Coronavirus - Middle East and North Africa: Joint Statement - Food crisis likely to worsen in the Middle East and North Africa as COVID-19 continues

Countries in the region already facing food crisis are hit hardest by the pandemic

Joint statement from the Regional Directors of UNICEF, FAO, WFP and WHO “Governments and partners across the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) are working around the clock to protect communities from the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). While these efforts are saving many lives, they are having a critical impact…

Coronavirus - Africa: Substantial investment needed to avert mental health crisis

Reports already indicate an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety in a number of countries

The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the need to urgently increase investment in services for mental health or risk a massive increase in mental health conditions in the coming months, according to a policy brief on COVID-19 and mental health issued by the United Nations today. “The impact of the pandemic…

Coronavirus - Africa: People living longer and healthier lives but COVID-19 threatens to throw progress off track

Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy have increased, but unequally

All over the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant loss of life, disrupting livelihoods, and threatening the recent advances in health and progress towards global development goals highlighted in the 2020 World Health Statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO) today “The good news is that people around…

Guided Self-Help Intervention reduces Refugees’ Psychological Distress and improves Wellbeing in Humanitarian Crises

First randomised trial of its kind finds multimedia guided self-help intervention can be delivered rapidly to large numbers of people in low-resource humanitarian settings by non-specialists with minimal training

A guided self-help approach that provides strategies for managing distress and coping with adversity is safe, and resulted in meaningful improvements in psychological distress and functioning compared to enhanced usual care over three months in female refugees living in a settlement in Uganda, according to a randomised trial involving almost…

Sweeping Agreement Inked by World Health Organization (WHO) and African Union to Accelerate Vital Health Goals

Memorandum of Understanding formalizes and deepens cooperation between the organizations

Today the African Union (AU) Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) cementing their mutual commitment to expand and deepen their relationship and cooperation. The document was signed at WHO Headquarters by His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission,…

More women and children survive today than ever before – UN report

The estimates also show vast inequalities worldwide, with women and children in sub-Saharan Africa facing a substantially higher risk of death than in all other regions

More women and their children are surviving today than ever before, according to new child and maternal mortality estimates released today by United Nations groups* led by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 2000, child deaths have reduced by nearly half and maternal deaths by over one-third, mostly…

Presidents Hollande and Zuma to present the report of the High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The report will include recommendations for world leaders to ensure that all countries have a health workforce capable of meeting the health needs of the 21st-century

On Tuesday, 20 September 2016, H.E. Mr François Hollande, President of France, and H.E. Mr Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, will present the report of the High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a side event during the UN General Assembly…

Health workers: a triple return for health, economic growth, and employment

Creating more jobs for health workers holds the potential to bolster health and health security, spur inclusive economic growth, and empower women and youth, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said today after the first meeting of the Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth Lyon, France.   Growing populations, changing…