox vaccine, called MVA-BN, has been approved in Canada, the European Union and the United States for use against Monkeypox, while two other vaccines, LC16 and ACAM2000, are currently being considered. More data “However, we… Read More

But “time is going by and we all need to pull together to make that happen”, warned Dr Rosamund Lewis, WHO Technical Lead on Monkeypox, who was speaking the regular press briefing Geneva. More than 15000 cases, over two thirds reported in the WHO European Region. We spoke to two clinicians in Portugal and Italy about their experience of treating… Read More

What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox got its name in 1958, when it was detected in several laboratory apes. It is a zoonotic viral disease, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans. It can also pass from human to human. Human monkeypox was first identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a 9-month-old boy,… Read More

The appeal on World Drowning Prevention Day outlines actions that individuals, groups and governments can take, and highlights initiatives already underway in some countries.  The majority of drowning deaths, more than 90 per cent, occur in low- and middle-income nations, with children under five at greatest risk.  Most deaths preventable  These deaths are frequently linked to daily routine activities, such… Read More

“For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern”, the World Health Organization’s Director, Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, announced on Sunday during a press conference. Tedros indicated that the current risk of Monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where the risk is… Read More

The plan prioritizes vaccinating 100 per cent of healthcare workers and vulnerable groups, including older persons and those with underlying conditions, in line with efforts to vaccinate 70 per cent of the global population.  More than 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide to date, resulting in countries reaching 60 per cent of their populations on average.  Yet… Read More

The committee first met last month but decided against declaring it a public health emergency of international concern. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged his “acute” awareness that any decision regarding the possible determination involves “the consideration of many factors, with the ultimate goal of protecting public health”. The committee has already helped “delineate the dynamics of this outbreak,” he… Read More

The warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) comes in its first ever report on the health of refugees and migrants, published on Wednesday.  It calls for urgent action to ensure people on the move can access healthcare services that are sensitive to their needs.  “Whether by choice or by force, to be on the move is to be human… Read More

The figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, show the percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) – a marker for immunization coverage within and across countries – fell five points between 2019 and 2021, to 81 per cent. 1⃣8⃣ million children did not receive… Read More