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Tag: WHO

  • WHO donates 2 mini laboratories to Plateau government

    WHO donates 2 mini laboratories to Plateau government

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), has donated two mini COVID – 19 laboratories to the Plateau Government.

    Handing over the facilities on Saturday,  Dr. Musa Mahdi, the Coordinator of WHO in the state, expressed confidence in the state’s ability to uphold the current standards of the facilities.

    Mahdi, who was represented by Dr Andrew Abiodun, said that the labs would enhance access to quality healthcare services by people in the state.

    Responding, Dr Cletus Bako, the Commissioner for Health in the state, thanked the donors for the gesture.

    Bako said that the laboratories would ensure proper diagnosis of medical challenges in the health facilities they are domiciled.

    He added that the laboratories would go a long way toward providing improved healthcare services to the people .

    The two mini laboratories donated are located in the Primary Healthcare Centres of Bukuru and Tudun Wada in Jos South and Jos North Local Government Area, respectively.

  • Cancer rates to increase to 77 % by 2050, says UN

    Cancer rates to increase to 77 % by 2050, says UN

    Global cancer cases are expected to rise around 77 per cent by the middle of the century, UN health authorities said on Thursday.

    According to latest figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised branch of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO), there are predicted to be more than 35 million cancer cases during 2050, up from the estimated 20 million in 2022.

    The increase reflects both population ageing and growth, as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors which include tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key factors, along with air population.

    Richer countries are expected to have the greatest absolute increase in cancer, with an additional 4.8 million new cases predicted in 2050.

    However, low and middle-income countries should see a higher proportional increase in cancer, while mortality is projected to almost double.

    The estimates from the IARC’s Global Cancer Observatory are based on the best sources of data available from 185 countries and covers 36 different forms of cancer.

    They were published alongside a WHO survey from 115 countries which showed that the majority do not adequately finance priority cancer and palliative care services as part of universal health coverage.

    Ten types of cancer collectively comprised around two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022, the IARC said.

    Lung cancer was the most commonly occurring form worldwide with 2.5 million new cases.  It accounted for more than 12 per cent of all new cases and 18.9 per cent of deaths, 1.8 million, making it the leading cause of cancer death.

    Female breast cancer ranked second in terms of occurrence, with 2.3 million cases, worldwide or 11.6 per cent, but accounted for 6.9 per cent of deaths.

    Other commonly occurring cancers were colorectal, prostate and stomach cancer.

    Colorectal cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death, followed by liver, breast and stomach cancer.

    Cervical cancer was the eighth most commonly occurring cancer globally, the ninth leading cause of cancer death, and the most common cancer in women in 25 countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.

    The IARC estimates – issued ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4 – also revealed striking inequalities, particularly in breast cancer.

    One in 12 women in richer countries will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime and one in 71 will die of it, the agency said.

    However, although only one in 27 women in poorer countries will receive a positive breast cancer diagnosis, one in 48 will die.

    These women “are at a much higher risk of dying of the disease due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment,” Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, said.

    The WHO survey also revealed significant global inequities in cancer services. For example, higher income countries were up to seven times more likely to include lung cancer-related services in their health benefits packages.

    “WHO, including through its cancer initiatives, is working intensively with more than 75 governments to develop, finance and implement policies to promote cancer care for all,” Dr Bente Mikkelsen, Director of its Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, said, underlining the need for greater investment.

  • WHO unveils sanitation safety planning initiatives in 5 states

    WHO unveils sanitation safety planning initiatives in 5 states

    The World Health Organisation(WHO) has initiated Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP) interventions in five states to combat the transmission of faecal-oral diseases and enhance sanitation across the country.

    Dr Edwin Isotu-Edeh, National Consultant for Public Health and Environment at WHO Nigeria, announced the implementation during the National Workshop on Safely Managed Sanitation (SMS) on Thursday in Abuja.

    The states–Lagos, Bayelsa, Niger, Sokoto and Bauchi—drawn from the six geopolitical zones, are the focal points for this comprehensive effort which started in 2021.

