Category: Development

“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of our continent’s health infrastructure and the urgent need to strengthen the overall health system to secure access to quality care for all Africa’s people, when and where they need it, without incurring financial hardship,” said WHO’s Africa Regional Director Matshidiso Moeti. Rebuilding good health To rethink and rebuild resilient health systems on the… Read More

The health ministers, gathering for the seventy-second session of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lomé, Togo, adopted the strategy, known as PEN-PLUS. That plan will be implemented as a regional strategy to address severe noncommunicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities. The strategy supports building the capacity of district hospitals and other first-level referral… Read More

The recommendation follows review and analysis of clinical trials for the  monoclonal antibodies mAb114 (known as Ansuvimab or Ebanga) and REGN-EB3 (Inmazeb), which have demonstrated clear benefits for people who have tested positive for Ebola, which is often fatal.  This includes older persons, pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, and newborns whose mothers were confirmed to have Ebola within the first… Read More

The recommendation comes in a statement issued by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, following a meeting held last week.   Most COVID-19 vaccines consist of a primary series of two doses, with a first booster administered some four to six months after completion to improve immune response.  “There is increasing evidence on the benefits of a… Read More

“Almost 7,500 cases were reported last week, a 20 per cent increase over the previous week, which was also 20 per cent more than the week before,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during his regular press briefing from Geneva.  “The primary focus for all countries must be to ensure they are ready for #monkeypox & stop transmission… Read More

In addition to health and laboratory supplies, it has supported specialized trauma teams and joined field missions along with national health authorities and other humanitarian partners. “The risk of water- and vector-borne diseases, including malaria, cholera and other communicable diseases is unfolding,” warned Adham Rashad, WHO Representative to Yemen. Evolving trauma Triggered by the heavy seasonal rains, extensive floods have ravaged… Read More

The landmark award, valued at up to $170 million, will lead to 18 million doses of the RTS,S vaccine being available over the next three years, potentially saving thousands of young lives annually.   The delivery of this malaria vaccine will bring hope to so many families. In 2020, nearly half a million children died from malaria in Africa alone, a… Read More

Roughly nine million people die each year from neurological disorders, which include stroke, migraines, dementia and meningitis. Optimizing #BrainHealth 🧠 ▶️reduces the burden of neurological disorders ▶️improves mental + physical health ▶️creates positive social & economic impacts contributing to greater well-being, advancing society. 👉https://t.co/kVPgcFxBPG — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) August 9, 2022 Our most complex organ  Brain health is… Read More

In a call for action to protect workers, ILO Country Coordinator in Iraq Maha Kattaa has urged that measures be put in place to reduce the risks for those working under extreme heat.  Dangerous sectors According to the recent Labour Force Survey, one in four workers in Iraq is employed either in construction or agriculture – already considered among the most… Read More

In cooperation with IAEA and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), scientists there was able to use a UN-developed nuclear-based sterile insect technique (SIT) to eradicate the medfly, more commonly known as the fruit fly. Threatening farmers’ livelihoods The Colima outbreak, detected in April 2021 in the country’s largest port, Manzanillo, posed an immediate risk to crops, including guavas, mangoes,… Read More