A special supplement from WHO and HRP, newly published in BMJ Global Health, spotlights how women and their newborn babies are treated during childbirth and offers a path to improved facility-based care. More and more evidence shows that women across the world face unacceptable mistreatment during childbirth. Women everywhere face violations of their rights – including rights to privacy, informed… Read More

On 11 March 2022 the Government of France and WHO convened for their annual strategic dialogue in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting was opened by H.E. Mr Jérôme Bonnafont, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Professor Jérôme Salomon, Director General of Health, Ministry of Solidarities and Health, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, Dr Hans Kluge, Regional Director for Europe and Dr Matshidiso… Read More

On 23 March 2022, Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, met in Geneva to deliberate on the EU – WHO partnership in global health and the ongoing preparations for a global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The two senior representatives of the partner organizations signed a letter of intent for a… Read More

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of India today signed an agreement to establish the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. This global knowledge centre for traditional medicine, supported by an investment of USD 250 million from the Government of India, aims to harness the potential of traditional medicine from across the world through modern science and technology… Read More

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched its first ever global guidelines to support women and newborns in the postnatal period – the first six weeks after birth. This is a critical time for ensuring newborn and maternal survival and for supporting healthy development of the baby as well as  the mother’s overall mental and physical recovery and wellbeing. Worldwide,… Read More

Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, Ms Liesje Schreinemacher, met for the first time with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General in WHO headquarters. The discussions focused on the strategic partnership between WHO and the Netherlands in support of global health security and a healthier world for all. “It was an honor to welcome Minister Schreinemacher,… Read More

A contribution of €16 million from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) will help the World Health Organization (WHO) boost COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and increase coverage in 15 African countries, where only 15 percent of the population is vaccinated. The funding is part of the European Union’s (EU) humanitarian initiative for COVID-19 vaccination… Read More

WHO is releasing a strategy to strengthen and scale up genomic surveillance around the world. Historically, few countries have routinely done genomic surveillance in-country, a technology considered complicated and expensive. But COVID-19 changed that. Genomic surveillance is the process of constantly monitoring pathogens and analyzing their genetic similarities and differences. It helps researchers, epidemiologists and public health officials to monitor… Read More

In the lead-up to World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April, WHO is releasing an online version of its training programme for caregivers of children with developmental delays or disabilities, including autism. The programme, which has already been piloted in face-to-face format in more than 30 countries, such as Brazil, India, Italy and Kenya, teaches parents and other caregivers day-to-day… Read More

Almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits, and threatens their health.  A record number of over 6000 cities in 117 countries are now monitoring air quality, but the people living in them are still breathing unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, with people in low and middle-income countries suffering the… Read More