Tag: Health News

A new report published by WHO in the lead-up to World Diabetes Day highlights the alarming state of global access to insulin and diabetes care, and finds that high prices, low availability of human insulin, few producers dominating the insulin market and weak health systems are the main barriers to universal access. “The scientists who discovered insulin 100 years ago… Read More

Ending the COVID-19 pandemic is among the world’s most pressing priorities. The challenges we have all faced since the beginning of the outbreak have put health centre stage, highlighting the urgent need to invest resources and effort in strengthening health systems, addressing health inequities, and embracing innovation to find solutions to old and new problems. We will only find a… Read More

WHO and Unitaid welcome the signing of a voluntary licensing agreement by the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and MSD to facilitate affordable access to molnupiravir, a new medicine being tested in clinical trials for treating COVID-19 in adults. Molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral medicine, was reported to reduce the risk of hospitalization in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 by… Read More

WHO is kicking off the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 today in Geneva, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action, which… Read More

The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching the third edition of the Health for All Film Festival call for short films. The first two editions demonstrated its relevance for health promotion and health education and yielded great candidates and winners (Please, see the related links). The third call for short film (three to eight minutes of length) opens on 28… Read More

New ACT-Accelerator strategic plan sets out urgent actions to address crucial gaps in access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines and personal protective equipment in low- and middle-income countries, using the latest epidemiological, supply and market information.   Delivering this plan is crucial to reaching globally agreed targets for COVID-19 tools, to help prevent at least 5 million potential additional deaths,… Read More

Well over half the world’s population already lives in towns and cities.  By 2050, that  proportion is expected to increase to almost 70%. On World Cities Day 2021, we see how this rapid urban growth presents both challenges and opportunities. The climate and COVID-19 crises have exacerbated existing social injustices and vulnerabilities in our communities and our health systems, especially… Read More

The appointment of the next Director-General of the World Health Organization will take place at the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly in May 2022 (WHA75). The Director-General is WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer. The election process began when Member States, through a circular letter sent by the WHO Secretariat in April 2021, were invited to submit proposals for candidates for the Director-General… Read More

We are writing to you on behalf of the millions around the world struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic far from home. Some have been forced to flee wars, conflict, persecution and human rights violations. Others are on the move to escape socioeconomic hardship or the consequences of climate change. As strangers far from home, many are at risk of… Read More

The global burden of Group B streptococcus is far higher than previously recognized, linked to over half a million preterm births annually, and leading to nearly 100,000 newborn deaths, at least 46,000 stillbirths, and significant long-term disability. Although the bacterium is harmless for most pregnant women who carry it, it can be extremely serious when it passes to babies during… Read More