    The interventions aim to address various challenges, such as fighting open defecation, combating water-borne diseases like cholera, addressing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and facilitating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6.

    According to him, the move comes in response to the alarming health risks associated with poor sanitation, including outbreaks of WASH-related diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, diarrheal diseases, and neglected tropical diseases.

    Discussing Nigeria’s national disease burden, Isotu-Edeh highlighted that a significant 29 per cent was linked to environmental risk factors, including inadequate WASH services, climate change, and chemical exposure.

    He pointed out alarming sanitation statistics, indicating that 48 million people engaged in open defecation, with a mere 4.5 per cent of Nigeria’s WASH investment allocated to sanitation.

    Isotu-Edeh emphasised the necessity for change, highlighting the absence of sanitation in the country’s yearly economic plan.

    He urged political actors to prioritise comprehensive sanitation measures for improved public health, saying the private sector involvement would be beneficial.

    “It is worrisome that sanitation has not been positioned in our economic plans, however, there are huge benefits in its value chain; we must all make sanitation attractive and get champions that would drive the change process,’’ he said.

    Addressing the escalating vulnerability of health systems due to climate change, he stressed that a temperature rise of 2-3°C was projected to increase the risks of water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and lassa fever.

    Dr Ibrahim Kabir, Director General of Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), highlighted the pressing issue of faecal sludge management in the state, posing a threat to public health safety.

    He said that health risks stemming from water contamination, due to improper disposal of faecal sludge, prompted the training of 1,063 manual pit latrine evacuators.

    Kabir emphasised the ongoing development of Faecal Sludge Management guidelines and stressed the importance of fostering an environment conducive to private sector involvement in the sanitation value chain.

    While advocating for attitudinal change, he urged all stakeholders to contribute to enhancing sanitation and promoting hygiene in the state.

    The gathering, which brought together stakeholders from national and subnational levels, development partners and the private sector, marked a significant step towards achieving universal and sustainable access to sanitation.

  • How COVID-19 vaccines saved 1.4 million lives in Europe

    How COVID-19 vaccines saved 1.4 million lives in Europe

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said COVID-19 vaccines saved at least 1.4 million lives in Europe.

    Delivering his first message of the new year, Regional Director, WHO European region, Dr Hans Kluge, stressed that without vaccines, the death toll on the continent “could have been around four million, possibly even higher.

    “More than 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths, and 277 million confirmed cases, were reported in the vast WHO European Region, which comprised 53 countries stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

    “Analysis of 34 countries showed that most people whose lives were saved by vaccines, 90 per cent, were over 60.”

    Kluge said the vaccines reduced deaths by 57 per cent in the period between their rollout in December 2020 through March 2023, with the first booster doses alone saving an estimated 700,000 lives.

    “Today, there are 1.4 million people in our region – most of them elderly – who are around to enjoy life with their loved ones because they took the vital decision to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

    “This is the power of vaccines. The evidence is irrefutable,” Kluge said, speaking from Copenhagen.

    He added that COVID-19 rates in Europe remained elevated but were decreasing.

    “WHO recommends that people at highest risk of the disease should continue to be re-vaccinated six to 12 months after their most recent dose.

    “This category includes older persons, frontline health workers, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised or have significant chronic medical conditions,” he said.

    Meanwhile, WHO is currently seeing widespread circulation of respiratory viruses like influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and measles in the European region.

    RSV rates peaked before the new year and are now declining, Kluge reported, and influenza rates are rapidly rising, with a likely surge expected over the coming weeks.

    There has been a nearly 60 per cent increase in reported hospitalisations for the flu over the past two weeks and a 21 per cent increase in ICU admissions, compared to the previous two weeks.

    Flu cases increased four-fold between November and December, with 38 countries reporting the start of the seasonal influenza epidemic.

    Those most affected by severe disease are people aged 65 and older and the very young.

