Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was addressing the start of a special three-day meeting of the organisation’s governing body in Geneva on Monday, amidst a global alert over the new strain, arguing that greater international cooperation is essential to preserve “hard won gains” against the virus. The World Health Assembly meeting was convened to decide on the issue of a so-called “pandemic… Read More

According to the latest forecast by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the same amount was lost in 2020, making it one of the sectors hit hardest by the health crisis. Despite recent improvements, the report warned that demand for travel could be further affected by “uneven vaccination rates around the world and new COVID-19 strains which had prompted new travel… Read More

The experts of the UN health agency said researchers in South Africa and around the world are currently conducting studies to better understand the aspects of Omicron, but as of right now, it is not clear whether it is more transmissible compared to other variants, including Delta. “The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa… Read More

It has become increasingly apparent that, for some time, some individuals and organizations are intent on spreading false information online. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, claims that certain drugs or remedies are miracle cures, or that the pandemic is a hoax, have circulated on social media platforms. Whilst there are those who are sharing these articles, videos and images… Read More

The wide use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials has led to growing resistance to their effectiveness.   It is estimated that each year, 700,000 people die from AMR-related causes and FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption said that if no actions are taken, the annual tally could soar to some 10 million by 2050.   HIV drug resistance  The warning comes as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest HIV Drug Resistance Report revealed that in 2020,… Read More

In its weekly epidemiological update, the UN health agency noted that infections in Europe had increased by almost twice the global average.  Vaccine review for kids  In a related development, WHO said that is it continuing to review emerging evidence on the need for and timing of vaccinating children with COVID-19 vaccines that have received Emergency Use Listing (EUL).  To date, the agency has issued EULs for eight COVID-19… Read More

The updated recommendation from the UN health agency comes after it first described Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated With COVID-19, or MIS-C for short, last May.   “MIS-C is a rare but serious condition where children with COVID-19 develop inflammation affecting different organs of the body”, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told journalists at a scheduled briefing in Geneva.   “Children with this condition need specialized care and may need to be admitted to intensive care. Although MIS-C… Read More

Presenting the findings of a six-month accountability report, Co-chairs Helen Clark, former President of New Zealand, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, warned that “uneven” progress in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause illness, deaths and economic losses.   Calling for Heads of State and Government to come together to make faster progress, especially at the UN General Assembly, the two leaders pointed out that with much of the groundwork done, now is the time to end the… Read More