In the newly established refugee centre – a converted gymnasium in Darabani, Romania – Maria Răpciugă greets refugees as they arrive from Ukraine. These are people who have lost their homes and livelihoods and face an uncertain future and numerous risks to their health. Maria has put on hold her usual role as a community…
WHO has released new guidelines on abortion care in a bid to protect the health of women and girls and help prevent over 25 million unsafe abortions that currently occur each year around the world.Based on the latest scientific evidence, these consolidated guidelines bring together over 50 recommendations spanning clinical practice, health service delivery, and…
Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for EuropeCopenhagen, 8 March 2022Good morning, good afternoon,It is now 13 days since the military offensive began in Ukraine, and today within the country we see a health system under severe pressure, and beyond its borders the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe for more…
The central train station in Rzeszów has long been a busy transit point in south-eastern Poland, not far from the border with Ukraine. But in late February it took on a new role – a safe haven for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the escalating violence in their homeland, a place where they can receive free medical…
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, we recognize that pregnant women are one of the groups most vulnerable to developing serious illness and complications from COVID-19. Cara Jamieson, a breastfeeding specialist who works and volunteers in the north-east of Scotland, United Kingdom, discusses her decision to get vaccinated while pregnant.Cara’s initial uncertainty“At…
On 25 February 2022 WHO delivered its first batch of health support to refugees coming from Ukraine, in a camp situated near the Palanca border crossing point. As of 2 March more than 112 000 people from Ukraine had sought refuge in Moldova, with more than 51 000, including 19 450 children, being accommodated in…
WHO Europe / U. Davaasuren War can have a devastating effect on children’s mental and physical health, with potentially life-long consequences. That is why children must be protected from harm during conflict situations and never be targeted. Irina is a child psychologist working in a children’s home in Kherson, southern Ukraine. The home is a…
WHO/Europe recently connected mental health representatives from over half of the WHO European Region’s 53 Member States to ignite action on mental health. A 2-day consultation working towards comprehensive reform of the Region’s mental health systems involved more than 150 attendees from as far afield as the United Kingdom in the west to Kyrgyzstan in…
Adolescent girls are not getting enough physical activity. Adolescent girls are not getting enough physical activity. On World Obesity Day, WHO is focusing on this problem that is growing worldwide and can have serious effects on health and well-being. A new study into the ‘Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity Participation in Adolescent Girls’ brings…
For patients at Novovolynsk Hospital in western Ukraine, the sound of air raid sirens has suddenly become a common reality amid the military offensive in the country. Patients must move from a modern facility above ground to a 1950s-era underground bomb shelter with a rudimentary set-up that can fit up to 300 people.“In one day,…