Tag Archives: WHO

COVID vaccines: Why we must succeed in every country

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The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and vaccines remain our most important tool for vaccines_herohelping every country overcome it and get on the path to recovery. 

Since February, much of the world’s attention has shifted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the risks it poses to global supplies of food and energy.  And the war is coming on top of many other crises – climate change, conflict in many other places, record numbers of refugees, and a rise in poverty for the first time in decades. But even among these daunting global challenges, COVID has particularly far-ranging health, social, and economic impacts, especially for the poorest countries and most vulnerable people.  

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We need healthier air for a healthier planet

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Air pollution is a multifaceted problem – representing the world’s leading environmental risk to cahealth and costing the globe an estimated $8.1 trillion in 2019 , 6.1 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).  

Air pollution is also deadly, causing or contributing to heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases and killing an estimated seven million people every year – with about 95 percent of these deaths occurring in low- and middle- income countries. COVID-19 is only making matters worse, with research finding links between air pollution and COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

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A green reboot for cities: Strategies for post-COVID growth

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In the case of pandemics, billions of dollars in prevention are worth trillions of dollars for the cure. But how do we translate that simple insight into effective action that saves lives? 

Countries, influential stakeholders and institutions have largely failed to take preventative action, despite clear evidence of need following the SARS and avian influenza outbreaks. The consequences are clear, and the world is now paying the price for failing to take advantage of past opportunities to make prevention a priority.

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In South Asia, the case for road safety investment is stronger than ever

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The global road safety crisis has reached epidemic proportions. Every year, according to in-hyderabad-traffic-nietnagel-flickr.jpgthe World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, some 1.35 million people lose their lives on the road , and millions more sustain serious injuries that often result in permanent disability.

Despite growing awareness, the numbers keep creeping up. The situation is particularly alarming in low and middle-income countries, where economic growth has boosted vehicle ownership and road construction, but road safety action hasn’t kept pace.

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Preventable traffic injuries and deaths hold back the development of countries

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final_impactofdevelopment_20180105_coverWhile reading a newspaper over the holidays, one of us came across an article with an often common story: “car collision causes mass fatalities on mountain road”. The collision resulted in 51 deaths, after a bus–one of the vehicles involved, plunged down a cliff in Peru.  Many of the dead were returning to Lima after celebrating the New Year’s holiday with family outside the city.

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World Bank Mobilizes US$200 Million to Combat Cholera in Yemen

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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2017 – The World Bank announced today an emergency

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US$200 million grant to support Yemen as it struggles to contain one of the world’s largest cholera outbreaks. This will strengthen the country’s health, water and sanitation systems, addressing the source of the epidemic and improving systems to prevent future outbreaks.
The integrated support package financed by the new grant will include the training of 7,500 health workers, strengthening the local capacity to treat and manage cholera cases, provision of bulk chlorination of water supplies, rehabilitation of critical wastewater treatment plants, supporting mass communication and social mobilization campaigns, and supporting one the largest ever cholera vaccine campaigns aiming to reach millions of Yemenis. Continue reading →

Partners Launch Framework to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage in Africa; World Bank and Global Fund Commit $24 Billion

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Press Release; 26 August, 2016

African Heads of State and Partners Mobilize around Plans for Universal Health Coverage to medical-appointment-doctor-healthcare-clinic-health-hospital-medicine[7]Achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 26, 2016—Today at the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-VI), African heads of state and partners vowed to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) in Africa. To help countries implement their health reforms, the World Bank and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (Global Fund) committed to invest $24 billion in Africa over the next three to five years.

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eConsultant2: Develop a Sustainable Financing Model for the Medicines Regulatory Agencies

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Deadline:  23-Nov-2015 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)

As part of the EAC medicines regulatory harmonization (MRH) work the AMRH (African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization) partners World Bank, WHO, NEPAD, US FDA, donor agencies Gates Foundation, DfID and US Government as well as the EAC MRH Steering Committee are interested in developing a model for improving theHospital financial standing of regulatory agencies and enable them to cope with the increased demand from their governments, citizens and private sector stakeholders. A group of executive MBA students from Cambridge University developed a concept already that can serve as a starting point. There is an opportunity now to elevate the topic to the EAC policy organs and try to get political approval for a joint approach across all EAC countries, which would make it easier for individual agencies to get changes accepted by their national executive and legislative bodies.

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This Week – 68th World Health Assembly – Follow events!

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The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the largest health policy meeting in the world and the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization. Held annually in Geneva, Switzerland, the decisions and outcomes from WHA guide the health agenda around the world that could impact your health in the future.

For the second year, WHO and the UN Foundation are partnering to bring you World Health +SocialGood from May 18-22, 2015. Building upon the success from last year, this five-day digital event is your pass to the 68th World Health Assembly. Every day at 16:00CEST/10am EST, through a daily live, one-hour broadcast, World Health +SocialGood will provide insight into the major happenings of each day at the World Health Assembly, while also offering exclusive, original content and interactive conversations with experts about key health issues under discussion.

Be sure to tune-in, submit your questions using #SocialGood AND #WHA68 and make YOUR voice heard on health issues that matter most to you. Follow @Plus_SocialGood on Twitter for the latest updates.

Click any of the links to follow the events and learn more by listening to interviews!

 

 

Ebola Hampering Household Economies across Liberia and Sierra Leone

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Press release published on the World Bank website.

Latest surveys point to declines in employment, food insecurity, and long-term welfare concerns

WASHINGTON, January 12, 2014—The socio-economic impacts of Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone are far-reaching and persistent, according to two new World Bank Group reports. Both countries continue to experience job losses, despite their differing health outlooks. These impacts have not been limited to the areas where infections have been the highest, which points to economy-wide slowdowns. As a result, many households have been forced to take short-term actions to cope, which can have substantial long-term effects on welfare.

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