Safety campaign reduces medical radiation risks in Africa

Billington Jesse Semwogerere and his mom Victoria Nandagire have a conversation with Dr. Deborah Babirye at Ecurei-Mengo Hospital (Kampala, Uganda) about the risk of radiation during diagnostic testing, such as a CT scan.
E.N. Kawooya, Ecurei-Mengo Hospital (Uganda)

14 April 2016 -- Protecting paediatric patients from radiation risks can be a challenge in many parts of Africa: often radiation guidelines are inadequate, training is unregulated, and procedures for maintenance are not always followed. A new WHO publication, “Communicating radiation risks in paediatric imaging”, is helping health care providers to communicate known or potential risks associated with radiation.

Updated guidelines for chronic hepatitis C infection

A child from Haiti.
WHO/PAHO/H. Ruiz

13 April 2016 –- Therapeutics for hepatitis C virus are evolving rapidly, and new medicines called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are transforming treatment. They enable regimens that can be administered orally, are as short as 8 weeks, and result in cure rates higher than 90%.

WHO has updated its hepatitis C treatment guidelines to provide recommendations for the use of these new medicines.

Investing in treatment for depression and anxiety leads to fourfold return

Investing in treatment for depression and anxiety: good for health, good for economies.
WHO/World Bank

13 April 2016 –- Every US$ 1 invested in scaling up treatment for depression and anxiety leads to a return of US$ 4 in better health and ability to work, according to a new WHO-led study which estimates, for the first time, both the health and economic benefits of investing in treatment of the most common forms of mental illness globally. The study, published today in "The Lancet Psychiatry", provides a strong argument for greater investment in mental health services in countries of all income levels.

Action needed to halt rise in diabetes

World Health Day 2016 poster
WHO

6 April 2016 -- The number of people living with diabetes has nearly quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. WHO is marking World Health Day, 7 April, by calling for action on diabetes. In its first “Global report on diabetes”, WHO highlights the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease.

Measles: Austria seeks to vaccinate unimmunized adults

The Leopold Museum lits up in Vienna, Austria
Federal Ministry of Health of Austria

8 April 2016 -- Like other countries across the WHO European Region, Austria – despite its especially strong health system – has found it challenging to eliminate measles, which would mean no active spread of the disease for 12 months or more. Austria is a small country, with a population of less than 8.6 million, but in 2013 there were 75 cases of measles.

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  • WHO scales up malaria response in Yemen
    April 2016 -- The risk of a malaria epidemic is high in Yemen, with high fuel costs, shortages of health workers, violence, and internal displacement preventing an effective and timely response. WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to address these challenges.
  • General Assembly proclaims the Decade of Action on Nutrition
    April 2016 -- The United Nations General Assembly today agreed a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025. The resolution aims to trigger intensified action to end hunger and eradicate malnutrition worldwide, and ensure universal access to healthier and more sustainable diets.

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Emergency reform

WHO is reforming its work in outbreaks and emergencies with health and humanitarian consequences to ensure the Organization can respond rapidly to future crises.

Zika virus and complications

After a spike in cases of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, strongly suspected to be associated with Zika virus, WHO declared a public health emergency.

Commentary

Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO speaking at the plenary session of the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly.

World Health Day 2016: Let’s beat diabetes

"People with diabetes can live long and healthy lives if their disease is detected and well-managed."
Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General
6 April 2016

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Dr Chan, WHO Director-General, visits Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, three of the four countries where indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus has not yet been interrupted.
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