WHO published its World health statistics report 2025, revealing the deeper health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being. In just two years, between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years—the largest drop in recent history— reversing a …
Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year of unprecedented upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, up by 22 per cent from 2010. That’s among the key findings of the latest annual report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which also provides …
Global flows of foreign direct investment have been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, they fell by one third to $1 trillion, well below the low point reached after the global financial crisis a decade ago. Greenfield investments in industry and new infrastructure investment projects in developing countries …
This paper provides an evaluation of the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on least developed countries (LDCs) in Asia and the Pacific. Drawing on analysis and estimates from various regional and national sources, this paper finds that these impacts are large relative to the number of COVID-19 …
Building on the global joint work by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on hunger, migration and displacement in the world from November 2020, this report aims to provide an overview of the unique challenges …
The labor structure in sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by a high share of informal employment in the rural agricultural sector. The impact of COVID-19 on female employment may not appear to be large as the share of such employment is particularly high among women. Nevertheless, widespread income reduction was observed …
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, according to WHO’s latest estimates, published in “Suicide worldwide in 2019”. Every year, more people die as a result of suicide than HIV, malaria or breast cancer ̶ or war and homicide. In 2019, more than 700 000 people died …
Effective and binding action is urgently required to protect the millions of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide whose health is jeopardized by the informal processing of discarded electrical or electronic devices according to this new ground-breaking report from the World Health Organization. This report summarizes the latest scientific knowledge …
It would appear, based on the experience over the past year, that at a given point in time, CoVID-19 affects a part of the country and not the whole nation. What does this imply for the sharing of resources between more affected areas and less affected areas? What does it …
Up to a third of adults in Uganda have been excluded from vital healthcare and social services because they do not have national ID cards, according to a report. Women and elderly people have been particularly affected by the introduction of the digital identity cards, which are required to access …
Soil pollution is a chemical degradation process that consumes fertile soils, with implications for global food security and human health. Soil pollution hampers the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including achieving zero hunger, ending poverty, ensuring healthy lives and human well-being, halting and reversing land degradation and biodiversity loss, …
Microbiological characterisation of co-infections and secondary infections in patients with COVID-19 is lacking, and antimicrobial use is high. The researchers aimed to describe microbiologically confirmed co-infections and secondary infections, and antimicrobial use, in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Original Source
The report presents key take-aways from the deliberations held at the Africa-Asia Virtual Workshop on Containing the Silent Pandemic, organized by the Centre for Science and Environment in March 2021. It provides the perspective of countries of the Global South, and is expected to inform and shape-up the governance as …
The 2021 Ibrahim Forum Report provides a comprehensive analysis of this impact from the perspectives of health, society, politics, and economics. Informed by the latest data, it sets out the challenges exposed by the pandemic and the lesson learned. It also points to how the recovery presents an opportunity for …
Air pollution poses a risk to human health at levels even below the emission limits established by the World Health Organization in Europe. This analysis models the emission reductions and the health benefits associated with the introduction of ambitious, yet feasible, Euro 7/VII standards, with an emphasis on attainable reductions …
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent enforcement of mobility restrictions have created bottlenecks in the agri-food system. When the food supply chain is disrupted, economic loss occurs, putting rural households, already in poverty, into severe food insecurity. A survey was conducted to assess the impacts of restrictions brought by COVID-19 …
Children in rural farming households across the developing countries are often vulnerable to a multitude of risks, including health risks associated with climate change and variability. This study empirically traced the effect of extreme weather events on nutritional health outcomes among rural children in Uganda, while accounting for households’ behavioural …
The report addresses the extent and future trends of soil pollution, considering both point source and diffuse soil pollution, and describes the risks and impacts of soil pollution on health, the environment and food security – including land degradation and the burden of disease resulting from exposure to polluted soil. …
This policy brief highlights how human health is directly linked to the state of biodiversity and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region. Improving human health and mitigating against future health disasters requires simultaneously addressing these causative factors in an integrated fashion.
Somalia Economic Update reports aim to contribute to policymaking and the national conversations on topic issues related to economic recovery and development. The report contains three main messages. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the costs of not investing in a public health system. The near-term economic prospects for Somalia depend on …
This report, Futures at Risk: Protecting the Rights of Children on the Move in a Changing Climate, examines the impact of climate change-related displacement and migration on children’s access to education and health services. Children, their families and communities around the world have been displaced due to weather-related impacts, which …
