Category: Development

In its call-to-action, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a shocking report on Monday, noting that 99 per cent of people breathe unhealthy air – mainly resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. “The climate crisis is a health crisis: The same unsustainable choices that are killing our planet are killing people,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Health and social… Read More

Plant pests and diseases cause food crop losses of up to 40 per cent, according to FAO estimates. And the damage they cause to agriculture and food production, exacerbates world hunger and threatens rural livelihoods. In her opening remarks, to the 16th session of what’s formally known as the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol highlighted “crucial… Read More

Noting that fossil fuels are responsible for most of the harmful emissions that are linked to acute and chronic sickness, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for tangible steps to curb their use. The UN agency also urged more governments to take note that it has made significant revisions to its air quality indicators, including for particulate matter – known… Read More

Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in more than seven years of fighting between Yemeni forces, backed by a Saudi coalition, and Houthi rebels. Mr. Grundberg issued a statement welcoming the positive reactions to the ceasefire, which began at 7 p.m., local time, and coincides with the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Success and goodwill “The success… Read More

The most common arboviruses are in fact some of the world’s most dangerous mosquito-borne illnesses, such as Dengue, Yellow fever, Chikungunya and Zika. They represent an ever-present and massive health threat in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the planet, although there are in fact a growing number of arboviral outbreaks worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Joining forces… Read More

“This is not acceptable to me, and it should not be acceptable to anyone”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “If the world’s rich are enjoying the benefits of high vaccine coverage, why shouldn’t the world’s poor? Are some lives worth more than others?  He announced that to tackle future threats on a par with the virus that has now taken well over… Read More

In September 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) set an ambitious global target. The UN health agency called for 70 per cent of the global population to be vaccinated by mid-2022. At that point, just over three per cent of people in low-income countries had been vaccinated with at least one dose, compared to 60.18 per cent in high-income countries.… Read More

With partner organisation the Guttmacher Institute, the WHO said that the results would allow health authorities to better understand family planning needs in their countries, including contraception and abortion care. According to the data – which represent the first such exercise at a country level – unintended pregnancy and abortion rates vary widely, even within the same region. Significant variations… Read More

Secretary-General António Guterres said that first and foremost, Ukraine needed support, towards ending the war, and to help the millions who have fled, return home. “Many developing countries were already struggling to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: record inflation; rising interest rates; unmanageable debt burdens”, he said, adding that now, “they face skyrocketing food, energy and fertilizer… Read More

Although TB is preventable and curable, it remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers, WHO noted on Wednesday. “For the first time in over a decade, WHO has reported an increase in tuberculosis deaths. This is a very dangerous trend that we must arrest. We call on all countries to invest in expanding access to effective tools against tuberculosis,… Read More