As Ukraine enters the fifth year of full-scale war, its people have endured the highest number of attacks on their health care in 2025 – increasing by nearly 20% compared to 2024. Since the beginning of the full-scale war on 24 February 2022, WHO has documented at least 2881 attacks on health care in Ukraine,…
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, today concluded the first day of his two-day State visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, underscoring the strong partnership between WHO and Jordan across the areas of universal health coverage (UHC), mental health and humanitarian health action. A central moment of the visit…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Denmark for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis, recognizing the country’s sustained commitment to ensuring every child is born free of these infections. “The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis marks a major public health achievement for Denmark,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom…
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced recommendations for the viral composition of influenza (or “flu”) vaccines for the 2026-2027 northern hemisphere influenza season. The announcement was made following a 4-day consultation examining global influenza surveillance data. Influenza vaccine composition must be regularly updated because influenza viruses are constantly changing. WHO’s recommendations are used by national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies around the world to develop, produce,…
The World Health Organization (WHO), together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), congratulates Chile for becoming the first country in the Americas – and the second globally – to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy disease. Leprosy (Hansen disease) was historically recorded in Chile at the end of the 19th century on Rapa…
More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the Region are coming under strain as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on health care continue, and public health risks increase. National health authorities in Iran report more than 1300 deaths and 9000 injuries, and in Lebanon report…
An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new estimates released today. Most of these deaths are preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care. According to the report – Levels & Trends in Child Mortality – under-five deaths globally have fallen by more…
On World TB Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to accelerate action to end tuberculosis (TB) and expand access to lifesaving services by using new innovations such as diagnostic tests that can be used near the point-of-care and tongue swabs that can help detect the disease faster reaching more people. The new…
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a major shift in how countries are responding to the health needs of refugees and migrants, with new data showing more than 60 countries – two thirds of those surveyed – now include them in their national health policies and laws. Drawing on data from 93 Member States, the…
World Health Organization (WHO) Member States have agreed to extend negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, with discussions to resume in late-April ahead of its scheduled consideration by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May. The decision to continue negotiations from 27 April–1 May, with informal…
