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WHO releases country estimates on air pollution exposure and its health impact
UN Photo/B Wolff92% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO-recommended limits 27 September 2016 | Cairo – A new World Health Organization (WHO) air quality model confirms that 92% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO-recommended limits. The situation is even worse in...
At UN, global leaders commit to act on antimicrobial resistance
Collective effort to address a challenge to health, food security, and development Joint news release OPGA/WHO/FAO/OIE 21 SEPTEMBER 2016 | NEW YORK - World leaders today signalled an unprecedented level of attention to curb the spread of infections that are resistant to antimicrobial medicines. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when...
No major public health event reported during the pilgrimage: WHO concludes its mission to Saudi Arabia
14 September 2016, Mecca – The World Health Organization (WHO) has today concluded its mission to Saudi Arabia to support the Ministry of Health in ensuring a safe pilgrimage season (Hajj). So far there has been no major health threat or event of concern, with no major disease outbreak reported among the nearly two million pilgrims attending the...
Thousands of health workers supporting pilgrims as they move to Arafat Mountain
11 September 2016 – More than 26 000 Saudi health staff have started providing support to pilgrims at 25 hospitals and 158 primary health care centres around the holy sites where more than 1.5 Muslims from 140 countries have begun the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Today, pilgrims are traveling to Mount Arafat, for what will be the main...
WHO and African Union collaborate to strengthen routine immunization programmes across Africa
9 September 2016 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean hosted some of the Organization’s most important partners on 7–8 September for a workshop to continue developing a roadmap to help countries across Africa build the political will, infrastructure and resources necessary to ensure more children...
Preparations for the upcoming pilgrimage: heat exhaustion and respiratory diseases are a priority
Over 2 million Muslim pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s hajj that begins next week in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca. In preparation, the Saudi Ministry of Health with support from World Health Organization (WHO) has put in place measures to prevent and rapidly address any health issues that could arise during the hajj,...
Almost daily, health care is targeted in Syria
Cairo, 24 August 2016 – The World Health Organization observes with dismay the frequent attacks on health care facilities in Syria. Nearly every day, hospitals, clinics and ambulances are being targeted. Between 9 and 19 August 2106, attacks were reported on 11 hospitals, 5 ambulances and one primary health care centre in Hama, Aleppo, Idleb and Homs...
WHO condemns attack on Abs Hospital and calls for protection of health staff and facilities in Yemen
17 August 2016 — WHO condemns the attack on Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-supported Abs Hospital in Hajjah governorate, Yemen, which claimed the lives of 11 people including an MSF staff member and injured 19 others, according to MSF. The local health office confirmed 18 killed and 18 injured within of hours after the attack. The hospital was...
Hospitals turned into graveyards: child and maternity hospital in Aleppo hit
17 August 2016 – More than 20 health workers and patients, including mothers and children, were inside Kafr Hamra Child and Maternity Hospital in Aleppo, Syria, when the facility was hit at 1:00 am on 12 August 2016. 2 health workers and a female patient inside the hospital were killed. Among the 14 injured were nurses, a midwife, female patients and...
WHO condemns attack on Quetta Civil Hospital, Pakistan
9 August 2016 -- WHO strongly condemns the attack at Quetta Civil Hospital, Pakistan on 8 August. At least 71 people were killed, including one doctor, and 112 people injured. WHO extends its sincere condolences to the families and colleagues of those who were killed and injured in this attack. Doctors, patients and civilians in health care...
