In Portugal, where all illicit drugs are decriminalized, drug disorders claim the lives of just 0.8 in 100,000 people, a figure that pales in comparison to Brazil, the Philippines – or even the US where the death toll stands at a staggering 18.75 in 100,000 people, or 23 times higher than Portugal. High death […] Continue reading ->
In the wake of COVID-19, both the needs and the skills of frontline healthcare workers need to be made integral to the design of global mental health services, said experts at a Wednesday webinar, sponsored by the Geneva-based Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF). While mental health issues have come more to the forefront during the COVID […] Continue reading ->
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to strengthen the delivery of healthcare and move the world closer towards universal health coverage, but ethical considerations and human rights must be central to the design, development, and deployment of AI technologies, according to a new report released on Monday. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Ethics and Governance […] Continue reading ->
Healthcare professionals, and particularly community health workers who have been the backbone of local and national health systems during the COVID crisis, are also unsung ‘first responders’ to the massive mental health fallout from the pandemic, now and going forward. That is the central theme of a webinar panel on ‘COVID-19 and Frontline Workers’, Wednesday, 30th […] Continue reading ->
Proposals to incorporate some 40 new medications in WHO’s Essential Medicines List – from complex cancer treatments to new medicines for hepatitis C and rabies – will be examined over the coming two weeks by the EML Expert Committee. The Committee, which kicked off its deliberations on Monday with a public hearing, also will consider […] Continue reading ->
Over the past several decades, the tobacco industry has tried to influence policy by partnering with various United Nations (UN) agencies. Many of these agencies, however, have since cut ties with the industry, thus safeguarding their initiatives and policies from Big Tobacco’s commercial interests. One notable exception remains and must be addressed: the continued membership […] Continue reading ->
Some community-based mental health services can outperform traditional services – and are cheaper, and often more rights-based – according to a new guidance released this week by the World Health Organization (WHO). The guidance provides two-dozen peer-reviewed examples of outstanding community-based mental health projects – including the Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe, Atmiyata in India, and […] Continue reading ->
Providing community-based mental health care that is respectful of human rights and recovery-focused has proven successful and cost-effective, according to a new report released by the World Health Organization. WHO’s new “Guidance on community mental health service: promoting person-centered and rights-based approaches”, released today, includes examples from countries including Brazil, India, Kenya, Myanmar, New Zealand, […] Continue reading ->
Eight campaigns and initiatives aimed at encouraging people to quit smoking were launched this week by Vital Strategies and partners to mark World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2021. Tobacco use is the single greatest source of preventable death and disease worldwide – responsible for eight million deaths each year and the theme […] Continue reading ->
“Mass trauma” from COVID-19 has worsened mental health worldwide, WHO officials said at the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday. The long neglected issue received special attention on the Assembly’s closing day, with member states expressing broad support for more action – after a year that saw new mental health issues emerge even while […] Continue reading ->