News

Call for grey literature on models of maternity care Maternity care, covering antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care, is globally delivered through a large variety of models of care, including but not limited to midwifery models of care, obstetrician-led models of care, family doctor-led models of care and shared care models, with different levels of continuity of care.  As part of the World Hea

The World Health Organization (WHO), with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, launched Egypt’s second national training-of-trainers (ToT) programme on mass casualty management (MCM) for hospital emergency units.The initiative, involving WHO’s 3 levels – headquarters, the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Egypt Country Office – is part of WHO Egypt’s Health Emerge

Watch Dr Richard Henker answer your questions on nurse anaesthesia and expanding surgical access globally here!This was held on 16 January 2026.Make sure to join us in the discussion of the issues raised on our Discussion Forum.

New analysis from a WHO global expert committee on vaccine safety has found that, based on available evidence, no causal link exists between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The conclusion reaffirms WHO’s position that childhood vaccines do not cause autism.The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), established in 1999, brings together international experts to provide in

This news item is from the International Confederation of Midwives websiteMidwives providing lifesaving care in conflict and refugee settings Midwives working in crisis-affected areas and refugee sites play a crucial role in providing medical and psychological care to survivors of conflict and GBV. Their work includes supporting antenatal and postnatal care, offering family planning services, ensu

On World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on governments and partners to rapidly expand access to new WHO-approved tools including lenacapavir (LEN) to drive down infections and counter disruption to essential health services caused by cuts to foreign aid.Despite dramatic funding setbacks, the global HIV response has gained a remarkable momentum in 2025 with the introduction and

WHO, in partnership with 42 African Member States, has launched a landmark initiative to embed accountability for Preventing and Responding to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PRSEAH) in joint health operations. The African Strategic Conference on Prevention and Response to Sexual Misconduct in Joint WHO–Member State Operations, held from 17–20 November in Pretoria, is shaping a global m

Nursing leaders from across Asia have highlighted a critical disconnect between global commitments to strengthen nursing workforces and the reality of national-level implementation, warning that many countries lack the strategic frameworks needed to address persistent workforce shortages and advocating for urgent action and investment.These insights emerged at the 23rd Asia Workforce Forum in Beij

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has released its official report on this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA), highlighting a major moment of nursing impact in 2025 and demonstrating how nurses are essential to every pillar of global health at a time when the world faces major health, economic, and humanitarian challenges.Read the full story on the ICN website.

On World Children’s Day, the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations Network (GAP-f) is renewing its call to action for improved access to essential and age-appropriate medicines for children.Children remain among the most vulnerable populations in global health, and millions of children – particularly in low-resource settings – continue to face barriers to receiving the medicines they need

New evidence from the Active Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Sepsis (APT-Sepsis) programme A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP) and the University of Liverpool, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a structured, sustainable approach to infection prevention and control saves women’s lives by reducing

Integrated outbreak analytics workshop report, Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 November 2024 Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) emerged as a response to the need for operational solutions during outbreaks, initially taking shape during the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). IOA is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and multi-actor approach, which focuses on

The World Health Organization (WHO) condemns the reported killing of more than 460 patients and their companions, as well as the abduction of six health workers, on 28 October from the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher.   This latest tragedy is taking place in the rapidly worsening crisis in North Darfur’s El Fasher, where escalating violence, siege conditions and rising hunger and disease are

As delegates gather in Geneva for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) to finalize a global treaty to end plastic pollution, over 48 million health professionals, patients, and allies have united to deliver a clear message: Plastic pollution is a public health emergency - the health sector cannot be given a free pass.In an open letter submitted to the Internat

As we mark World Hepatitis Day, WHO calls on governments and partners to urgently accelerate efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat and reduce liver cancer deaths."Every 30 seconds, someone dies from a hepatitis-related severe liver disease or liver cancer. Yet we have the tools to stop hepatitis,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.Viral hepatitis – t

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) published the following statement on 25 July 2025."In response to the severe humanitarian crisis and widespread starvation escalating rapidly throughout Gaza, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) urgently calls on all governments and relevant authorities to facilitate immediate and unimpeded aid and humanitarian access to the region.Alarming reports o

WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al Balah in Gaza, the mistreatment of those sheltering there, and the destruction of its main warehouse.Following intensified hostilities in Deir al Balah after the latest evacuation order issued by Israeli military, the WHO staff residence was attacked three times today. Staff and their families, including chi

The World Health Organization (WHO) released today new guidelines recommending the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention, in a landmark policy action that could help reshape the global HIV response. The guidelines are being issued at the 13th International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2025) on HIV Science, in Kig

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ushering in a transformative era for traditional medicine, one where centuries-old healing systems are enhanced by cutting-edge technologies to deliver more safe, personalized, effective, and accessible care.At the AI for Good Global Summit, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the World Intellectual Property Orga

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Burundi as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the eighth country in WHO’s African Region to reach this important milestone. Trachoma is also the first neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated in the country.“Eliminating a disease like trachoma is a major public health achievement that requires sustained effort