India may have seen most COVID-19-related deaths globally — close to 5 million

Official figures show 531,843 deaths; mortality could be 10 times the reported figures, show WHO estimates 

Health for all: WHO launches first-ever roadmap to link health with sustainable economic growth

WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All launches report at 76th World Health Assembly

Nigeria makes history with rollout of new 5-in-1 meningitis vaccine

Men5CV recommended by WHO offers protection against five strains of the meningococcus bacteria in a single shot

Whooping cough cases outbreak reported around the world

China, Australia, Spain among countries with high number of patients with the respiratory infection

Diet, lifestyle, environmental changes linked to massive cancer cases spike in under-50 adults globally

79% surge in cancer cases from 1990 to 2019, finds report

Sickle cell disease is rife in west Africa — a fresh approach is needed to combat it

Nigeria has the largest population of individuals with the condition globally

Thirty years of rural health research: South Africa’s Agincourt studies offer unique insights

A health and socio-demographic surveillance system was established in remote, rural South Africa in 1992 

Tackling ‘hidden hunger’: Strategies to combat micronutrient deficiencies

In the face of the global hidden hunger crisis, it is imperative that we address the micronutrient deficiencies that silently erode our health  

Kenya: Ruto proposes insurance reforms for universal health coverage; evokes mixed responses

The proposal will replace the current contribution system with a flat rate of 2.75 per cent of contributors’ gross salary

Learning from COVID-19: Here’s what is needed to prepare for the next global health emergency

A new pandemic may already be on the horizon as highly pathogenic avian influenza is raising growing alarm

Africa Climate Summit 2023: Experts criticise omitting health from main agenda

Point to inextricable link of public health with climate change

Health must be fast-tracked for 2030

The world needs more and better skilled health workers to attain the SDG targets and continue to foster global health beyond 2030

WHO: Off-track progress in Africa could kill 70,000 cervical cancer patients

26 countries have introduced HPV vaccine, but just 31% girls under 15 received its first dose in 2022 in the African region  

Using sugar substitutes to lose weight could cause harm long-term, warns WHO

Continued consumption doesn’t reduce weight; could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults

WHO releases first-of-its-kind patient safety rights charter ahead of Patient Safety Day

Outlines core rights of all patients in the context of safety of health care

Lateral Thoughts: Will WHO norms on artificial sweeteners help consumers?

Guidelines are just beginning of process of purging these toxins from food chain

Aspartame ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’, labels WHO expert panel

Limited evidence on whether the artificial sweetener causes cancer in humans, more studies on carcinogenicity needed

Over 50% of world population to face water shortages by 2050: FAO urges countries to prepare for it

With agriculture contributing to 70% of freshwater consumption, agrifood systems thus become central to the water scarcity faced by the world, …

Cholera: Vaccines can stop spread, but biggest deterrent is clean water

Vaccinologists Edina Amponsah-Dacosta and Julie Copelyn speak about cholera vaccine and other ways to curb outbreaks in countries like South Africa

Boost to pharma production: Africa inches closer to setting up own drug regulator as member states ratify treaty

Agency will ensure drug manufacturers get approval from all African Union member states without a lengthy bureaucratic process

Benin, Mali in Africa defeat trachoma as public health problem

Fifth and sixth countries to defeat eye-infection disease in WHO African region

World No Tobacco Day: Tobacco farming adding to global food crisis, says WHO

Growing sustainable crops can help address acute global food insecurity, governments urged to stop tobacco farming subsidies

Miracle of birth as a nightmare: India needs urgent policies to protect women’s obstetric rights

Obstetric violence is rampant, specially in rural India

New Covid strain in circulation, may not be a concern for India

EG.5.1 variant, code-named Eris, has behind almost 15% cases in the UK  

Gender inequities worsen impact of cancer in women, finds Lancet Commission

Discrimination affects their rights and opportunities to avoid risk factors, ability to get timely diagnosis & quality care