Although cows have been infected with avian influenza subtype H5N1 for the first time and viral remnants have been found in milk, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterise its current risk to humans as “low”. The risk for people exposed to infected birds and other […] Continue reading ->
What is the impact of air pollution on exam results or future earnings? Can governments agree to a 2050 net-zero-like goal for a key pollutant, PM 2.5? Such questions are part of an appeal by a new group of political, health, policy, and finance leaders for a policy approach to air pollution that is like […] Continue reading ->
A European Court ruling Tuesday that Switzerland was violating human rights by not acting fast enough on climate change has been hailed by legal experts as a global precedent – and by WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as an important recognition of the links between climate change and health. The #ClimateCrisis is here […] Continue reading ->
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), famous for busting Volkswagen’s Dieselgate, has a new ambition: Taking immediate action to shift to zero-emissions vehicles, significantly cutting ozone (O3) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM2.5 pollution, and avoiding millions of cases of early death and paediatric asthma. Business-as-usual vehicle scenarios will lead to an increase. Because they […] Continue reading ->
Israel said Monday that its forces had withdrawn from Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest health facility, after two weeks of fierce fighting with Hamas gunmen barricaded inside that destroyed large parts of the facility, including the surgery, maternity and emergency wards. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday evening that some 21 patients had died […] Continue reading ->
HARARE, Zimbabwe – The maize meal porridge that their mother had previously blended with peanut butter and sugar for them is now a thing of the past for scrawny 13-year-old Nesbit Chigariro and his three siblings. The family barely has enough food for a single meal a day, as the El Nino-induced drought sweeping southern […] Continue reading ->
Heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and droughts unleashed global mayhem in 2023, as the year broke multiple climate records, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of the Global Climate Report released this week. It was the hottest year in recorded history, with global average near-surface temperature of 1.45℃ above the pre-industrial baseline. “Never have we […] Continue reading ->
Average concentrations of small and fine particulates (PM2.5 and PM10) decreased across Europe between 2003-2019 – with the largest reductions in PM10,according to a new study published in Nature on trends over the past two decades. Despite air quality improvements, more than 98 of the European population lives in areas exceeding the WHO recommended annual […] Continue reading ->
A new report finds that the European Union, Japan and the Republic of Korea have been “dumping” used, and highly polluting trucks and buses on low- and middle-income countries. Heavy duty trucks and buses account for as much as 63% of PM2.5 pollution emissions from road vehicles globally. A new UN report has exposed a […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) executive board confirmed the appointment of three new regional directors on Tuesday, which are both controversial and historic. The election of Saima Wazed, the daughter of Bangladesh’s prime minister, to lead the South-East Asia region has already been mired in allegations of nepotism. Tonga’s Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala steps into his […] Continue reading ->