    “We are concerned about reports of localised pressures on hospitals and overcrowding in emergency rooms, due to a confluence of circulating respiratory viruses,” he said.

    Kluge stressed that although COVID-19 infection rates were broadly decreasing across Europe, the situation could rapidly change in the face of the new variant of interest, JN.1, now the most common variant reported globally.

    “Though there’s no current evidence to suggest the JN.1 variant is more severe, the unpredictable nature of this virus shows how vital it is that countries continue to monitor for any new variants.

    “As many countries have reduced or stopped reporting COVID-19 data to WHO, Kluge underscored the need for continued surveillance as the disease is here to stay.

    “We know how to keep ourselves and others safe, whether from COVID-19 or other respiratory infections,” he said.

    He noted that health was slipping from the political agenda, and voiced deep concern over the failure to address the ticking time-bomb facing the health and care workforce.

    “As health systems come under strain, we are reminded that we may be unprepared for anything out-of-the-ordinary, such as the emergence of a new, more severe COVID-19 variant or a yet unknown pathogen,” he warned.

    He urged leaders to show demonstrable support for health workers.

  • WHO, partners deliver aid to 2 Gaza hospitals in high-risk missions

    WHO, partners deliver aid to 2 Gaza hospitals in high-risk missions

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners have delivered fuel and other essential supplies to two hospitals in northern and southern Gaza this week.

    The UN agency, in a statement on Wednesday, said the teams that undertook the high-risk missions witnessed intense hostilities in their vicinity, as well as high patient loads and overcrowding caused by people seeking refuge.

    It said the teams also reported that food needs remained dire across the enclave, which was impacting operations, with hungry people stopping convoys in hopes of finding something to eat.

    WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, issued a fresh call for the international community to “take urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril facing the population of Gaza.”

    Ghebreyesus also called om the international community to support humanitarian workers.

    According to him, personnel visited two hospitals on Tuesday: Al-Shifa in northern Gaza and Al-Amal Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in the south.

    Both hospitals also serve as shelters for people displaced by the ongoing conflict, with 50,000 reported at Al-Shifa and 14,000 at Al-Amal.

    At Al-Shifa, WHO delivered fuel to keep essential health services running. Staff also brought medical supplies, alongside UN children’s agency (UNICEF).

    In support of NGO partners, the World Central Kitchen, WHO also delivered materials that would support a kitchen at the hospital.

    The Gaza Central Drug Store also received medical supplies and would act as a hub for delivery to other hospitals.

    Teams that went to Al-Amal saw the aftermath of recent strikes that disabled the hospital’s radio tower and impacted the central ambulance dispatch system for the entire Khan Younis area, affecting more than 1.5 million people.

    Only five out of nine ambulances the hospital once had are now functioning.

    WHO staff reported that it was impossible to walk inside the hospital without stepping over patients and people seeking refuge.

    “Furthermore, only a few functioning toilets are available in the hospital, adjacent community buildings and PRCS training centres.

    “As they were transiting across Gaza, staff witnessed tens of thousands of people fleeing heavy strikes in the Khan Younis and Middle Area on foot, on donkeys, or in cars.

    “Make-shift shelters were being built along the road,” said the UN agency.

    WHO feared this new displacement will further strain health facilities in the south, which are already struggling to meet the immense needs.

    “This forced mass movement of people will also lead to more overcrowding, increased risk of infectious diseases, and make it even harder to deliver humanitarian aid,” said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, Representative for the West Bank and Gaza.

    Latest WHO assessments show that Gaza currently has 13 partially functioning hospitals and two minimally functioning ones, while 21 are not functioning at all.

    Facilities include Nasser Medical Complex, the most important referral hospital in southern Gaza, which is partially functioning, and recent reports of nearby residential areas being ordered to evacuate are extremely concerning.

    WHO said its ability to supply medicines and fuel to hospitals is being increasingly constrained by the hunger and desperation of people both on the way to hospitals, and inside them.

