world health organization

WHO: Pollution causes 1.7 million child deaths a year

March 7, 2017

More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to unhealthy environments, according to two new World Health Organization (WHO) reports, which note that indoor and outdoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and inadequate hygiene take the lives of 1.7 million children under the age of 5.

WHO: Tobacco control can save millions of lives

February 2, 2017

Policies to control tobacco use, including tobacco tax and price increases, can generate significant government revenues for health and development work, according to a new landmark global report from WHO and the National Cancer Institute of the United States of America. Such measures can also greatly reduce tobacco use and protect people’s health from the world’s leading killers, such as cancers and heart disease.

“SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands Day” is May 5, 2017

February 2, 2017

The World Health Organization’s calls to action are: Health workers: “Clean your hands at the right times and stop the spread of antibiotic resistance.” Hospital Chief Executive Officers and Administrators: “Lead a year-round infection prevention and control program to protect your patients from resistant infections." Policy-makers: "Stop antibiotic resistance spread by making infection prevention and hand hygiene a national policy priority."

Cancer now main cause of death in western Europe

"Shocking" inequalities in treatment, outcomes

September 18, 2016

It’s official. Cancer is now the main cause of death in western Europe, overtaking cardiovascular diseases. That is the main conclusion of a study published in August 2016 by the European Heart Journal.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Improving workers’ health across the globe

July 22, 2016

According to the International Labour Organization, globally, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational injury or work-related diseases every day – more than 2.3 million deaths per year. This has a tremendous impact on the global community- individuals, families, and employers.

Movie ratings: PG-13, R and…Smoking?

February 17, 2016

The Word Health Organization (WHO) says movies that show people smoking have enticed millions of young people to start smoking – and it wants such films to have a special rating and tobacco warnings.

Measles still taking a heavy toll

But vaccination has saved an estimated 17.1 million lives since 2000

December 8, 2015

The number of measles-related deaths has decreased 79% from 546 800 at the beginning of the century to 114 900 in 2014. New data released by WHO for the Measles & Rubella Initiative, estimates that 17.1 million lives have been saved since 2000, largely due to increased vaccination coverage against this highly contagious viral disease.

CDC versus Ebola: The road to zero

July 14, 2015

The numbers are staggering. The Ebola epidemic that began in West Africa in early 2014 has so far claimed more than 11,000 lives out of 27,000 reported cases. Battling this scourge: more than 1,200 experts in various disciplines, dispatched to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and surrounding countries by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners.

Around the world

New report: 400 million lack access to health services

June 29, 2015

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank Group report reveals a dismal state of affairs for global health: approximately 400 million people do not have access to essential health services and 6% of people in low- and middle-income countries are tipped into or pushed further into extreme poverty because of health spending.

Public health

WHO calls for worldwide use of "smart" syringes

February 25, 2015

Use of the same syringe or needle to give injections to more than one person is driving the spread of a number of deadly infectious diseases worldwide. Millions of people could be protected from infections acquired through unsafe injections if all healthcare programs switched to syringes that cannot be used more than once.