Category: Development

Citing “recent studies”, WHO revealed that sepsis kills 11 million people each year, many of them children, and disables millions of others.“The world must urgently step up efforts to improve data about sepsis so all countries can detect and treat this terrible condition in time,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.  Improved data needed Against the backdrop that most studies… Read More

The study by UNAIDS, the UN agency working to stamp out HIV and AIDS, outlines how the world can leverage and build resilient health systems that address both pandemics.  A new report by UNAIDS examines how the experience of tackling HIV can help inform and guide effective, efficient, people-centred and sustainable #COVID19 responses. — UNAIDS (@UNAIDS) September 9, 2020 “Our… Read More

United in Science 2020, released on Wednesday, highlights the increasing and irreversible impacts of climate change on glaciers, oceans, nature, economies and it’s cost on people across the globe; manifest more and more often through disasters such as record heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods. Speaking at the launch of the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that there is “no time… Read More

The number of global under-five deaths dropped to its lowest point on record in 2019 – down to 5.2 million, from 12.5 million in 1990. However, there are fears the numbers could rise on back of COVID-induced disruptions to child and maternal health services, new estimates released on Wednesday, indicate.  Services experiencing disruptions include health checkups, vaccinations, and prenatal and… Read More

Speaking at an in-person meeting in the Assembly hall, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande recounted some of the important initiatives the 74th session had conducted throughout the coronavirus pandemic. “The General Assembly successfully organized socially distanced elections for the General Assembly Presidency, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Furthermore, we employed virtual methods to gather stakeholders from around the… Read More

“COVID-19 is teaching all of us many lessons,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said at a media briefing in Geneva, on Monday.  We are not just fighting a virus. We’re fighting for a healthier, safer, cleaner and more sustainable future – WHO chief Tedros “One of them is that health is not a luxury item for those who can afford it… Read More

In a call to Governments everywhere to take greater steps to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the pandemic has exposed the fact too little has been achieved, even though these illnesses account for seven in 10 deaths worldwide. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the coronavirus had “preyed on people” with NCDs, and… Read More

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA), said that it requires some $95 million to cover the emergency needs of 5.6 million registered Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, until the end of December.   Palestinians in Gaza, including the 76% of the population that are Palestine refugees, are enduring the COVID-19 pandemic at the same time as 20 hours of electricity cuts, 14 years of blockade and ongoing… Read More

The vaccine procurement and distribution effort, involving over 170 economies, could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest ever operation of its kind.  This is an all-hands on deck partnership between governments, manufacturers and multilateral partners to continue the high-stakes fight against the #COVID19 pandemic. https://t.co/dz8TnJEAd8 — Henrietta H. Fore (@unicefchief) September 4, 2020 “This is an all-hands on deck… Read More

“Although we have not convened in this Hall since March, New York-based delegations have worked tirelessly to uphold the values and principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, whilst contending with the COVID-19 pandemic”, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande told the downsized delegations from Member States. Ensuring continuity  Mr. Muhammad-Bande called the Assembly the UN’s “chief deliberative body”, saying that… Read More