WHO | DD News

May 6, 2025 4:32 PM

Health inequities shortening lives by more than 30 years in poor countries: WHO

Poor social determinants of health are cutting life expectancy in low-income countries by more than 30 years, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO defines social determinants of health as conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. The report noted that beyond the health sector, factors such as lack of quality housing, education, and job opportunities can dramatically reduce life expectancy. It said that people in the country with the lowes...

April 19, 2025 8:56 AM

White House launches COVID website that criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's White House launched a COVID-19 website on Friday in which it blamed the origins of the coronavirus on a lab leak in China while criticizing Democratic former President Joe Biden, former top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci and the World Health Organization. The website was also critical of steps like social distancing, mask mandates and lockdowns. Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. - by far the WHO's largest financial back...

April 17, 2025 11:06 AM

Type 5 Diabetes Officially Recognized: A type impacting the malnourished

Last Week, at the 75th Diabetes World Congress in Bangkok, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) officially classified Type 5 diabetes as a distinct form of the disease affecting lean, undernourished young adults in low- and middle-income countries. "The recognition of type 5 diabetes marks a historic shift in how we approach diabetes globally. For too long, this condition has gone unrecognized, affecting millions of people and depriving them of access to adapted care," said IDF President ...

March 24, 2025 12:07 PM

India observes World Tuberculosis Day with renewed commitment to eradication by 2025

India marked World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating the deadly disease by 2025. The day aims to raise awareness about the global health threat posed by TB, which primarily affects the lungs and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits. In her message on the eve of World Tuberculosis Day, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu commended the National TB Elimination Programme and its efforts to raise awareness through pub...

March 17, 2025 10:51 PM

US reports first outbreak of deadly H7N9 bird flu since 2017

The United States reported the first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu on a poultry farm since 2017, as the country continues to grapple with another bird flu strain that has infected humans and caused egg prices to hit record highs. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has ravaged flocks around the world, disrupting supply and fuelling higher food prices. Its spread to mammals, including dairy cows in the U.S., has raised concerns among governments about a risk of a new ...

March 11, 2025 3:38 PM

WHO starts process of slimming down in response to U.S. cuts

The World Health Organization has started a process of fixing new priorities and announced a one-year limit on staff contracts, an internal memo showed on Tuesday, as it aims to make the U.N. agency more sustainable after the U.S. withdrawal. The memo, dated March 10 and signed by WHO's Assistant Director-General Raul Thomas, laid out further cost-cutting measures - the latest in a series of such steps since U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in January. Senior WHO officials have begun...

February 27, 2025 11:22 PM

PM Modi reviews Ayush sector, calls for strategic interventions to maximize its potential

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the progress of the Ayush sector, emphasizing the need for strategic interventions to harness its full potential in healthcare, traditional knowledge preservation, and global expansion. Since the establishment of the Ministry of Ayush in 2014, the Prime Minister has envisioned a clear roadmap for its development, recognizing its vast potential in holistic well-being and preventive healthcare. During the review, he s...

February 13, 2025 10:35 AM

Study links DNA traits to smoking-related cancer risk

A team of Israeli researchers has identified how the structure and chemical modifications of DNA influence the risk of developing lung cancer from smoking. The team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem focused on benzo(a)pyrene, a toxic chemical in cigarette smoke that, when processed by the body, binds to DNA, disrupts its normal function, and causes cellular damage, Xinhua News Agency reported. Published in Nucleic Acids Research, the study found that DNA organization and chemical changes...

February 12, 2025 10:01 PM

US actions have serious impact on global health, WHO chief says

The United States' pause on foreign aid contributions is having a serious impact on global health, hitting programmes fighting polio, HIV and other threats, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. Tedros urged the U.S. to consider resuming aid funding until solutions can be found. "There are actions that the U.S. government is taking... which we're concerned are having a serious impact on global health," said Tedros in a virtual press conference...

February 3, 2025 1:11 PM

WHO warns of 85% increase in cancer cases and deaths in South-East Asia by 2050

The World Health Organization (WHO) has projected an 85% increase in cancer cases and deaths in the South-East Asia region by 2050. This increase is expected to result in a significant rise in both the number of new cancer diagnoses and related fatalities. The announcement comes ahead of World Cancer Day, which is observed annually on February 4. This year's theme, "United by Unique," emphasizes the collective commitment to combating cancer, according to Saima Wazed, WHO's Regional Director for...