WHO news
This channel provides the five most recent WHO news articles.



New rapid tests for drug-resistant TB for developing countries (Jun 30)
30 June 2008 -- People in low-resource countries who are ill with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) will get a faster diagnosis thanks to two new initiatives unveiled today by WHO, the Stop TB Partnership, UNITAID and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). Test results will be available in two days, compared to the standard two to three months later.


New checklist to help make surgery safer (Jun 24)
25 June 2008 -- With major surgery now occurring at a rate of 234 million procedures per year - one for every 25 people - and studies indicating that a significant percentage result in preventable complications and deaths, WHO today launched a new safety checklist for surgical teams to use in operating theatres, as part of a major drive to make surgery safer around the world.


China, UAE make big progress in ensuring safe blood donation (Jun 13)
13 June 2008 -- China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have made impressive strides in tackling the risk of contamination from unsafe blood by reaching close to 100% voluntary blood donation, said WHO today.


WHO, partners to visit Sudanese town for restoring health services (Jun 12)
13 June 2008 -- WHO and other UN agencies will tomorrow make the first high-level visit to Abyei in Sudan since last weekend's peace accord. The mission is to plan for the reconstruction of health facilities and other vital infrastructure in the town.


World leaders call for action to reduce TB deaths among HIV-positive people (Jun 8)
9 June 2008 -- Heads of governments, public health and business leaders, heads of UN agencies and activists came together at UN Headquarters today to confront a threat to global health that could undermine investments in life-saving drug treatment for people living with HIV.


3 million now receiving life-saving HIV drugs (Jun 2)
2 June 2008 -- Nearly 3 million people are now receiving anti-retroviral therapy in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new report jointly launched today by WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF.


WHO wants total ban on tobacco advertising (May 30)
30 May 2008 - WHO today urged governments to protect the world?s 1.8 billion young people by imposing a ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.


US$ 28 million needed for Myanmar health-care plan (May 29)
30 May 2008 -- WHO and its partners in Myanmar have launched a six-month action plan at the cost of US$ 28 million to provide immediate health care for cyclone survivors and to support longer-term efforts to rebuild the country?s ravaged health system.


World Health Assembly sets bold new action for WHO (May 24)
24 May 2008 -- The 61st World Health Assembly, which comprised of a record 2704 participants from 190 nations, today set WHO on a course to tackle longstanding, new and looming threats to global public health.


World Health Assembly opens (May 19)
19 May 2008 -- As the 61st World Health Assembly opened today in Geneva, officials from 193 countries began the annual task of reviewing progress and setting new priorities for one of the most powerful tools in global public health, the World Health Organization (WHO).