Plans to evacuate three hospitals in progress – WHO

Plans to evacuate three hospitals in Gaza are under way, the World Health Organisation has said.  Al Shifa, Indonesian Hospital and al Ahli Hospital requested the assistance, asking for help evacuating patients, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said.  It comes after Gaza's Hamas-led health ministry reported at least 12 people had been killed and dozens wounded … Continue reading Plans to evacuate three hospitals in progress – WHO

Israel-Hamas War: MSF condemns ‘deliberate attack’ on evacuation convoy that killed one

Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, have released a statement condemning what it claims was a "deliberate attack" on one of its humanitarian convoys inside Gaza that resulted in one person being killed.  "On 18 November 2023, an MSF staff member's relative died and another one was injured in an attack … Continue reading Israel-Hamas War: MSF condemns ‘deliberate attack’ on evacuation convoy that killed one

32 babies remain inside al Shifa hospital ‘death zone’, WHO says

A bit more on our 4.30am post to bring you now.  A team of UN and WHO experts conducted a "high-risk operation" yesterday to get inside al Shifa hospital, despite heavy fighting reported to be ongoing nearby and a mass exodus of patients, doctors and other displaced people sheltering there. One evacuee described a panicked … Continue reading 32 babies remain inside al Shifa hospital ‘death zone’, WHO says

Our health staff, health workers are missing in Gaza – WHO Director General

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that WHO has lost touch with its staff, health facilities, health workers, and the rest of its humanitarian partners on the ground in Gaza. He called for immediate protection of all civilians and full humanitarian access. Taking to X, Ghebreyesus stated, "We have lost touch with … Continue reading Our health staff, health workers are missing in Gaza – WHO Director General

Israel-Hamas War: WHO sends plane with essential medical supplies to Egypt

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said that a plane with much-needed medical supplies for the people of the Gaza Strip had landed in Egypt. "A plane with WHO medical supplies to support the urgent health needs in Gaza has landed in Al Arish, Egypt – close to the Rafah crossing," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, … Continue reading Israel-Hamas War: WHO sends plane with essential medical supplies to Egypt

WHO: More than 34 health care centers attacked in Gaza

At least 34 attacks on health care facilities have been recorded in Gaza so far, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.  As a result of the attacks, a total of 11 health worker have been killed on duty and 16 have been injured, it added.  The latest official figures from the health ministry in … Continue reading WHO: More than 34 health care centers attacked in Gaza

WHO responds to Libya’s flood disaster with focus on health care access, disease prevention

In the wake of devastating floods in eastern Libya, the World Health Organization (WHO) is focusing on identifying diseases and preventing outbreaks, said Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the global body. Outlining the key health concerns and priorities in the region, Harris said the primary concern is the urgent need for access to clean water. … Continue reading WHO responds to Libya’s flood disaster with focus on health care access, disease prevention

WHO sends body bags and emergency surgery kits to Libya

Body bags and emergency surgery kits arrive in Libya Body bags have arrived in Libya donated by the World Health Organisation, after it urged the government to cease mass burials. Yesterday, the WHO called for better-managed burials in well-demarcated and documented individual graves to prevent long-lasting mental distress for family members. A total of 29 … Continue reading WHO sends body bags and emergency surgery kits to Libya

WHO: Half of world population at risk of dengue virus

Half of the world population is at risk of contracting the mosquito-borne dengue virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday. Raman Velayudhan, WHO's unit head on tropical diseases, told a UN press briefing in Geneva that WHO recorded an eightfold increase in dengue cases between years 2000-2022, increasing from 500,000 cases to 4.2 … Continue reading WHO: Half of world population at risk of dengue virus

WHO: Extreme heat putting health systems under pressure

The extreme heat in the northern hemisphere is putting an increasing strain on healthcare systems, hitting hardest those least able to manage its consequences, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday. "Extreme heat puts increased pressure on health systems. Exposure to excessive heat has wide-ranging impacts on health, often amplifying existing conditions and resulting in … Continue reading WHO: Extreme heat putting health systems under pressure

China COVID-19 whistleblower returns home to Wuhan after jail

Fang Bin, who documented the initial Covid outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has been freed from jail after three years, sources told the BBC. Mr Fang is one of several so-called citizen journalists who disappeared after sharing videos of scenes in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic. After disappearing in February 2020, he … Continue reading China COVID-19 whistleblower returns home to Wuhan after jail

Sudan crisis: Civilians facing catastrophe as 100,000 flee fighting – UN

More than 100,000 people have fled Sudan since heavy fighting broke out between rival forces on 15 April, the UN has said. Officials warned of a "full-blown catastrophe" if fighting does not end. A further 334,000 people have been displaced within Sudan. Fighting is continuing in the capital, Khartoum, between the army and the paramilitary … Continue reading Sudan crisis: Civilians facing catastrophe as 100,000 flee fighting – UN

World Health Organization launches new initiative to improve pandemic preparedness

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com To help countries better prepare for future pandemics, WHO launched a new initiative today that provides guidance on integrated planning for responding to any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or coronaviruses. The new Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats Initiative, or PRET, incorporates the latest tools and approaches for … Continue reading World Health Organization launches new initiative to improve pandemic preparedness

Malaria: Everything you need to know

Photo by Jimmy Chan on Pexels.com Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite, transmitted by the bite of infected vector, in this case the female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquitoes by themselves do not infect us with Malaria when they bite us. They are only carriers of he protozoan(causative agent for malaria). It is this … Continue reading Malaria: Everything you need to know

WHO approves China as Executive Board Member despite complicity in COVID-19 outbreak

Despite evidence that China's the country of origin of the COVID-19 outbreak, and thatr it may have even covered up its own role in the pandemic, the nation was elected to the World Health Organization's executive board Friday. The move raised eyebrows among critics, if not world leaders. U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer denounced the move over China's … Continue reading WHO approves China as Executive Board Member despite complicity in COVID-19 outbreak