WHO news

World Health Assembly opens to discuss major health issues

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:01:00 GMT

20 May 2013 -- WHO's Health Assembly, the world's largest health policy-making body, opened its Sixty-sixth Session today in Geneva with around 3000 participants from around the world.

Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:01:00 GMT

17 May 2013 -- The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given ten years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to WHO.

WHO statistics show narrowing health gap between countries with best and worst health status

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:01:00 GMT

15 May 2013 -- The world has made dramatic progress in improving health in the poorest countries and narrowing the gaps between countries with the best and worst health status in the past two decades, according to the World Health Statistics 2013.

2.4 billion people will lack improved sanitation in 2015

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:01:00 GMT

13 May 2013 – Some 2.4 billion people – one-third of the world’s population – will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015, according to a joint WHO/UNICEF report issued today.

WHO Press Statement Related to the Novel Coronavirus Situation

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:55:00 GMT

12 May 2013- The emergence of this new coronavirus is globally recognized as an important and major challenge for all of the countries which have been affected as well as the rest of the world.

WHO encourages patient participation for hand hygiene in health care

Fri, 03 May 2013 00:01:00 GMT

3 May 2013 -- On Hand Hygiene Day (5 May), WHO is encouraging patients and their family members to join health workers in their efforts to practice good hand hygiene. Every year, hundreds of millions of patients around the world are affected by health care-associated infections. These lead to significant physical and psychological suffering and sometimes death of patients, and financial losses for health systems. More than half of these infections could be prevented by caregivers properly cleaning their hands at key moments in patient care.

More than 270 000 pedestrians killed on roads each year

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:01:00 GMT

2 May 2013 -- More than 270 000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world’s roads each year accounting for 22% of the total 1.24 million road traffic deaths. WHO is calling on governments to take concrete actions to improve the safety of pedestrians.

Global leaders support new six-year plan to deliver a polio-free world by 2018

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:01:00 GMT

25 April 2013 – Today, at the Global Vaccine Summit, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) presented a comprehensive six-year plan, the first plan to eradicate all types of polio disease – both wild poliovirus and vaccine-derived cases – simultaneously. Global leaders and individual philanthropists signaled their confidence in the plan by pledging close to three-quarters of the plan’s projected US$ 5.5 billion cost over six years.

WHO launches emergency response to antimalarial drug resistance

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:01:00 GMT

24 April 2013 -- On World Malaria Day, 25 April, WHO recognizes significant accomplishments in preventing and controlling malaria, including in high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa, but highlights the threat of antimalarial drug resistance in south-east Asia’s Greater Mekong subregion, where an emergency response is now being launched.

Better supply systems key to reach all children with life-saving vaccines

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:01:00 GMT

18 April 2013 -- An estimated 22 million children in developing countries are still not protected from dangerous diseases with basic vaccines. For World Immunization Week, which starts on 20 April, experts state that better supply and logistics systems are essential to reach all children.