WHO

January 21, 2025 4:21 PM

Germany to lobby Trump on WHO withdrawal, agency hopes for U-turn

Berlin will try to talk U.S. President Donald Trump out of his decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organisation, Germany's health minister said on Tuesday. The U.N. agency also said that it hoped that its top donor country would change its mind and looked forward to a constructive dialogue with Trump's team. "The new U.S. president's announcement to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a serious blow to the international fight against global health cris...

January 21, 2025 11:31 AM

US President Trump issues executive order to withdraw from WHO

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to formally withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision, announced on Monday (local time), comes after a prolonged period of criticism directed at the WHO, which Trump blamed for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and failing to address the broader global health crises. In the executive order, President Trump emphasized that the United States' decision to withdraw, originally announced in July 2020, was...

January 17, 2025 5:14 PM

WHO upbeat on scaling up aid under Gaza ceasefire terms

A World Health Organization official said on Friday that it should be possible to scale up aid imports into Gaza massively to around 600 trucks a day under the terms of a ceasefire deal. If successful, the ceasefire set to begin on Sunday would halt fighting that has razed much of Gaza, killed over 46,000 people and displaced most of its pre-war population of 2.3 million several times over, according to local authorities. The aid surge requires more than a 10-fold daily increase in lorries fro...

January 5, 2025 10:45 AM

Union Health Ministry reviews China’s respiratory illness surge, assures robust preparedness in India

Amid reports of a surge in respiratory illnesses in China, the Union Health Ministry convened a Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting under the chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in New Delhi on Saturday. The meeting brought together experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and prominent institutions, including A...

December 24, 2024 5:15 PM

Department of Atomic Energy highlights pioneering achievements in 2024

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has announced significant milestones and contributions across multiple sectors in its year-end review for 2024. Nuclear Power Programme India's nuclear power initiatives advanced significantly, with the Atomic Minerals Directorate discovering 15,598 tonnes of uranium oxide in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, boosting the country's reserves to 4,25,570 tonnes. The Jaduguda Mines unearthed new uranium deposits, extending their operational life by 5...

December 11, 2024 4:02 PM

Malaria cases, deaths in India decline by 69pc between 2017-2023: WHO

India has seen significant progress in reducing malaria incidence and mortality rates, according to the latest World Malaria report, released by World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday. Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. The report showed that the number of estimated malaria cases in India decreased to 2 million cases in 2023 from 6.4 million in 2017 (69 per cent decrease). Similarly, t...

November 18, 2024 12:07 PM

Developing countries more vulnerable to antimicrobial resistance: WHO

Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health concern that undermines the effectiveness of life-saving medicines and complicates the treatment of infectious diseases, said Saima Wazed, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for South-East Asia, on Monday. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), celebrated every year from November 18-24, aims to increase awareness of global AMR and to encourage best practices. This year's theme,...

November 14, 2024 1:24 PM

World Diabetes Day: Closing treatment gap crucial to curbing diabetes’ rapid spread

Diabetes, a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood sugar, is one of the most prevalent health issues today. A new study published in The Lancet has found that more than 800 million adults across the globe have diabetes, almost double the number previously estimated. The Global Prevalence of Diabetes In 2022, about 828 million people aged 18 and older were found to be diabetic, the Lancet study found. Among those above the age of 30, 59%, or 445 million, did not receive any t...

November 9, 2024 11:08 AM

Pakistan enforces emergency lockdowns in Punjab as AQI soars above 2000 in Multan

Pakistan’s Punjab province is grappling with a severe pollution crisis as air quality hits unprecedented levels. Multan’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached an alarming 2,135, casting the city in a thick, hazardous smog that disrupted daily life and prompted emergency measures. In response to the worsening smog, the Punjab government has implemented strict measures, including the closure of parks, museums, and other public spaces until at least November 17. According to IQAir, a Swiss-based ai...

October 29, 2024 7:59 PM

Lahore becomes most polluted city in the world again

Lahore has once again secured the grim title of the most polluted city globally, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to a staggering 708. The PM2.5 levels reached a dangerous 431 µg/m³, an alarming 86 times above the World Health Organization's recommended annual limit. The city's pollution crisis, attributed to unchecked vehicular emissions, outdated industrial practices, and ineffective environmental policies, has led to a dangerous smog that persists year-round, signaling systemic env...