PUNE, India – The first global summit to explore the role of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine in addressing health challenges is being convened in India next week by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit will be co-hosted by the Indian government in Gandhinagar on 17 and 18 August. “Advancing science in traditional […] Continue reading ->
July 2023 may have experienced temperatures last seen in prehistoric times, as climate scientists confirm that once rare heatwaves are now routine events. Record heatwaves have been seen this year from the US to India, and according to the latest analysis, this July may be the hottest ever recorded. Dr Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist […] Continue reading ->
Ministers of Health and Environment from WHO’s European Region, meeting this week in Budapest, are poised to adopt a Declaration pledging to tackle climate, pollution and biodiversity risks that account for about 15% of disease burden in the 53-nation region. Health and environment ministers from WHO’s 53-member strong WHO European Region are meeting in Budapest […] Continue reading ->
PUNE, India – Close to 200 people have died in Central India as a result of a severe heat wave in the region with temperatures in the range of 40-43 degrees Celsius, according to India’s Meteorological Department. While there has been no official confirmation of the death toll, Associated Press has estimated that close to […] Continue reading ->
International vaccine alliance Gavi is on track to immunize 300 million more children by 2025 despite setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it announced on Tuesday. “Despite the huge strain placed on countries’ health systems by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re on or ahead of schedule on eight of the 11 key commitments that we made […] Continue reading ->
Lisa McClennon has been appointed Director of Internal Oversight Services (IOS), the office in charge of investigating all misconduct including sexual abuse and fraud, at the World Health Organization (WHO), the global body’s Executive Board heard on Wednesday. McClennon has been IOS Head of Investigations since November 2021, and led investigations into the sex abuse […] Continue reading ->
In one of its last decisions before concluding, the World Health Assembly Tuesday asked WHO’s Director General to continue developing a draft roadmap for WHO’s new Global Health and Peace initiative – but stopped short of adopting the proposed plan after some member states balked over elements of the strategy. Instead the Assembly agreed to […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday greenlit a slew of decisions and resolutions that aim to bring another one billion people under the coverage of universal health coverage (UHC), as the 76th WHA session drew closer to its end. The plan is the bedrock of WHO’s vision to deliver on so-called “triple billion targets” […] Continue reading ->
When Elvis Ndikum Achiri, a long-time veteran of tobacco control campaigns, began collecting data on air pollution in his community in Cameroon, he was surprised to discover how many people around him, both young and old, suffered from related illnesses even though they had never smoked – including a beloved high school teacher who had […] Continue reading ->
Countries expressed concern at an uptick in polio cases last year and discussed ways to double down on routine immunizations – interrupted by the pandemic and conflicts – at Thursday’s World Health Assembly. Polio is currently the only official global public health emergency. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two remaining countries where the virus […] Continue reading ->