Tag Archives: WHO

There’s no shortage of information when it comes to the novel coronavirus that was first reported among infected individuals in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. But the amount of information — and the speed in which it’s produced — is outpacing investigations and what authorities truly know about the virus. Over …

China has locked down nine more cities in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus which has now claimed the lives of at least 26 people. The city of Wuhan, where the virus started, had been effectively quarantined for days, with all train and bus stations closed and …

China locked down some 20 million people at the epicenter of a deadly virus outbreak on Thursday, banning planes and trains from leaving in an unprecedented move aimed at containing the disease which has already spread to other countries. The respiratory virus has claimed 17 lives since emerging from a …

Asian countries on Tuesday ramped up measures to block the spread of a new virus as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300, raising concerns in the middle of a major holiday travel rush. From Australia to Thailand and as …

China reported four more cases of pneumonia believed to be caused by a new coronavirus strain, causing rising concern globally that disease health officials do not yet fully understand could spread during a key holiday period. The new virus, which was discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, belongs …

Measles infected nearly 10 million people in 2018 and killed 140,000, mostly children, as devastating outbreaks of the viral disease hit every region of the world, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. In figures described by its director-general as “an outrage”, the WHO said most of last year’s measles …

Across the world, one person takes their own life every 40 seconds, and more people die by suicide every year than in war, the World Health Organization says. Hanging, poisoning and shooting are the most common suicide methods, the WHO said as it urged governments to adopt suicide prevention plans …

A national dengue epidemic has been declared in the Philippines, where 622 people have died of the mosquito-borne disease since January and millions more are at risk. From the start of the year to July 20, there have been more than 146,000 cases recorded — a 98% increase from the …

Rwanda has closed part of its border with DR Congo, where an Ebola outbreak has killed more than 1,800 people in the past year. At least two people have died from the virus in the past month in the crowded Congolese border city of Goma. It is the worst Ebola …

Parents in Germany who fail to vaccinate their children could face hefty fines after the German government-backed a bill requiring all children to receive a measles jab before entering school or kindergarten. If the German parliament approves the bill, parents will be required to provide evidence that their child has …

Malaria has been eliminated from Algeria and Argentina, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, an important milestone in fighting the mosquito-borne disease. WHO said there were now 38 countries and territories that have been declared free of the disease, which has been making a comeback globally. “Algeria has …

Over 1,000 people have died in an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – the second deadliest in history. With efforts to bring it under control are hampered by civil war and mistrust, health minister Oly Ilunga said 1,008 lives have been claimed by the virus, which …

The number of people dying as a result of air pollution may exceed the number killed by smoking, a major new study suggests. German researchers estimate that as many as 8.8 million deaths per year globally can be attributed to dirty air. In Europe alone they estimate there are more …