Only seven countries met WHO air quality standards in 2024, data shows
Singapore Reuters Only seven countries met World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards last year, data showed on Tuesday, as researchers warned that the war on smog would only get harder after the United States shut down its global monitoring efforts. Chad and Bangladesh were the world’s most polluted countries in 2024, with average smog […]
Two clusters of unknown illness kill 50 in Democratic Republic of Congo
London, UK Reuters More than 50 people have died in recent weeks in two clusters of illness cases with unknown cause being investigated in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. As of 16th February, there have been 431 cases and 53 deaths in two outbreaks in remote villages in […]
WHO worries about West Bank violence, impact on healthcare
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The World Health Organization is deeply concerned about violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the impact of what it called “starkly rising” attacks on healthcare, its representative in the Palestinian territories said on Tuesday. Israel sent tanks into the West Bank for the first time in more than 20 years on […]
US actions have serious impact on global health, WHO chief says
Reuters The United States’ pause on foreign aid contributions is having a serious impact on global health, hitting programmes fighting polio, HIV and other threats, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. Tedros urged the US to consider resuming aid funding until solutions can be found. Director-General of the World Health Organisation […]
Argentina to withdraw from WHO after Trump exit, citing “deep differences”
Buenos Aires, Argentina Reuters Argentina will pull out of the World Health Organization (WHO), a presidential spokesperson said on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s executive order last month to pull the United States out of the global health group. A view shows The World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28th January, 2025. […]
US to leave World Health Organization on 22nd January, 2026, says UN
United Nations Reuters The United States will leave the World Health Organization on 22nd January, 2026, the United Nations said on Thursday, after being formally notified of the decision by President Donald Trump, who has accused the agency of mishandling the pandemic and other international health crises. Trump announced the move on Monday, hours after […]
Trump orders US exit from the World Health Organization
New York, US Reuters The United States will exit the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly […]
At UN, Israel defends Gaza hospital raid, UN rights chief says its explanation is vague
United Nations Reuters Israel on Friday defended its raid on a north Gaza hospital last week while the UN human rights chief called the justification unsubstantiated and the World Health Organization urged Israel to release the hospital’s director from detention. Israel’s UN ambassador in Geneva, Daniel Meron, posted on social media a letter he sent […]
UN body accuses Israel of destroying Gaza healthcare
Zurich, Switzerland Reuters Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have devastated the Palestinian enclave’s health system and raised serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international law, the UN Human Rights Office said in a report on Tuesday. The 23-page report, documenting various attacks between 12th October, 2023, and 30th June, 2024, concluded that since the […]
Israel detains 240 Palestinians including medics after Gaza hospital raid
Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Israeli forces detained more than 240 Palestinians including dozens of medical staff from a north Gaza hospital they raided on Friday, including its director, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave and Israel’s military. The Health Ministry said it was concerned for the wellbeing of Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the […]