‘All Eyes on Rafah’ – Says Head of WHO Office for Occupied Palestinian Territory 14/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization says it is making contingency preparations for a possible Israeli incursion into the Gazan city of Rafah. The city hugging the Egyptian border remains under the control of the militant Palestinian Hamas government, nearly four months after Israel’s devastating invasion that followed a Hamas assault October 7 on some 22 Israeli […] Continue reading -> Without Ensuring Swift Access to Pathogens, Pandemic Accord Risks Failure 13/02/2024 Thomas B. Cueni A wide array of stakeholders are looking toward the upcoming World Health Assembly this May to conclude negotiations on a new pandemic accord that seeks to make the world more prepared for the next pandemic. And most would agree that the primary task of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established by the World Health Assembly […] Continue reading -> A Year After Devastating Earthquake Hit Syria and Türkiye, Hundreds of Thousands Remain Displaced 09/02/2024 Sophia Samantaroy One year after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake wracked Türkiye and Syria, some 690,000 people remain displaced in southern Türkiye, out of the 3 million people that initially lost their homes when the natural disaster hit in the early morning of 6 February 2023. Another 40,000 Syrians remain internally displaced mainly in the northern region of […] Continue reading -> Families of Israel’s Female Hostages Plead for Deeper Intervention by WHO and UN Officials in Geneva 06/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Shay Dickmann stood stoically as the recorded screams of a woman pierced the darkness of the sealed metal container, followed by shouting and screams, the sounds of gunshots and a baby crying. A narrow tunnel led to a tiny room with a single lightbulb and a dirty mattress on the floor. On the wall, a […] Continue reading -> With Only 10 Negotiating Days Left, Pressure Builds on Group Amending International Health Regulations 05/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan With only 10 official negotiating days left, the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) is under pressure to reach agreement on changes to the rules that govern global health emergencies. The seventh WGIHR meeting which began on Monday officially kicked off the 2024 pandemic ‘season’ negotiations at the World Health Organization […] Continue reading -> Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine 26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading -> WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Without Ensuring Swift Access to Pathogens, Pandemic Accord Risks Failure 13/02/2024 Thomas B. Cueni A wide array of stakeholders are looking toward the upcoming World Health Assembly this May to conclude negotiations on a new pandemic accord that seeks to make the world more prepared for the next pandemic. And most would agree that the primary task of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established by the World Health Assembly […] Continue reading -> A Year After Devastating Earthquake Hit Syria and Türkiye, Hundreds of Thousands Remain Displaced 09/02/2024 Sophia Samantaroy One year after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake wracked Türkiye and Syria, some 690,000 people remain displaced in southern Türkiye, out of the 3 million people that initially lost their homes when the natural disaster hit in the early morning of 6 February 2023. Another 40,000 Syrians remain internally displaced mainly in the northern region of […] Continue reading -> Families of Israel’s Female Hostages Plead for Deeper Intervention by WHO and UN Officials in Geneva 06/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Shay Dickmann stood stoically as the recorded screams of a woman pierced the darkness of the sealed metal container, followed by shouting and screams, the sounds of gunshots and a baby crying. A narrow tunnel led to a tiny room with a single lightbulb and a dirty mattress on the floor. On the wall, a […] Continue reading -> With Only 10 Negotiating Days Left, Pressure Builds on Group Amending International Health Regulations 05/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan With only 10 official negotiating days left, the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) is under pressure to reach agreement on changes to the rules that govern global health emergencies. The seventh WGIHR meeting which began on Monday officially kicked off the 2024 pandemic ‘season’ negotiations at the World Health Organization […] Continue reading -> Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine 26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading -> WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
A Year After Devastating Earthquake Hit Syria and Türkiye, Hundreds of Thousands Remain Displaced 09/02/2024 Sophia Samantaroy One year after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake wracked Türkiye and Syria, some 690,000 people remain displaced in southern Türkiye, out of the 3 million people that initially lost their homes when the natural disaster hit in the early morning of 6 February 2023. Another 40,000 Syrians remain internally displaced mainly in the northern region of […] Continue reading -> Families of Israel’s Female Hostages Plead for Deeper Intervention by WHO and UN Officials in Geneva 06/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Shay Dickmann stood stoically as the recorded screams of a woman pierced the darkness of the sealed metal container, followed by shouting and screams, the sounds of gunshots and a baby crying. A narrow tunnel led to a tiny room with a single lightbulb and a dirty mattress on the floor. On the wall, a […] Continue reading -> With Only 10 Negotiating Days Left, Pressure Builds on Group Amending International Health Regulations 05/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan With only 10 official negotiating days left, the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) is under pressure to reach agreement on changes to the rules that govern global health emergencies. The seventh WGIHR meeting which began on Monday officially kicked off the 2024 pandemic ‘season’ negotiations at the World Health Organization […] Continue reading -> Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine 26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading -> WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Families of Israel’s Female Hostages Plead for Deeper Intervention by WHO and UN Officials in Geneva 06/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Shay Dickmann stood stoically as the recorded screams of a woman pierced the darkness of the sealed metal container, followed by shouting and screams, the sounds of gunshots and a baby crying. A narrow tunnel led to a tiny room with a single lightbulb and a dirty mattress on the floor. On the wall, a […] Continue reading -> With Only 10 Negotiating Days Left, Pressure Builds on Group Amending International Health Regulations 05/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan With only 10 official negotiating days left, the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) is under pressure to reach agreement on changes to the rules that govern global health emergencies. The seventh WGIHR meeting which began on Monday officially kicked off the 2024 pandemic ‘season’ negotiations at the World Health Organization […] Continue reading -> Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine 26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading -> WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
With Only 10 Negotiating Days Left, Pressure Builds on Group Amending International Health Regulations 05/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan With only 10 official negotiating days left, the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) is under pressure to reach agreement on changes to the rules that govern global health emergencies. The seventh WGIHR meeting which began on Monday officially kicked off the 2024 pandemic ‘season’ negotiations at the World Health Organization […] Continue reading -> Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine 26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading -> WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine 26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading -> WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
WHO Pandemic Accord: The Final Stretch Begins 19/01/2024 Daniela Morich As we approach the final months of member-state negotiations over a World Health Organization Pandemic Accord, due to come before the World Health Assembly in May, the efforts to forge a consensus have witnessed modest progress. However, the original divide between developed and developing countries on key issues such as finance, access and benefit sharing, […] Continue reading -> At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
At Davos, Lessons from COVID Help Prepare for ‘Disease X’ 18/01/2024 Disha Shetty Improving disease surveillance, strengthening primary healthcare, and being able to expand quickly during a crisis are some of the important lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that can be applied to ‘Disease X’, according to health experts speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “Disease X is a placeholder for unknown diseases,” […] Continue reading -> International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
International Medical Teams Withdraw from Central Gaza Hospital as Fighting Intensifies 08/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and two other international relief agencies all said that they are withdrawing emergency medical teams from Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after intensified fighting around the hospital area made it impossible for staff to continue emergency care functions. “After days of artillery fighting in Gaza’s Middle Area, Israeli forces […] Continue reading -> From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
From Libya to Afghanistan, 140 Million People Trapped in Humanitarian Crises in Eastern Mediterranean Region 19/12/2023 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From earthquakes in Afghanistan to floods in Libya and the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, is beset with one of the world’s largest concentrations of people trapped in humanitarian crises and in desperate need of emergency health services, food aid, as well as peace, said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts