6 March 2015 -- International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate women and their achievements. It’s also a day to take stock of how women’s rights, especially the right to health, are fulfilled in the world. Women still face many health problems. 8 March is an opportunity to re-commit to addressing issues ranging from cancer to reproductive health, from mental health to HIV. That’s why WHO and its partners are developing a new global strategy for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health.
5 March 2015 -- Based on promising data from initial clinical trials in late 2014, WHO, with the Health Ministry of Guinea, Médecins Sans Frontières, Epicentre and The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, will launch a Phase III trial in Guinea on 7 March to test the VSV-EBOV vaccine for efficacy and effectiveness to prevent Ebola. The vaccine was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. A second vaccine will be tested in a sequential study, as supply becomes available.
4 March 2015 --- A new WHO guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. An additional reduction to below 5% of total energy intake or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day would provide additional health benefits. Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets.
2 March 2015 -- Every day, every bed in an Ebola treatment unit creates approximately 300 litres of liquid waste. Managing this waste has been a challenge in the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. WHO is working with partners to ensure this waste is effectively decontaminated and no longer poses a threat to health.
