Health

Estimates show that one in five children under the age of three are either zero-dose or have forgotten vaccinations due to the war, putting them at risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. The catch-up campaign aims to inoculate these children against measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus and pneumonia. […]

According to the UN health agency, health aid from abroad is expected to see a drop of between 30 and 40 percent this year compared to 2023. This has already resulted in reductions of up to 70 percent in key health services in some of the 108 low- and middle-income countries featured in a new

The study, published on Monday ahead of G20 meetings taking place later this month in Johannesburg, South Africa, shows that unequal access to housing, healthcare, education and employment leaves millions more vulnerable to disease. The report launched by UNAIDS – the global body’s agency dedicated to ending AIDS and HIV infection – finds that inequality

Mercury is a toxic metal that can damage the brain, lungs, kidneys and immune system. It is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women. Mercury pollution often results from industrial activities, including small-scale gold mining, and can travel long distances through air and water. The residents of Minamata, Japan, suffered for decades from mercury poisoning

The increased use reflects a major health success that has enabled millions of young people to avoid unintended pregnancy and exercise choice over their future, but UNFPA said that “for far too many, the basic human right to choose whether to have children remains undermined.” ‘Contraception saves lives’ The unavailability of contraception leads to an

In an address to heads of state, ministers and international partners, the President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock said that today’s hunger crisis is not the result of scarcity, but of inequality, conflict and political choices. Last year, more than 670 million people experienced hunger and 2.3 billion faced moderate or severe food

In 1988, the international community united under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO) with the goal of eradicating polio. World Polio Day, which falls on October 24, raises awareness of the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain to stop the spread. Polio can invade the nervous system and cause

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the end of hostilities but said “the crisis is far from over and the needs are enormous.” He highlighted the toll of the months of conflict: more than 170,000 people were injured – including 5,000 amputees and 3,600 people with severe burns. At least 42,000 require long-term rehabilitation, and 4,000 women

Amid the devastation of World War II, nations responded to the threat of hunger and malnutrition by creating the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on October 16, 1945. The UN agency celebrates this achievement as World Food Day each year on its birthday, recognizing the work of all those committed to ensuring food for all.

The serious risk of disease outbreaks comes after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck a remote eastern region of Afghanistan on August 31 near the Pakistan border, destroying water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. “The earthquake has flattened home and taken too many lives, and now threatens to take even more through illness,” warned Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s