Health

Through the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on One Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing the implementation of the One Health approach. Building…

Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While the PHEIC was declared over in May 2023, the impact of COVID-19…

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched its 2026 global appeal to ensure that millions of people living in humanitarian crises and conflicts can access health care. In 2025, WHO and partners supported 30 million people funded through its annual emergency appeal. These resources helped deliver life-saving vaccination to 5.3 million children, enabled 53 million health…

Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the…

Global cholera vaccine supply has now increased to a level sufficient to allow the resumption of life-saving preventive campaigns for the first time in over three years, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today. Mozambique is the first country to restart preventive vaccination, following the halt in 2022 caused…

Joint statement by the UNFPA Executive Director, UNICEF Executive Director, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women Executive Director, WHO Director-General, and UNESCO Director-General on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation   In 2026 alone, an estimated 4.5 million girls – many under the age of five – are at risk…

The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to accelerate efforts to ensure that millions of people living with cataract can access simple, sight‑restoring surgery – one of the most effective and affordable interventions to prevent avoidable blindness. A new study published today in  The Lancet Global Health highlights the scale of the challenge: nearly half…

The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores that the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine is an effective, and essential public health intervention, with a proven record. It prevents life‑threatening liver disease by stopping mother‑to‑child transmission at birth. It has been used for over three decades, with more than 115 countries including it in their national schedules….

Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded a weeklong round of negotiations on draft annex for Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) – a key component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement (IGWG) – set up by the World Health Assembly…

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that Libya has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, a landmark victory for public health in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. This hard-won achievement protects future generations from preventable blindness and provides a powerful reminder that countries can overcome neglected tropical diseases despite persisting challenges. “This milestone reflects…