Violations of women’s reproductive health rights trigger rise in preventable deaths

Violations of women’s reproductive health rights trigger rise in preventable deaths

Interwoven Lives, Threads of Hope: Ending inequalities in sexual and reproductive health and rights, reveals that more than half of all preventable maternal deaths occur in countries which are in a state of crisis or distress. It highlights the role that racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination play in blocking progress on sexual and…

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World News in Brief: Security Council condemns DR Congo attacks, cholera testing breakthrough, ‘my health, my right’ campaign

World News in Brief: Security Council condemns DR Congo attacks, cholera testing breakthrough, ‘my health, my right’ campaign

In a statement following a briefing last week by Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission, MONUSCO, ambassadors condemned all armed groups operating in the country and demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities and of any further advances by the M23. They expressed concern over ongoing displacement in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu…

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Health system ‘barely surviving’, as OCHA calls for Gaza aid restrictions to end

Health system ‘barely surviving’, as OCHA calls for Gaza aid restrictions to end

In a social media post, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that only 10 out of 36 hospitals are now partially functioning in the enclave. Al-Amal hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis closed on Tuesday, Tedros noted, after media reports indicated that Israeli troops forced medical teams and patients to evacuate. The development came as…

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World News in Brief: 17 million Yemenis need health support, cholera in Somalia, OCHA chief stepping down, Haiti crisis update

World News in Brief: 17 million Yemenis need health support, cholera in Somalia, OCHA chief stepping down, Haiti crisis update

According to the UN health agency (WHO), almost 18 million people need medical assistance and half of that number are children. Nearly one in two under-fives also suffer from moderate to severe stunting, said WHO, pointing out that this adds up to nearly 2.4 million children. “It’s important to step back and remember that hungry…

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Allow more aid into Gaza now, pleads UN health agency chief

Allow more aid into Gaza now, pleads UN health agency chief

These are “children who survived bombardment, but may not survive a famine”, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros said on X, formerly Twitter.  Accompanying the WHO chief’s warning, video testimony from Kamal Adwan Hospital’s paediatric unit highlighted the massive scale of needs which UN humanitarians and partners have been unable to relieve, citing aid…

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Gaza has become a ‘death zone’, warns UN health chief

Gaza has become a ‘death zone’, warns UN health chief

“Gaza has become a death zone,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General told correspondents at a press briefing in Geneva. “Much of the territory has been destroyed. More than 29,000 people are dead; many more are missing, presumed dead; and many, many more are injured,” he added. Across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, severe malnutrition has shot…

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First Person: Supporting mental health in Madagascar, one consultation at a time

First Person: Supporting mental health in Madagascar, one consultation at a time

Henrielle Emasignavy works for WHO in Ambovombe, where the Androy Regional Referral Hospital is based. She spoke about the care that is being provided to people who are struggling with mental health crises. WHO’s Henrielle Emasignavy at the Androy Regional Referral Hospital. “In Ambovombe town, we are seeing a number of mental health conditions, including…

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