As the world’s eyes are fixed on the pending roll-out of new Covid-19 vaccines, a team of 120 leading health and climate experts have called on global leaders to use the momentum of the pandemic response to accelerate climate action, just ahead of the five-year anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement to limit global warming […] Continue reading ->
More than 235 million people worldwide will require humanitarian protection next year: an increase of 40% in 12 months. The United Nations (UN)has announced an appeal for US$35 billion, which it estimates will be required to support 160 million of those most in need of support, across 56 countries. The Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2021, […] Continue reading ->
As coronavirus policies initially forced many of us to turn into couch potatoes glued to our screens, the World Health Organization emphasizes that we can remain active and healthy even in COVID times. Regular physical activity of any type, and any duration, including dance, running, or even everyday household tasks like gardening or cleaning, can […] Continue reading ->
Violence against women and girls has been neglected during and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and urgent efforts are needed to protect women, UNAIDS has said. One in three women likely to experience violence at least once in their lifetime. Evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant increases in gender-based violence in […] Continue reading ->
The tobacco industry has been exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting health sector resource shortages to gain a stronger foothold in the policy corridors of many national governments – making huge donations of PPE and other desperately needed goods, new research has shown. The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2020, released by STOP (Stopping Tobacco […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are combining as a “syndemic” that reinforce each other and disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities in every country during the pandemic period, said experts at a NCD Alliance panel on Thursday. However, primary health care workers, particularly nurses, who are the backbone of routine NCD responses have been particularly […] Continue reading ->
In the early 2000’s, when Kenyan doctor Sally Agallo Kwenda was diagnosed with cervical cancer, it was a big shock given she was not experiencing any pain or symptoms. A bigger shock, however, was her husband’s decision to walk out on her. He claimed that he could not live with a woman who could not […] Continue reading ->
What if every household in the world could diagnose coronavirus-triggered pneumonia from their home with a cheap handheld device? We are not at this stage yet. But the Swiss-made Pneumoscope, an intelligent stethoscope that can diagnose pneumonia in seven minutes, is bringing this dream closer to reality, says Benissa Mohamed-Rida from the Pneumoscope initiative. The […] Continue reading ->
Despite nearly two years of internal restructuring, WHO’s budget at its Geneva headquarters is still twice the amount spent in all 54 countries of the Organization’s African Region, said the African bloc of stated at Wednesday’s World Health Assembly. Speaking on behalf of the African bloc, Seychelles noted that the most recent WHO financial report […] Continue reading ->
Norway will contribute an additional 133 million USD (1.2 billion NOK) to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low-income countries from 2020 to 2024, the Ministry of International Development announced today. The announcement comes in the wake of last year’s path-blazing strategy for how to tackle the growing NCD burden in LMICs, “Better […] Continue reading ->