New York – Strengthening references to sexual and reproductive health and rights, marginalised people, and public-private partnerships that ensure rights and inclusion, were among the core proposals pitched yesterday at a United Nations multi-stakeholder meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), involving representatives of government, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector. The milestone meeting […] Continue reading ->
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Dr Tedros) today explained details of fundamental changes being set in motion at the UN agency, including greater impact, increased staff work and training at the country level, producing 'world class' work, more transparency, and digital health and innovation. In his opening remarks to the WHO Executive Board, he listed recent accomplishments and devoted significant attention to staffing issues at a time when unconfirmed reports of alleged misconduct have been circulating. Continue reading ->
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest ever, occurring in a “perfect storm” of a densely-populated conflict zone. Yet thanks in large part to a strong collaboration between the World Health Organization and the pharmaceutical industry, the outbreak has so far remained confined to two DRC provinces, says Peter Salama, WHO deputy director general for emergency preparedness and response. Continue reading ->
The chief of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat, Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, told delegates from its 181 member states attending a Conference of the Parties meeting in Geneva (1-6 October) many governments have advanced tobacco control actions, but also noted some are lagging behind and warned that with astronomical budgets, the tobacco industry "continues their furious efforts" to undermine the implementation of the treaty. Continue reading ->