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 …
HarvestPlus is committed to making food systems healthier and more inclusive to benefit the world’s most vulnerable people—particularly smallholder farming families in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to contain it bring into clear focus the urgency of helping these people become more resilient in the face …
A modelling group convened by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS has estimated that if efforts are not made to mitigate and overcome interruptions in health services and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, a six-month disruption of antiretroviral therapy could lead to more than 500 000 extra deaths from AIDS-related …
This policy brief makes a case for protecting science, technology and innovation (STI) budgets during the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, based on the fact that continued investments in STI will be critical to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Even though developing countries as a group …
A recent poll explores the relationship between COVID-19 social distancing and health among 6,801 tobacco and nicotine users in 5 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Italy, South Africa, and India). Released by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, the survey found that more than two thirds of the respondents rely …
An ordinance to consolidate and amend the law regarding improvement of public health, prevention and control of epidemic diseases or other contagion in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Whereas protection of public health in situations like present COVID-19 epidemic and other such disease pose a serious challenge before the Government …
The deaths of those with negative or inconclusive test results but with symptoms of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will be recorded as probable Covid-19 deaths, the Indian Council of Medical Research said in fresh guidelines on recording Covid-19 deaths released on 10 May, 2020. The 11-page document states that Covid-19 …
Chile is poised to become the first country to provide certificates to people who have recovered from COVID-19 to give patients confidence in the months following their illness. But some observers call the move premature, because of questions about whether the virus confers immunity—and if so, for how long—and about …
Indigenous peoples in many regions have a long history of devastation from epidemics brought by colonizers, from the arrival of the first Europeans in the Americas who brought smallpox and influenza to a measles outbreak among the Yanonami of Brazil and Southern Venezuela in the 1950s/60s that nearly decimated the …
This report presents analyses of data on patients critically ill with confirmed COVID-19 reported to ICNARC up to 4 pm on 07 May 2020 from critical care units participating in the Case Mix Programme (the national clinical audit covering all NHS adult, general intensive care and combined intensive care/high dependency …
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued guidelines for home quarantine of contacts and home isolation of patients who have requisite accommodation at home for self-isolation as available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Guidelinesforhomequarantine.pdf. There are large number of facilities such as hotels, service apartments, lodges which remain unoccupied due to impact of …
Today, following consultations with the government and international partners, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim and humanitarian partners are launching the Lebanon Emergency Appeal. The Appeal, requesting for US$350 million, is to address critical areas of humanitarian intervention to protect the lives of people in Lebanon who are most …
Considering the possibility of increase in cases of COVID-19, a view is taken to utilize Railway coaches for COV ID Care Centre. Railway coaches will be used for the cases suspected/ confirmed, and categorized'into very mild/ mild.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) stands with the billions of people suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The immediate priority is to protect them. But UNEP also has a duty to help nations build back better after the pandemic to increase resilience to future crises. COVID-19 shows that the health …
This guideline is for health care workers and others working in Non COVID hospitals and NonCOVID treatment areas of a hospital which has a COVID block. These guidelines are in continuation of guidelines issued previously on ‘Rational use of Personal Protective Equipment’ (https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/GuidelinesonrationaluseofPersonalProtectiveEquipment.pdf). This guideline uses “settings” approach to guide …
South Africa reported it fist case of COVID-19 on 5 March 2020. While the first cases were imported, local transmission has led to a rapid increase in the number of cases. As of 21 April 2020, more than 3,400 cases and 58 deaths had been confirmed. On 15 March, President …
This brief highlights emerging evidence of the impact of the recent global pandemic of COVID-19 on violence against women and girls. It makes recommendations to be considered by all sectors of society, from governments to international organizations and to civil society organizations in order to prevent and respond to violence …
This brief identifies inequalities around the COVID-19 pandemic in exposure, vulnerabilities and coping capacity. It suggests that crisis responses in four areas could turn the tide on inequality. These include expanding systems for the universal provision of quality social services; identifying and empowering vulnerable groups; investing in jobs and livelihoods; …
Today, nearly 55 million people in the Arab States, 13.2 percent of the population, are hungry and the situation is particularly worrying in countries affected by conflicts and violence: Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen. Displacements and forced migration are widespread in the region, especially among the growing youth …
As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to virtually every corner of the world, lockdowns, supply disruptions, and economic pain have followed in its wake, raising alarm about food and nutrition security among policy makers, the development community, and other observers. Representative survey data on households’ immediate and longer-term responses to …
The plight of indigenous peoples has drawn increased attention in recent years as they strive to retain their cultures and protect their ecosystems, lands and food traditions in the face of globalisation. Indigenous food systems are typically biodiversity-rich, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable, and produce nutritious indigenous foods. Yet indigenous …