World Health Organization Press Releases

WHO statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee concerning the international ...

On 5 May 2014 the Director-General declared the international spread of wild poliovirus in 2014 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations [IHR 2005], issued Temporary Recommendations to reduce the …

WHO Director-General, west African presidents to launch intensified Ebola outbreak response plan

31 July 2014 ¦ GENEVA/CONAKRY - The Director-General of WHO and presidents of west African nations impacted by the Ebola virus disease outbreak will meet Friday in Guinea to launch a new joint US$ 100 million response plan as part of an intensified …

WHO appalled by attacks on health-care facilities in Gaza

WHO has been appalled by the continuing trend for health-care facilities, staff and vehicles to come under direct fire in Gaza since the escalation of violence on 8 July 2014. Sustained calm is needed so thousands of injured people can receive urgently …

WHO welcomes global momentum on viral hepatitis

23 July 2014 ¦ MELBOURNE/GENEVA - On World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, WHO welcomes new progress in tackling one of the world’s most serious diseases. Viral hepatitis – a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E – affects millions of …

WHO Statement on Mr Glenn Thomas, WHO Media Officer who died in the MH17 plane

It is with deep sadness that we have to inform you that WHO lost one of our colleagues on the Malaysian Airlines crash yesterday. Glenn Thomas from the Department of Communications was travelling to the International AIDS Conference in Australia. His twin …

Stop TB Partnership Board to move secretariat

WHO welcomes the decision by the Stop TB Partnership (STBP) Board to move its secretariat’s hosting and administrative arrangements, which have been provided by WHO since the partnership was founded in 2001, to the United Nations Office for Project …

Member States commit to reduce preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and lung disease

11 July 2014 ¦ New York - UN Member States have reaffirmed their commitment to take bold measures to reduce the avoidable burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These ailments, including heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and lung disease kill …

WHO: People most at risk of HIV are not getting the health services they need

11 July 2014 ¦ Geneva - Failure to provide adequate HIV services for key groups – men who have sex with men, people in prison, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender people – threatens global progress on the HIV response, warns WHO. These …

WHO highlights need for countries to scale up action on noncommunicable diseases

10 July 2014 ¦ NEW YORK/GENEVA - As world leaders gather at the United Nations General Assembly to assess efforts made since 2011 in controlling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, the new WHO …

WHO targets elimination of TB in over 30 countries

3 July 2014 ¦ ROME, ITALY - WHO today, together with the European Respiratory Society (ERS), presented a new framework to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in countries with low levels of the disease. Today there are 33* countries and territories where there are …

Ebola challenges West African countries as WHO ramps up response

26 June 2014 | GENEVA - The emergence of an Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa in 2014 has become a challenge to the 3 countries involved, as the Governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone work intensively with WHO and other partners to ramp …

WHO statement on the Sixth Meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee concerning MERS-CoV

The sixth meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) concerning Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was held by teleconference on Monday, 16 June 2014, from 12: …

World Blood Donor Day 2014: Safe blood needed to save mothers

10 June 2014 - On World Blood Donor Day – 14 June – WHO is calling on countries to improve access to safe blood for saving the lives of mothers. Every day, almost 800 women die from causes related to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Severe …

Investment in midwifery can save millions of lives of women and newborns

3 June 2014 | PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - A report released today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund together with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), WHO and partners reveals that major deficits in the midwifery workforce occur in 73 …

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WHO calls for higher tobacco taxes to save more lives

27 May 2014 | GENEVA - On World No Tobacco Day (31 May), WHO calls on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco. Based on 2012 data, WHO estimates that by increasing tobacco …

World Health Assembly closes

24 May 2014 | GENEVA - The Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly closed today, after adopting more than 20 resolutions on public health issues of global importance. “This has been an intense Health Assembly, with a record-breaking number of agenda items, …

World Health Assembly progress on noncommunicable diseases and traditional medicine

23 May 2014 | GENEVA - The World Health Assembly continued progress Friday, approving plans to better incorporate palliative care, expand inclusion of the needs of those affected by autism, improve access to health care for those with disabilities, better …