The high cost of energy and negligible progress in rolling out electricity in sub-Saharan Africa since 2010 are some of the factors behind why 2.3 billion people are still reliant on cooking fuels like coal and firewood that harm their health. Meanwhile, the transition to renewable energy has been too slow – and there has […] Continue reading ->
Electronic cigarettes are a trap to recruit children, not part of harm reduction, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the global body’s weekly media conference. “When the tobacco industry introduced electronic cigarettes and vaping, one narrative they really tried to sell is that this is part of […] Continue reading ->
Pandemic treaty negotiations need to be completed by member states and there’s just one year left to meet that deadline, warns the World Health Organization’s Director General. As the World Health Assembly closed its doors on it’s 75th Anniversary edition (WHA 76), which had to be extended by an extra day due to the prolonged […] Continue reading ->
On Saturday at the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization (WHO) laid out the current realities of its digital health agenda as contained in the 2020-2025 global strategy on digital health. WHO member states see digital health as an important vehicle for accelerating progress towards WHO’s ‘triple billion’ targets of universal health coverage, health […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday greenlit a slew of decisions and resolutions that aim to bring another one billion people under the coverage of universal health coverage (UHC), as the 76th WHA session drew closer to its end. The plan is the bedrock of WHO’s vision to deliver on so-called “triple billion targets” […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – The global will to ensure that COVID-19 is a “never-again” pandemic is dissipating fast, according to many delegates attending the World Health Assembly (WHA) and its plethora of side events – threatening initiatives such as local manufacturing of vaccines. Jeremy Farrar, the newly appointed Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), reminded […] Continue reading ->
Achieving universal health coverage by 2030, as resolved by the World Health Assembly this week, should ideally bring along with it a bouquet of possibilities through digital technologies. Digital health technologies have improved the delivery of healthcare services by improving access to COVID-19 vaccination in Canada, and by improving access to breast and cervical cancer […] Continue reading ->
The United for Self-Care Coalition made calls to expand the current World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines on self-care during a panel event, “Self-Care a Foundational Component of Health System Sustainability,” at the 76th World Health Assembly on Wednesday. The United for Self-Care Coalition, a new coalition of like-minded groups and experts, marked their call to action […] Continue reading ->
As the world continues to learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new set of principles aiming the help guide the future of human rights in global medical emergencies was published and discussed on Tuesday at an event of the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA). The event, titled “Beyond Panic & Neglect: Building a […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – Global health conversations are much deeper at present because everyone has been affected by COVID-19 – and this opens up the possibility of building an “all-of-society” approach before the next pandemic, said Sylvie Brand, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention. “We have seen during this pandemic […] Continue reading ->