    Peeperkorn stressed that the safety of WHO staff and continuity of operations depended on more food arriving in all of Gaza, immediately.

    “The recent United Nations Security Council resolution appeared to provide hope of an improvement in humanitarian aid distribution within Gaza.

    “However, based on WHO eyewitness accounts on the ground, the resolution is tragically yet to have an impact.

    “What we urgently need, right now, is a ceasefire to spare civilians from further violence and begin the long road towards reconstruction and peace,” he said.

     

  • WHO raises alarm on spike in dengue infections

    WHO raises alarm on spike in dengue infections

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm on the increase in dengue infections recorded in 2023 globally, which represents a potentially high public health threat.

    The UN health agency gave the warning on Friday as it reported more than five million dengue infections and 5,000 deaths from the disease worldwide in 2023.

    Briefing journalists at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez, WHO Team Lead on Arboviruses, said the threat required maximal attention.

    Alvarez said the threat also required response from all levels of the UN health agency to support countries in controlling current dengue outbreaks and prepare for the upcoming dengue season.

    Dengue is the most common viral infection transmitted to humans bitten by infected mosquitoes. It is mostly found in urban areas within tropical and sub-tropical climates.

    The rise in the number of reported cases of dengue in more countries is explained by the fact that infected mosquitoes now thrive in more countries because of global warming associated with rising emissions.

    “Climate change has an impact in dengue transmission because it increases rainfall, humidity and temperature.

    “These mosquitoes are very sensitive to temperature,” she said.

    Although four billion people are at risk from dengue, most of those infected are symptom-free and usually recover within one to two weeks.

    However, severe dengue infections are marked by shock, severe bleeding or severe organ impairment, according to WHO.

    It also highlighted that these dangerous symptoms often start after the fever has gone away, catching carers and medical professionals unawares.

    It warned that signs to look out for included intense abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums, fluid accumulation, lethargy, restlessness and liver enlargement.

    As there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection and access to proper medical care is crucial, to lower the probability to die due to severe dengue.

    “Since the beginning of this year, over five million cases and about 5,000 deaths of dengue have been reported worldwide and close to 80 per cent of those cases have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific,” Alvarez said.

    She added that “it is also concerning that dengue outbreaks are occurring in fragile and conflict-affected countries in the eastern Mediterranean region such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.

    The global prevalence of mosquitoes has changed in the last few years owing to the 2023 El Niño phenomenon, which accentuated the effects of global warming temperatures and climate change, WHO said.

  • SSB, Alcohol: Coalition reviews WHO recommendations, urges FG to raise taxes in 2024

    SSB, Alcohol: Coalition reviews WHO recommendations, urges FG to raise taxes in 2024

    The National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR) Coalition, an NGO, on Friday echoed a global report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) released on Dec. 5 on efforts of countries to raise taxes on Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB) and  alcohol.

    The voice of the coalition is contained in a statement signed by its Co-chairman and President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Dr Alhassan-Adamu Umar.

    Umar said the WHO report revealed that global rates of taxes on SSBs and alcohol were too low.

    According to Umar, WHO report says that the low tax rates are not encouraging people to practise healthy behaviours by choosing healthy options such as water.

    He added that SSBs were linked to such chronic illnesses as type 2 diabetes and cancer.

    He disclosed that pro-health taxes on those products were introduced to deter people from buying and consuming them and, ultimately, create healthier populations.

    “In 2021, after prolonged advocacy efforts championed by NASR coalition, Nigeria introduced a N10 per litre excise tax on non-alcoholic, sweetened carbonated beverages.

    “However, the NASR coalition has continually maintained that the tax rate is too low to make a real health impact. The recently released WHO data now corroborates the coalition’s assertions.

    Umar also said that as the government  currently reviewed the 2024 national budget, it should raise SSB taxes to supplement the health budget and reduce the burden on the nation’s health system.

    According to him, the WHO report also puts forward considerations for earmarking tax revenue and cites examples of the nine countries that were currently channelling tax funds towards universal health coverage.

