Several countries across the WHO European Region – including Albania, Greece, Israel, Italy, North Macedonia and Turkey – are experiencing severe wildfires that are posing a health risk to people and communities. The fires are caused by both excessive heat during heatwaves combined with strong winds and by man-made factors. WHO/Europe stands ready to support…
For further information, contact: Bhanu Bhatnagar Press and Media Relations Officer WHO Regional Office for Europe Email: eupress@who.int Copenhagen, 4 August 2021Breastfeeding has many advantages for mother and child and does not need to be discontinued during COVID-19 infection nor following vaccination of the mother. The virus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in…
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues, which already affected millions, with the impact likely to be felt for years to come. At a high-level summit organized by WHO/Europe and the Government of Greece, ministers and country representatives from the WHO European Region sent a strong message on the importance of prioritizing mental health…
For further information, contact: Ian Woolverton Media Consultant WHO Regional Office for Europe Email: eupress@who.int Copenhagen, 2 August 2021The number of COVID-19 cases in the WHO European Region has passed the milestone of 60 million since the pandemic began, new data from WHO/Europe shows.Dr Dorit Nitzan, WHO Regional Emergency Director for Europe said, “The end…
During World Breastfeeding Week, WHO/Europe highlights Sweden’s experience in gathering data to understand the reasons behind its declining breastfeeding rates. 2 online surveys conducted in 2020 in the region of Skåne showed that the local population is unaware of the health benefits breastfeeding gives for both the child and mother, and that infant feeding services…
To help implement a contact tracing programme for COVID-19 in Ukraine, WHO has been providing support, equipment and staff training to the state-run Chernivtsi Oblast Center for Disease Control and Prevention (OCDC) of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and Odessa OCDC, in a pilot project that could soon be rolled out to other areas…
It is possible to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 if leaders, particularly in highly affected countries, take action now.Globally, one person dies every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, so even in the current COVID-19 crisis, we can’t wait to act on viral hepatitis. This year’s World Hepatitis Day campaign,…
During the pandemic, the wearing of masks has introduced a new, unexpected challenge for the estimated 10 000 hearing-impaired people in Belarus: the inability to read lips. With this key means of understanding the world suddenly denied to them, many deaf people have found themselves both frustrated and isolated.This problem has proven to be particularly…
Center for Disease Analysis Foundation (CDAF) A pilot project in Uzbekistan has demonstrated that trained and empowered primary health care professionals help increase testing and improve management of chronic viral hepatitis.The project, which is in line with WHO recommendations on providing care close to people’s homes and in their communities, improved access to hepatitis services…
Two years after World Health Assembly Resolution 72.8 was agreed on improving the transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines and other health products, WHO/Europe has released a report identifying and summarizing the current evidence on the implementation of transparency measures in the WHO European Region. This follows intense debate over the roles and responsibilities of…