Category: Development

During his biweekly conference in Geneva, he added that passing the four millionth recorded death worldwide from COVID-19 was a “tragic milestone” which “likely underestimates the overall toll” of the deadly virus. Tedros warned that far too many countries are seeing “sharp spikes in cases and hospitalization”, while rich nations with high inoculation rates, were dropping public health measures “as… Read More

“In those countries with low COVID-19 vaccination coverage, terrible scenes of hospitals overflowing are again becoming the norm. But no country is out of the woods yet”, said Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, during his biweekly press conference. ‘Careful adjustment’ Tedros explained that the Delta variant is ‘dangerous’ and continues to evolve and mutate, and this requires constant evaluation and ‘careful adjustment… Read More

Latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that three in 10 people worldwide could not wash their hands with soap and water at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.  “Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, yet millions of people across the world lack access to a reliable, safe… Read More

Offering fresh data on how social assistance spending has cushioned the unparalleled economic shock triggered by the pandemic, the UN Development Fund’s (UNDP) Mitigating Poverty assessment, revealed that in the 41 countries for which data was available, around 12 million people were prevented from falling below the poverty line, out of 15 million in danger.  Rich countries fair better  While the overall mitigation impact was strong, the study also uncovered that it was largely confined to high and upper middle-income States.  Rich countries spent… Read More

The estimate is based on losses caused by the pandemic’s direct impact on tourism and the ripple effect on related sectors, and is worse than previously expected.  Last July, UNCTAD estimated that the standstill in international tourism would cost the global economy between $1.2 trillion and $3.3 trillion.  The steep drop in tourist arrivals worldwide in 2020 resulted in a… Read More

“Like all new technology, artificial intelligence…can also be misused and cause harm”, warmed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World health Organization (WHO).  To regulate and govern AI, WHO published new guidance that provides six principles to limit the risks and maximize the opportunities intrinsic to AI for health.  Artificial Intelligence (#AI) holds enormous potential for improving the health of millions of people around 🌎🌍🌏, but only if ethics… Read More

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World health Organization (WHO) told journalists at a regular briefing that delta has been identified in at least 85 countries and is “spreading rapidly among unvaccinated populations”.  “As some countries ease public health and social measures, we are starting to see increases in transmission around the world”, he said.  There’s a lot of concern about the #COVID19 Delta variant –… Read More

In a statement to mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on Saturday, three Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts insisted that “people who have endured the ordeal of torture…have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation”, including rehabilitation.  Follow the Convention  They upheld that the Convention against Torture (CAT) provides for reparations for blatant human rights violations and to restore dignity.  “It is particularly important that Governments respect and uphold the right to… Read More

“Beyond the moral imperative, this is in our collective self-interest”, said Ann Burton, Chief of UNHCR’s Public Health Section. “As long as the pandemic remains out of control somewhere, it is threat for everyone everywhere.” To date, refugees and asylum-seekers have begun receiving vaccinations in 91 of the 162 countries that UNHCR has been monitoring. But it warned that countries… Read More

There has been increased stress, anxiety and other mental health issues, while an estimated 365 million primary school students have gone without school meals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN specialized agency handling education issues, UNESCO.   Based on a set of eight global benchmarks, Global Standards for Health-promoting Schools, calls for all classrooms to promote life skills, cognitive and socioemotional skills and healthy lifestyles for… Read More