Page 9 - Who

WHO urges partners to continue fostering collaboration to end AIDS by 2030

On World AIDS Day, WHO called upon member states, partners and communities in the Southeast Asia Region and around the world to continue fostering collaboration to address the challenges in ending the disease by 2030 and empower communities to lead in shaping the response forward. Globally, an estimated 39 million people are living with HIV. In 2022, around 1.3 million people acquired HIV and around 6,30,000 people died from AIDS-related causes, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. In the South-East Asia Region, an estimated 3.9 million people are living with HIV, accounting for around 10 per cent of the global burden. In 2022, an estimated 1,10,000 people became newly infected with HIV and 85,000 people in the region died of AIDS-related causes. This accounted for over 13 per cent of the global burden of AIDS-related death, Dr Khetrapal Singh said. Over the past decade, the Southeast Asia Region had substantial progress with a remarkable .

WHO confirms sexual spread of mpox in Congo as country sees record outbreak

The World Health Organization said it has confirmed sexual transmission of mpox in Congo for the first time as the country experiences its biggest-ever outbreak, a worrying development that African scientists warn could make it more difficult to stop the disease. In a statement issued late Thursday, the U.N. health agency said a resident of Belgium travelled to Congo in March and tested positive for mpox, or monkeypox, shortly afterward. WHO said the individual identified himself as a man who has sexual relations with other men and that he had gone to several underground clubs for gay and bisexual men. Among his sexual contacts, five later tested positive for mpox, WHO said. This is the first definitive proof of sexual transmission of monkeypox in Africa, Oyewale Tomori, a Nigerian virologist who sits on several WHO advisory groups, said. The idea that this kind of transmission could not be happening here has now been debunked." Mpox has been endemic in parts of central and west ..

Health ministry monitors H9N2 outbreak in China, assures low risk to India

Chinese authorities have attributed the rise of respiratory illnesses and reported pneumonia clusters in children, to the lifting of Covid-19 restriction and circulation of known pathogens

Risk of global Mpox outbreak rises as virulent strain spreads in Congo

A Belgian resident with connections to the DRC and his sexual contacts tested positive for a strain of Mpox, known as Clade 1, which has a fatality rate of about 10%

India records 36 new Covid-19 cases in one day; active cases stands at 215

India saw a single-day rise of 36 fresh COVID-19 infections while the active cases have been recorded at 215, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The country's COVID-19 case tally stands at 4.50 crore (4,50,01,691) and the death toll at 5,33,295, the data updated at 8 am stated. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,68,179 and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, it stated. The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the country so far.

Mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China: Here is what we know so far

The World Health Organisation asked China for detailed information on the increase in the cases of respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children

Give detailed information on child pneumonia outbreak: WHO to China

Local media has reported a steady rise in infections from a pathogen called mycoplasma among kindergarten and primary school children

Global measles deaths increase by 43% during 2021-2022: WHO report

The number of measles deaths globally increased by 43 per cent from 2021-2022, following years of declining vaccination rates, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report noted that in 2022, 37 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks compared with 22 countries in 2021. Of the countries experiencing outbreaks, 28 were in the WHO Region for Africa, six in the Eastern Mediterranean, two in the South-East Asia, and one in the European Region, WHO said. "The increase in measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering, but unfortunately, not unexpected given the declining vaccination rates we have seen in the past few years," said John Vertefeuille, director of CDC's Global Immunization Division. "Measles cases anywhere pose a risk to all countries and communities where people are under-vaccinated. Urgent, targeted efforts are critical to prevent measles disease and deaths," ...

Antimicrobial resistance a significant threat to global public health: WHO

Poonam Khetrapal Singh called it imperative to foster collaboration among many sectors and stakeholders involved in the domains of human, terrestrial, and aquatic animal and plant health

As Israeli troops enter Al-Shifa, WHO chief says lost touch with personnel

Israel Defence Forces have confirmed that they are carrying out precise, and targeted operation in a specific region in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

India's junk food bill comes in as obesity, productivity loss increase

Poor dietary patterns have a significant economic cost, warn health experts

WHO updates its guidance on treatments for patients with Covid-19

The World Health Organization has updated its guidance on treatments for patients with COVID-19, providing latest, trustworthy advice on the management of the disease to help doctors make better decisions. The new recommendations published by The BMJ are part of a living guideline, developed by the WHO with the methodological support of Norwegian non-profit MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation. The guidance incorporates the latest clinical trial evidence for existing and new COVID-19 therapies and takes account of evidence relating to safety, prognosis, resources, access, and equity issues, as well as patient values and preferences, the WHO said. The update includes distinct risk categories to help doctors more accurately assess whether an individual is at high, moderate, or low risk of hospital admission and tailor treatment accordingly. WHO in the update recommends the use of antiviral drug nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in patients with non-severe COVID-19 at high and moderate risk of ..

Record 7.5 million people globally diagnosed with TB in 2022: WHO

A total of 7.5 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2022, the highest recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995, according to a report featuring data from 192 countries and areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 Global tuberculosis (TB) report also shows that globally, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with TB in 2022, up from 10.3 million in 2021. The report underscores a significant worldwide recovery in the scale-up of TB diagnosis and treatment services in 2022. It shows an encouraging trend starting to reverse the detrimental effects of COVID- 19 disruptions on TB services. The increase in diagnosis is attributed to good recovery in access to and provision of health services in many countries, WHO said. India, Indonesia and the Philippines, which together accounted for over 60 per cent of the global reductions in the number of people newly diagnosed with TB in 2020 and 2021, all recovered to beyond 2019 levels in 2022, it said. "For

WHO South-East Asia region to prioritise investment in primary healthcare

Member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region on Tuesday committed to prioritising investment in primary healthcare in order to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said this will help realise health-related sustainable development goals. "Prioritising investments to strengthen primary healthcare, including the health workforce, will accelerate progress towards achieving health for all and help realise health-related sustainable development goals, health security and equity promoting health systems," she said. Dr Singh was addressing a ministerial roundtable on 'Strengthening primary healthcare as a key element towards achieving universal health coverage' which culminated in the member countries and WHO signing the Delhi Declaration for strengthening primary healthcare. The declaration builds on the commitments of heads of state and government and ministers of health to strengthen primary ...

India becomes model for nations engaged in health sector reforms: Mandaviya

The minister added that 26 million wellness sessions have also been conducted in these HWCs, engaging more than 306 million people

AB-HWCs recorded over 2.1 bn footfalls till Oct 24: Mansukh Mandaviya

The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) have recorded over 211 core footfalls till October 24 and people have availed free drugs over 1,83 crore times, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday. Addressing the 76th session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for South-East Asia, Mandaviya lauded the progress of AB-HWCs, saying these have played an instrumental role in providing a comprehensive array of primary healthcare services. "As of October 24, AB-HWCs have recorded over 2,110 million footfalls. The impact is resounding with individuals availing free drugs over 1,830 million times and diagnostic services over 873 million times," he said. The minister added that "26 million wellness sessions have been conducted engaging more than 306 million people". Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, attended the event virtually. Mandaviya was also unanimously elected as chairperson of the 76th session of the regional ...

Food should not become instrument in war, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The finance minister urged countries across the world to consider regional balance in sourcing their food supplies, especially staple, and essential products

WHO plane carrying medical supplies for people of Gaza lands in Egypt

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated his call on Israel to reconsider its decision to evacuate 1.1 million people in Gaza

No bitter finding yet on non-sugar sweeteners, says food regulator FSSAI

The WHO guidelines had recommended against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine: What it is, and when will it roll out?

The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is an easily deployable vaccine that can be manufactured at a mass scale with a modest cost