Nairobi, Kenya | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday it’s intensifying its operations to the looming health crisis in eastern Africa amid acute food insecurity. Ibrahima Soce Fall, WHO Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response said the health risks in the region are increasing while access to healthcare is …
Read More »Canada confirms 235 cases of monkeypox
Ottawa, Canada | Xinhua | The Public Health Agency of Canada on Monday confirmed a total of 235 cases of monkeypox in the country as of June 24. In a statement, the health agency provided an update on the confirmed cases, including two cases from British Columbia, four from Alberta, …
Read More »WHO: Monkeypox not yet a global public health emergency
Kigali, Rwanda | THE INDEPENDENT | The monkeypox outbreak does not currently constitute a global public health concern, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, although the agency called for intense response efforts to control further spread. The rare viral disease, occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and …
Read More »Air pollution cuts life expectancy by more than two years – study
NEWS ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Ugandans could potentially live an extra two years if that if global PM2.5 levels were reduced to the five micrograms per cubic metre recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to a new study. Ugandans have a life expectancy of about 64 years …
Read More »WHO urges gov’ts to prioritize mental healthcare
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organization-WHO is asking governments to prioritize mental healthcare as mental illness surges. WHO made the call during a virtual launch of the organization’s biggest assessment of mental health that has been carried out in the last 20 years. The report shows that …
Read More »Eight African countries report confirmed monkeypox cases: WHO
Brazzaville, Congo | Xinhua | Eight African countries have so far reported confirmed monkeypox cases, with several more countries reporting suspected cases, announced the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti. At an online media briefing held on Thursday, Moeti said that with nearly 1,900 confirmed monkeypox cases …
Read More »Ugandan scientists build low-cost air quality monitoring system
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a tiny workshop at Uganda’s top university, Makerere University, tech-savvy youths develop a low cost air quality monitoring system that experts say will influence decision-making regarding the increasing air pollution in the east African country. According to the 2021 World Air Quality Report, Uganda’s …
Read More »WHO calls for “genuine, unselfish” collaboration against monkeypox
Copenhagen, Denmark | Xinhua | Governments, health partners and civil society need to act together with urgency to keep monkeypox at bay in the European region, Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for Europe, said on Wednesday. “Europe remains the epicenter of this escalating outbreak, with 25 countries …
Read More »WHO to decide whether monkeypox represents public health emergency
Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it will convene a meeting next week to assess whether the current monkeypox outbreak outside of the traditional endemic areas in Africa has already turned into a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). “The global outbreak …
Read More »The fight to control malaria
Artificial light may become a new weapon | BERNARD COETZEE | The world has not yet won the war against malaria. While the total number of cases has declined from about 81.1 cases per 1,000 population to 59 per 1,000 since 2000, there were still an estimated 240 million cases …
Read More »