Kenyan High Court Affirms Women’s Access to Abortion, UNFPA Describes Unintended Pregnancies as a ‘Public Health Emergency’

04/04/2022 Kerry Cullinan

Amid huge global contestation over abortion, the Kenyan High Court recently affirmed that women’s “access to safe abortion services is a human right” as enshrined in the country’s Constitution, and directed parliament to enact laws in this regard. Malindi High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi made the ruling late last month in a case involving a […] Continue reading ->

South-East Asia, Africa and Middle East are World’s Air Pollution Hot Spots in WHO’s Largest-Ever Data Release

04/04/2022 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

In its largest release of data on air quality ever, WHO has found that most of the world’s population are breathing unsafe levels of air pollutant – particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – which cause excess illness and premature death from respiratory disease, as well as from cardiovascular disease and cancers. […] Continue reading ->

Air Pollution is Worsening Reproductive Health Outcomes for Women

04/04/2022 Disha Shetty

As much as 99% of the world population breathes in air with pollution levels higher than WHO’s permissible limits. The majority of the world’s most polluted cities are in South Asia. Air pollution is linked to higher rates of miscarriages, pregnancy complications and stillbirths, affecting women’s reproductive health. The pandemic is always on the back […] Continue reading ->

Microplastics Found in Human Blood for the First Time, and May Also Be Transported to Organs

31/03/2022 Raisa Santos

Microplastics have been discovered in human blood for the first time, with scientists warning that these mostly invisible pieces of plastic could also make their way into organs, in a new study examining blood samples of 22 anonymous, healthy adult volunteers. The study, published in the Environment International journal Thursday, found that 17 of 22 […] Continue reading ->

WTO IP Waiver ‘Compromise’ on COVID-19 Vaccines ‘Deeply Concerning’: Civil Society to European Leaders

30/03/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

A compromise proposal on a World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) waiver on intellectual property for the production of COVID-19 vaccines is ‘problematic’, ‘largely insufficient’, and WTO members should not be politically pressured into adopting the text, several dozen civil society organisations said in an open letter published today. The letter, addressed to European Commissioners, European members […] Continue reading ->

WHO Global Post-Natal Guidelines Are Aimed at Ensuring ‘Positive Experience’

30/03/2022 Editorial team

Between childbirth and six weeks is the most dangerous time for mothers and babies and when most deaths occur, and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new guideline called ‘Recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience‘ on Wednesday aimed at guiding all role-players during this period. One of the key […] Continue reading ->

India, WHO Sign Deal To Establish Global Centre For Traditional Medicines

28/03/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

The government of India and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday signed an agreement to set up a one-of-its-kind Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. India will invest $250 million in this centre which will be established in Jamnagar city in the state of Gujarat. The centre will work towards harnessing the potential of ‘traditional […] Continue reading ->

Huge Study Finds Second COVID-19 Booster is ‘Life-saving’ for Over 60s

28/03/2022 Maayan Hoffman

A second booster of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine reduced mortality rates among elderly people in Israel by 78%, according to a new study by the country’s Clalilt Health Services, Sapir College and Ben-Gurion University. This is the largest study of its kind to date, and involved more than 560,000 people aged 60. “The main conclusion […] Continue reading ->

Minamata Convention: Parties Review Progress on Global Measures to Halt Mercury Poisoning

25/03/2022 Editorial team

Delegates from most of the world’s nations met in Bali this week to review progress in tackling the worldwide problem of mercury poisoning from artisinal gold mining and other environmental sources as well as in the health care industry, in line with the 2013 Minamata Convention. The parties were meeting for the fourth time since […] Continue reading ->

Flu Jab Offers Little Protection this Year. Researchers: No Reason to Panic

23/03/2022 Maayan Hoffman

The flu shots that are being administered in the United States, as well as elsewhere in the northern hemisphere, are not reducing the risk of catching the dominant strain of the influenza virus (H3N2) that is circulating this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a March edition of its Morbidity and […] Continue reading ->