Development Health Advice 

Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports

The current situation has reached an “unprecedented emergency level”, he said, and the most recent evacuation order by Israel has forced tens of thousands to flee. As part of the contingency effort, WHO and partners have been establishing field hospitals and supporting restoration of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, which will be used as a main referral hospital… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Peace or war, midwives keep delivering

This year the vital role of midwives during the ongoing climate crisis is in the spotlight.  Every two minutes, a woman or girl dies due to pregnancy-related complications, a figure that climate change threatens to exacerbate said UNFPA, underscoring the crucial role that midwives play in mitigating these risks.  “When crisis strikes, midwives are often first on the scene, especially… Read More
Development Health Advice 

‘Just in case’ antibiotics widely overused during COVID-19, says UN health agency

In an alert, WHO noted that although just eight per cent of hospitalised coronavirus patients also had bacterial infections which can be treated with antibiotics, a staggering three in four were given them on a “just in case” basis. At no point during the global pandemic did the UN health agency recommend using antibiotics to treat COVID-19, insisted WHO spokesperson… Read More
Health Advice Lifestyle 

Spain’s Secretary of State for Health discusses health priorities with WHO

WHO welcomed Mr Javier Padilla Bernáldez, Spain’s Secretary of State for Health and his delegation on 23 and 24 April 2024 to discuss joint global health priorities. Amongst others, Spain’s focus is on universal health coverage and health systems strengthening; pandemic response and emergency medical teams; organ and tissue transplantation; malaria and other tropical diseases; and polio. During the visit,… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Teen alcohol and nicotine use in Europe is up, WHO urges preventive measures

Data covering all three areas revealed that more than one in two 15-year-olds experimented with alcohol, while one in five teenagers recently used e-cigarettes, the UN health agency said, in a call for urgent preventive measures.  “The widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries across the European Region – and beyond – is a serious public health… Read More
Development Health Advice 

New global campaign boosts lifesaving vaccines

The Humanly Possible joint global communication campaign aims to boost vaccination programmes around the world, with support from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Thanks to vaccinations, more children now survive and thrive past their fifth birthday than at any other point in history,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. Indeed, global immunisation programmes… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Pandemic experts express concern over avian influenza spread to humans

Dr. Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the avian influenza virus, which is also known as H5N1, has had an “extremely high” mortality rate among the several hundred people known to have been infected with it to date. However, no human-to-human H5N1 transmission has yet been recorded. “H5N1 is (an) influenza infection, predominantly started… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Violations of women’s reproductive health rights trigger rise in preventable deaths

Interwoven Lives, Threads of Hope: Ending inequalities in sexual and reproductive health and rights, reveals that more than half of all preventable maternal deaths occur in countries which are in a state of crisis or distress. It highlights the role that racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination play in blocking progress on sexual and reproductive health issues.  Women and… Read More
Health Advice Lifestyle 

Enhancing Global Health and Well-Being: WHO and the Netherlands strengthen their Partnership

WHO and Netherlands Strategic Dialogue in The Hague, Netherlands 10 April 2024. Credit: WHO The WHO and the Netherlands convened in The Hague on 10 April 2024, to discuss joint priorities and alignment between the Dutch Global Health Strategy and WHO’s key strategic goals, marking a new milestone in their longstanding partnership. Rooted in the Netherlands’ unwavering commitment to global… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Hepatitis killing thousands daily, WHO warns in new report

The disease is the second leading infectious cause of death globally, with 1.3 million deaths per year, the same as tuberculosis, another top infectious killer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2024 Global Hepatitis Report. “This report paints a troubling picture,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Despite progress globally in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are rising because far… Read More