Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The rate at which COVID 19 is spreading worldwide is troubling, according to the World Health Organisation-WHO. At the end of last week, the number of infected persons stood at 96,000 in 93 countries. By close of Tuesday, the number stood at over 110,000 in …
Read More »‘This is not a drill’: WHO urges world to take virus more seriously
Beijing, China | AFP | World health officials have warned that countries are not taking the coronavirus crisis seriously enough, as outbreaks surged across Europe and in the United States where medical workers sounded warnings over a “disturbing” lack of hospital preparedness. Global markets tumbled again over concerns about the impact …
Read More »WHO warns against virus over-reaction as death toll hits 1,868
Beijing, China | AFP | The World Health Organization has warned against a global over-reaction to the new coronavirus epidemic following panic-buying, event cancellations and concerns about cruise ship travel, as China’s official death toll neared 1,900 on Tuesday. More than 72,000 people have now been infected in China and hundreds …
Read More »WHO launches campaign against China virus misinformation
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Monday it was working around the clock with internet and social media giants to combat widespread misinformation surrounding the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of the dangers posed by “the spread of rumours and misinformation”as China …
Read More »Africa mobilises against coronavirus as fears mount
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | African countries are scrambling to avert an outbreak of the rapidly spreading coronavirus strain, as health officials warn that the poorest countries are ill-equipped to combat the deadly disease. Across the continent, governments have stationed nurses at airports to check for feverish passengers and have suspended …
Read More »WHO calls on countries to dedicate 2020 to nurses, midwives
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organization-WHO has called on countries to invest in their health workforce in the New Year citing a global shortage of health workers. Nurses and midwives account for than 50 percent of the shortage. In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, Dr. Tedros …
Read More »WHO prequalifies first Ebola vaccine
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said it had prequalified an Ebola vaccine for the first time, hailing a “critical step” towards its licensing, access and roll-out in countries most at risk of outbreaks. “This is the fastest vaccine prequalification process ever conducted by WHO,” …
Read More »Ebola still an ‘urgent’ global health emergency: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The deadly Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains an “urgent” global health emergency, The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday at its Emergency Committee meeting. DRC’s latest Ebola epidemic, which began in August 2018, has killed 2,144 people, making it the second …
Read More »Second Ebola vaccine to be introduced in DRC in mid-October: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The Democratic Republic of the Congo is to introduce a second vaccine next month to combat the Ebola virus, which has killed more than 2,100 people in the country, the World Health Organization said Monday. The announcement came as the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) …
Read More »Mother or baby die in child birth every 11 seconds: UN
Uganda improved by 35% percent over a 17-year-period from 578 to 375 deaths for every 100,000 live births Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Global child and maternal deaths have fallen sharply in recent decades, but new UN statistics released Thursday show unequal progress, with more than five childbirths a minute ending …
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