“Thirty years ago, the world made a commitment to protect and fulfil children’s rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Among the most fundamental of these rights is the right of every child to survive.” So reads the introduction of the latest Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, a joint […]
World Health Organization
WHO urges action on health effects of climate change
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called on world leaders to take action on the health effects of climate change, calling it “one of the world’s most urgent health threats.” In a statement, Tedros said “only when countries can provide health services to all, including those in greatest jeopardy from climate […]
WHO-SEARO pledge on measles and rubella
The recent meeting of World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Region nations saw a commitment issued to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023. The 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia (WHO-SEARO), which took place in Delhi, saw member countries pledge to increase immunisation rates in order to boost herd immunity against the […]
India makes emergency preparedness pledge
India will make a significant financial contribution to help the World Health Organization (WHO) with emergency preparedness, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has announced. Speaking at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Southeast Asia (WHO-SEARO), Vardhan said “I am very happy to announce that India will contribute $2,00,000 towards implementation of […]
Asia and WHO collaborate on emerging diseases
A large-scale collaboration has been announced between a number of Southeast Asian nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to address the issue of emerging diseases. India, along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepala, North Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, have come together under the World Health Organization – South East […]
World Breastfeeding Week: The Indian perspective
World Breastfeeding Week, observed annually during the first week of August, draws attention to a practise which serves as a major health boon for both mother and child. “It is the responsibility of every mother to breastfeed as it has numerous health benefits for both mother [and] child,” tweeted Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, […]
Colistin ban in food sector over drug resistance concerns
India’s food production sector has been banned from using the antibiotic colistin, over concerns about its misuse potentially fuelling drug resistance. According to a 2009 study, “colistin is…being used increasingly as a ‘last-line’ therapy to treat infections caused by [multi-drug-resistant] Gram-negative bacteria, when essentially no other options are available.” Yet concerns are growing that, in […]
Essential medicines: WHO updates list
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its lists of essential medicines and diagnostics in a bid to expand access to affordable treatments for individuals worldwide. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asserted in a statement that “around the world, more than 150 countries use WHO’s Essential Medicines List to guide decisions about which medicines represent […]
Production of trans fats warning reminds us why action is vital
Even as many countries regulate trans fats, more than five billion people worldwide continued to be exposed to them at risk to their health according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “Momentum is growing for the global elimination of industrially-produced trans fat, with nearly one third of the world’s population in 28 countries now protected […]
WHO convinces industry to reduce trans fats
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has achieved a major breakthrough in its campaign to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from the global food supply by 2023. After a meeting with the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) representatives, including chief executive officers from several of the twelve companies comprising the alliance, on May 2nd, 2019 […]