Europe grapples with highest number of measles cases in more than 25 years
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” warned Dr. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for the European region.A total...
‘Rapid expansion’ of synthetic drugs reshaping illicit markets, UN anti-narcotics body warns
In its 2024 Annual Report, released on Tuesday, the INCB explains that unlike plant-based drugs, these substances can be made anywhere, without the need...
Bahrain’s pearling legacy: Reviving a millennia-old culture
“I always say that all Bahrainis have pearl diving in their blood,” Mohamed Alslaise, a pearl diver and field researcher for the Bahrain Institute...
DR Congo: WHO tracks deadly mysterious illness
In recent months, disease surveillance has identified increases in cases and fatalities on three occasions across different areas of the country, which triggered follow-up...
Packed with promise: Wisam’s journey back to school in Sudan
Despite the noise and bustle of classmates packing up, nine-year-old Wisam is focused on the picture she is bringing to life from her desk....
New report flags severity of US funding cuts to global AIDS response
UNAIDS said that at least one status report on the impact of cuts has been received from 55 different countries up to the start...
World News in Brief: Conflict in DR Congo, Europe’s ‘cradle to cane’ crisis, millions...
In an alert on Tuesday, UN aid coordinators OCHA said that six humanitarian workers have been killed since January – the latest victim was...
WHO marks 20 years of its lifesaving tobacco control treaty
The agency is this week celebrating the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) –...
Breast cancer cases projected to rise by nearly 40 per cent by 2050, WHO...
The findings, published in Nature Medicine on Monday, warn that if current trends continue, the world will see 3.2 million new breast cancer cases...
UN to continue Gaza vaccination campaign against polio
WHO said in a news release that more than 591,000 children under 10 years old will receive the vaccine to protect them from the...
US aid funding cuts put HIV prevention at risk, warns UNAIDS
The waiver allows the continuation or resumption of “life-saving humanitarian assistance” including HIV treatment.That means 20 million people living with HIV and whose medication is...
Iraq: How the world helped Mosul rise from the rubble of war
Now, with UN support, Mosul has risen from the ashes of war and its historic monuments which had been reduced to rubble, dot the...
Gaza: UN health agency urges rapid scale-up of medevacs as thousands remain in critical...
Speaking from Gaza, WHO Representative Rik Peeperkorn described a scene of widespread destruction, overwhelmed medical facilities and growing mental health needs, as the population...
‘Step Up the Pace’ and end female genital mutilation, UN says
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to all procedures involving the partial or total removal of female external genitalia or other injuries to female genital...
Toxic air threatens children’s lives across East Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF warns
The analysis underscores the devastating impact of toxic air on young lives, with air pollution now linked to nearly one in four deaths of...
World News in Brief: Deadly virus outbreak in Uganda, $500 million human rights appeal,...
Health authorities in Kampala confirmed that one patient has died – a nurse who had sought treatment at various other medical facilities after developing...
What is the World Health Organization and why does it matter?
From laboratories to battlefields, the United Nations specialised health agency has been dedicated to the wellbeing of all people since 1948. It is guided...
WHO launches $1.5 billion appeal to tackle global health crises
In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for $1.5 billion through its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal, to deliver life-saving health interventions worldwide.The appeal,...
Israel attacks push Gaza healthcare ‘to brink of collapse’
A report published by the Office documents attacks carried out between 12 October 2023 and 30 June 2024, raises serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international...
Global solidarity key to future pandemic preparedness, says UN chief
The world remains dangerously unprepared for the next pandemic, despite the harrowing lessons of COVID-19, Mr. Guterres warned.“COVID-19 was a wake-up call to the...
Syria: UN health agency launches $56.4 million appeal to meet critical needs
In addition, the developments since late November, culminating with the overthrow of the Assad regime added new dimensions to the crisis, including population displacements...
Avian flu reported in 108 countries across five continents, says UN health agency
In an update on the mutating virus - known as H5N1 – Dr. Madhur Dhingra from the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, said that...
UN General Assembly boosts global flight against illegal trade in cultural artifacts
Backed by more than 140 nations and adopted without a vote, the resolution recognised that addressing the unlawful trade in such items is vital...
UN health agency approves ‘groundbreaking’ TB test
The test - called Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra – uses molecular analysis to detect the genetic markers of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB,...
