News

22 Aug: Athens Mental Health Summit – Ministers and representatives renew commitment to prioritize mental health in the WHO European Region

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…

COVID-19 cases top 60 million in European Region, says WHO/Europe

22 Aug: COVID-19 cases top 60 million in European Region, says WHO/Europe

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…

22 Aug: How data can support policies to protect, promote and support breastfeeding: Swedish experience

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…

Belarus: modern technology provides a lifeline to deaf people during the pandemic

22 Aug: Belarus: modern technology provides a lifeline to deaf people during the pandemic

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…

Uzbekistan taps into its primary health workforce to expand hepatitis testing and treatment

22 Aug: Uzbekistan taps into its primary health workforce to expand hepatitis testing and treatment

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…

WHO/Europe releases report on mechanisms for improving transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines and health products

22 Aug: WHO/Europe releases report on mechanisms for improving transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines and health products

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…

22 Aug: Tajikistan completes second round of immunization campaign against circulating poliovirus

Over 1.2 million children in Tajikistan received oral polio vaccine in the second round of the supplemental immunization campaign completed on 5 July 2021. The immunization campaign was conducted in response to the identification of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the country.Since March 2021, the Tajik government and health-care workforce have been working…