World Health Organization (WHO)

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WHO Declares Ebola An International Health Emergency

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has proclaimed the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, triggering an urgent international step-up in the response to the crisis, which it now sees as a serious threat to other countries, too. Read More »

WHO Expert Group to Recommend Binding R&D Treaty Negotiation

William New | Intellectual Property Watch | December 14, 2011

A World Health Organization expert group has narrowed proposals under consideration for ways to finance research and development for diseases predominately affecting poor populations. Among the remaining recommendations is that WHO members launch negotiations for a binding treaty... Read More »

WHO Releases Report on Emerging Technologies and Scientific Innovations

In early July 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its 2023 report on Emerging Technologies and Scientific Innovations: A Global Public Health Perspective. This insightful and detailed report is the result of strategic engagement with a panel of global health experts through the use of an online Delphi method, roundtable discussions, and key informant interviews. The purpose of this report is to identify innovations in research and emerging technologies that have the potential to impact global health in the next five to ten years.

WHO Report on "World Health Statistics 2013"

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a report entitled "World Health Statistics 2013". It contains the latest annual compilation of health-related data by WHO for its 194 member states. This annual report provides a wealth of information on global public health and includes a summary of the progress being made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Read More »

WHO Sounds Alarm On Widespread 'Superbug' Infections

Kim Painter | USA Today | April 30, 2014

Disease-causing bacteria that resist antibiotic treatment are now widespread in every part of the world and have reached "alarming levels" in many areas, says the first global report on the issue from the World Health Organization. Read More »

WHO Warns Against 'Post-Antibiotic' Era

Sara Reardon | Nature | April 30, 2014

The 'post-antibiotic' era is near, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO). The decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents is a global problem, and a surveillance system should be established to monitor it, the group says. Read More »

WHO’s First Global Report On Antibiotic Resistance Reveals Serious, Worldwide Threat To Public Health

Press Release | World Health Organization (WHO) | April 30, 2014

A new report by WHO–its first to look at antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, globally–reveals that this serious threat is no longer a prediction for the future, it is happening right now in every region of the world and has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country. [...] Read More »

Why Ebola Is So Dangerous

Staff Writer | BBC News | April 1, 2014

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is taking "very seriously" the current outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. Out of 122 cases recorded in Guinea so far, at least 80 patients have died, with a further four deaths in Liberia...

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Why So Many In The Tech Industry Struggle With Depression

Roni Jacobson | Nextgov.com | September 11, 2014

...In tech circles, depression is “more prevalent than anyone really talks about,” Brad Feld, managing director of the venture capital firm Foundry Group, and co founder of TechStars told me. Building a company involves long hours, late nights and an enormous amount of stress...

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Why The U.S. Is Worried About A Deadly Middle Eastern Virus

Jason Beaubien | Shots | April 24, 2014

The latest medical acronym to fear is MERS: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The virus has killed 83 people in the Arabian Gulf since first emerging in 2012 and now looks as if it could pose a global threat. Read More »

Wikipedia Positioned To Track Disease Outbreak: The Model That Could Rival Current Resources

Stephanie Castillo | Medical Daily | November 13, 2014

...Since its launch in 2001, Wikipedia has become the sixth most visited site in the world. Researchers reported the site contains around 30 million articles in 287 languages and it serves roughly 850 million article requests per day...

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Will Flooding in Texas Lead to More Mosquito-Borne Illness?

Julie Beck | The Atlantic | August 28, 2017

The devastating floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey will damage many human habitats, but after the flood recedes, the waterlogged city may become a more welcoming habitat for mosquitoes. And that means that residents already made vulnerable by the hurricane might also eventually be at increased risk for mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus and Zika. West Nile virus has been endemic in Texas since 2002. In 2016, the state had 370 cases; so far in 2017, there have been 36 confirmed cases. Harris County, where Houston is located, has seen cases of West Nile in humans this year, and detected the virus in local mosquitoes...

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World Health Organization Goes Open Access-Joins PubMed Central

Back in January, the global health authority, the World Health Organisation (WHO), announced the launch of a new open access policy to ensure the widespread dissemination of scientific research. The policy, which applies to all WHO-authored or WHO-funded research published in external journals and books, kicked into action on 1st July 2014.

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World Health Organization Report Warns Most Countries Lack Plans to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

Press Release | World Health Organization | April 29, 2015

A quarter of countries that responded to a WHO survey have national plans to preserve antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics, but many more countries must also step up. A new report, "Worldwide country situation analysis: Response to antimicrobial resistance", which outlines the survey findings, reveals that while much activity is underway and many governments are committed to addressing the problem, there are major gaps in actions needed across all 6 WHO regions to prevent the misuse of antibiotics and reduce spread of antimicrobial resistance. “This is the single greatest challenge in infectious diseases today,” says Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security. “All types of microbes—including many viruses and parasites—are becoming resistant to medicines. Of particularly urgent concern is the development of bacteria that are progressively less treatable by available antibiotics. This is happening in all parts of the world, so all countries must do their part to tackle this global threat.”

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World Health Organization: No, Seriously, Stop Abusing Antibiotics

James Hamblin | The Atlantic | April 30, 2014

In a consciously alarming report today, the agency said, "Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill." Read More »