    He said that Nigeria was still aspiring towards achieving this goal, adding that it could be achieved through SSB tax revenue.

     

  • WHO raises alarm over effect of Climate Change on pregnant women, babies

    WHO raises alarm over effect of Climate Change on pregnant women, babies

    The Universal Health Coverage, Life Course at the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alarm that climate change poses an existential threat to humanity.

    It said pregnant women, babies and children face some of the gravest consequences of all.

    Assistant Director, Bruce Aylward who noted this in a press statement ahead of the global Conference of the Parties (COP28) negotiations on climate change in Dubai, said children’s futures need to be consciously protected, which means taking climate action now for the sake of their health and survival, while ensuring their unique needs are recognized in the climate response.

    Bruce said the year 2023 has been marked by a series of devastating climate disasters.
    “Wildfires, floods, heatwaves and droughts are displacing people, killing crops and livestock, and worsening air pollution “

    He said “An over-heating world is increasing the spread of deadly diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue, with dire consequences for pregnant women and children for whom these infections can be especially severe.

    Research shows that harm can begin even in the womb, leading to pregnancy-related complications, preterm birth, low birthweight and stillbirth. For children, consequences can last a lifetime, affecting the development of their bodies and brains as they grow.”

    Also, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Programmes, Omar Abdi said the action on climate change often ignores that children’s bodies and minds are uniquely vulnerable to pollution, deadly diseases and extreme weather.

    Abdi said “We do this at our peril. The climate crisis is jeopardizing every child’s fundamental right to health and well-being. It is our collective responsibility to listen and put children at the centre of urgent climate action, beginning at COP28. This is the moment to finally put children on the climate change agenda.”

    The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) Board Chair and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt Hon Helen Clark said all stakeholders, from governments to the private sector and civil society, including health care professionals, holds a critical role in championing policies and actions which protect the most vulnerable.

    She said the urgency to integrate women, children and adolescent health needs into climate responses is not just a moral imperative, but an effective strategy with long-term benefits for resilient and healthy societies.

  • WHO reiterates warnings of dire water shortage in Gaza

    WHO reiterates warnings of dire water shortage in Gaza

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday repeated its warnings of the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, pointing to a particularly precarious water shortage.

    WHO regional director Rick Brennan said the WHO estimates that there were only three litres of water per person per day left, whereas the minimum requirement per person is 15 litres, for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene.

    He said hardly anyone has taken a proper shower or bath there in recent weeks.

    Brenan added that with about one million displaced people, toilets were a huge problem.

    He said, “Diarrhoea diseases, skin and respiratory infections are only a matter of time.

    “Some 200 women give birth every day, but they cannot find safe spaces to deliver their babies or reach hospitals in case of complications.

    “In the densely populated coastal strip, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic for the people living in the besieged Palestinian territory more than two weeks since the war began.’’

  • WHO to send 100 aid trucks to Gaza strip daily

    WHO to send 100 aid trucks to Gaza strip daily

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) plans to send up to 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing daily after Egypt agreed to open the lifeline.

    Richard Brennan, regional emergency director for the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office on Thursday said U.S. President, Joe Biden announced that he had secured agreement from Israel and Egypt to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza via Rafah following his solidarity trip to Israel on Wednesday.

    Brennan said up to 20 trucks would enter the sealed-off exclave but is likely to reach Gaza only by Friday as the roads must be repaired first.

    “We hope to get up to a 100 trucks a day. So, we have got to rapidly scale up that assistance. This is not a sprint, this is just the start, this is a marathon,’’ Brennan told CNN.

    The official added that there were many factors complicating the aid delivery operation such as guaranteeing workers security, repairing roads and making sure the parties to the conflict respect the convoys.

    Israel has confirmed that it will not prevent humanitarian assistance from Egypt as long as it is only food, water and medicine for the civilian population located in the southern Gaza Strip or for those evacuating to the area, adding that any supplies that reach Hamas will be blocked