Tobacco use and second-hand smoking during pregnancy doubles the risk of sudden infant death and birth defects – issues highlighted in a new policy brief on the linkages between tobacco control and children’s health, published by the World Health Organisation(WHO). The brief, Tobacco Control To Improve Child Health and Development, notes that exposure to second-hand […] Continue reading ->
Almost one in three women experience physical and/or sexual violence across the course of their lifetimes. And over the past 12 months, more than one in ten women suffered from physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, according to a new WHO-led report on gender-based violence, published just a day after International Women’s Day. Gender-based violence […] Continue reading ->
WHO needs to focus more work on limiting gender-based violence, increase its programmatic emphasis on healthy diets and lifestyles, and contribute to renewed momentum on climate action, said WHO member states at Friday’s Executive Board session. The member states were reviewing the WHO Director General’s report on “social determinants of health” – in light of […] Continue reading ->
Ibadan, Nigeria. Several Nigerian states were unable to carry out preventative yellow fever campaigns late last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving thousands of people at risk of developing the disease as the country now faces a new winter yellow fever outbreak, Health Policy Watch learned. In early November, Nigeria’s Center for Disease Control […] Continue reading ->
Three-quarters of COVID-19 trials reviewed specifically excluded pregnant women, despite investigating medications that are already used by expectant mothers. Authors of an opinion piece published in The Lancet Global Health journal, based on a data review, warned that although pregnant women are among those most in need of effective and safe therapies, they are routinely […] Continue reading ->
As the dust began to settle in June 2009 in the aftermath of the global recession, 81 million young people found themselves out of work, as the youth unemployment rate rose to 13%. But unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – with 1 in 6 young people worldwide having already lost their job […] Continue reading ->
One out of every four health facilities worldwide lacks even the most basic access to water supplies. And in the world’s 47 least developed countries, one in every two facilities lacks such access, according to a new WHO report, co-authored with UNICEF, on access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health care facilities. The […] 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 ->