Latest news

WHO supports yellow fever immunization campaign in Nigeria

WHO

16 October 2017– The Government of Nigeria has launched a campaign to immunize 873 837 people against yellow fever in the states of Kwara and Kogi. The ten-day campaign began on Friday and mobilizes more than 200 health workers and volunteers. It targets residents aged 9 months to 45 years old. WHO and health partners have been supporting the Government’s response to the outbreak since the first case of yellow fever was confirmed in Kwara state on 12 September.

• Press release

• Obesity
• NCDs
• Cholera
• Mental health

Tenfold increase in childhood and adolescent obesity in four decades

WHO

11 October 2017 – The number of obese children and adolescents (aged five to 19 years) worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades. If current trends continue, more children and adolescents will be obese than moderately or severely underweight by 2022, according to a new study led by Imperial College London and WHO. Children and adolescents have rapidly transitioned from mostly underweight to mostly overweight in many middle-income countries, including in East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Press release

WHO to establish commission on noncommunicable diseases

WHO

10 October 2017 - Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's Director-General, today announced the establishment of a new High-level global Commission on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). The announcement came at the 64th Session of WHO’s Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean being held in Islamabad, 9-12 October. The commission’s aim is to identify innovative ways to curb the world’s biggest causes of death and extend life expectancy for millions of people.

• Read the statement
• Report on NCDs progress monitor

Oral cholera vaccination campaign kicks off at Rohingya camps in Bangladesh

WHO SEARO

10 October 2017 – A massive cholera immunization campaign started today near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, to protect newly arrived Rohingya and host communities from the life-threatening diarrheal disease. More than 200 vaccination teams will immunize 900 000 people. The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, with support from partners, has released vaccines from the global stockpile to prevent the spread of cholera.

• Press release
• International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision

Mental health in the workplace

WHO

9 October 2017 – During our adult lives, a large proportion of our time is spent at work. Our experience in the workplace is one of the factors determining our overall wellbeing. Employers and managers who put in place workplace initiatives to promote mental health and to support employees who have mental disorders see gains not only in the health of their employees but also in their productivity at work. Mental health in the workplace is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2017.

• World Mental Health Day
• Information sheet: mental health in the workplace

Highlights

• Handwashing an affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives
  October 2017 - Global Handwashing Day is an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times.

• Investing in disaster prevention for a healthier world
  October 2017 – The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) reminds us of the importance of putting health at the centre of action to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters. Millions of people are killed, injured or made sick each year by natural and manmade disasters.

• Nepal tackles diabetic retinopathy
  October 2017 - Diabetic retinopathy, which contributes to 2.6% of blindness in the world, can be a challenging disease for many countries to manage, because doing so involves two different parts of the health system, that which cares for patients with diabetes and that which cares for patients with vision loss. A lack of coordination can lead to people missing out on essential services, enduring long waits or traveling far from home to receive care.

• Progressing the Sustainable Development Goals through Health in All Policies
  October 2017 – WHO and the Government of South Australia have published the case study book on Health in All Policies (HiAP), which describes experiences from around the world in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.