WHO

End of COVID pandemic is ‘in sight’ -WHO chief

The world has never been in a better position to end the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, his most optimistic outlook yet on…

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WHO urges action as 17 million long COVID cases estimated in Europe region

Around 17 million people have been stricken with long COVID in the first two years of the pandemic across the European region, according to modeling conducted for the World Health…

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Monkeypox outbreak can be eliminated in Europe – WHO officials

It is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, World Health Organization officials said on Tuesday (August 30), highlighting evidence that case counts are slowing in a handful of…

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The WHO wants a new term for monkeypox

In a bid to do away with a name criticized for having problematic connotations, the World Health Organization (WHO) is asking the public to weigh in on what the virus…

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Ukraine health crisis worsens as medics work amid shelling – WHO

LONDON, (Reuters) - Ukraine is facing a worsening health emergency as the conflict with Russia rages on, the World Health Organization said, with a combination of burnt-out staff, increased shelling and the…

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WHO says majority of monkeypox cases are in Europe

There have been more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox reported globally from 78 countries, with the majority in Europe, the World Health Organization said. The WHO declared the outbreak a…

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UPDATE – WHO declares global health emergency over monkeypox outbreak

July 23 (Reuters) - The rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak represents a global health emergency, the World Health Organization's highest level of alert, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday. The WHO…

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Pandemic behind ‘largest backslide in childhood vaccination in a generation’ – U.N

LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - Around 25 million children around the world missed out on routine vaccinations that protect against life-threatening diseases last year, as the knock-on effects of the pandemic continue…

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WHO says COVID-19 remains a global health emergency

The World Health Organization said that COVID-19 remains a global emergency, nearly 2-1/2 years after it was first declared. The Emergency Committee, made up of independent experts, said in a…

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WHO reports two new monkeypox deaths

GENEVA, July 7 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization reported two new deaths from monkeypox since its previous disease update on June 27, bringing the total to three since the start of…

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WHO appeals for ‘urgent’ action to stem monkeypox spread in Europe as cases surge

The World Health Organization called on Friday for “urgent” action to prevent the spread of monkeypox in Europe, noting that cases had tripled in the region over the past two…

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WHO says monkeypox is not yet a health emergency

LONDON, (Reuters) - Monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) ruled on Saturday, although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was deeply concerned about the…

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Pandemic’s origins obscured by lack of Chinese data – WHO panel

The World Health Organization said its latest investigation into the origins of COVID-19 was inconclusive, largely because data from China is missing, another blow to its years-long effort to determine…

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More than 1,000 monkeypox cases reported to WHO

There have been more than 1,000 monkeypox cases reported to the World Health Organization in the current outbreak outside the countries in Africa where it more commonly spreads. WHO Director-General…

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Pathogens jumping to humans from animals becoming more frequent, warns WHO

LONDON (Reuters) - Outbreaks of endemic diseases such as monkeypox and lassa fever are becoming more persistent and frequent, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergencies director, Mike Ryan, warned. As…

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WHO says COVID in N.Korea likely ‘getting worse, not better’

The World Health Organization has cast doubts on North Korea's claims of progress in the fight against a COVID-19 outbreak, saying it believes the situation is getting worse, not better,…

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WHO aims to contain monkeypox outbreak by minimizing human transmission

It is not clear yet whether the spread of monkeypox can be contained completely, the World Health Organization said, adding that its goal was to contain the outbreak by stopping…

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UPDATED: Unlikely monkeypox outbreak will lead to pandemic, says WHO

LONDON, May 30 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization does not believe the monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa will lead to a pandemic, an official said on Monday, adding that it remains…

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Monkeypox can be contained if we act now, WHO says

GENEVA, May 27 (Reuters) - A World Health Organization senior official said on Friday that the priority needs to be containing monkeypox in non-endemic countries, saying that this can be achieved through…

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WHO chief says it must take central role in global health

GENEVA, May 23 (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization said on Monday that it must be "at the centre" of a global healthcare system, while also acknowledging the need…

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Taiwan’s efforts to join WHO assembly fail

GENEVA, May 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan's bid to take part in the World Health Organization's annual assembly was rejected on Monday, the assembly said, in a decision that follows a campaign of…

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WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization is working on further guidance for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox, amid concerns cases could spike further in the…

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WHO calls emergency meeting as monkeypox cases top 100 in Europe, Concern it could spread as people party over summer

LONDON, (Reuters) - The World Health Organization held an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the recent outbreak of monkeypox, a viral infection more common to west and central Africa, after over…

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World in no better place to fight pandemics than before COVID – review panel

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - The world is no better prepared for a new pandemic threat than it was when coronavirus emerged in 2019, and may actually be in a…

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Almost three times as many died as a result of COVID than officially reported – WHO

May 5 (Reuters) - Almost three times as many people have died as a result of COVID-19 as the official data show, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO)…

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WHO backs Pfizer’s oral COVID therapy Paxlovid for high-risk patients

The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of Pfizer Inc's oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment in high-risk patients after an analysis of trial data by the U.N. agency showed the…

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Spain, Ireland report cases of mystery hepatitis in children first detected in UK

Cases of the hepatitis first identified in children in the U.K. have now been found in Ireland and Spain, the World Health Organization said in a statement. Since the U.K.…

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UPDATED: WHO says making contingency plans for possible ‘chemical assaults’ in Ukraine

GENEVA, April 7 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's European head said on Thursday that the body was preparing for possible "chemical assaults" in Ukraine. "Given the uncertainties of the current situation,…

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WHO suspends UN supply of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine for COVID-19

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization said it has suspended supply through United Nations agencies of COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, produced by India's Bharat Biotech, to allow the manufacturer to upgrade facilities and…

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WHO lays out plan to emerge from emergency phase of pandemic

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization released an updated plan for COVID-19, laying out key strategies that, if implemented in 2022, would allow the world to end the emergency phase of the…

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WHO says there were 64 instances of attacks on health care since Ukraine war started

March 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it had verified 64 instances of attacks on health care in Ukraine between Feb. 24 and March 21 resulting in…

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COVID-19 pandemic is ‘far from over’ -WHO official

GENEVA, March 18 (Reuters) - A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic was a long way off, citing a rise in cases in its…

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WHO says global rise in COVID cases is ‘tip of the iceberg’

(Reuters) - Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO said, warning…

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Pandemic fallout could exacerbate Europe’s drinking problem – WHO

Europe saw a fall in alcohol consumption in the first year of the pandemic, but that decline could reverse in coming years as the economic fallout of COVID-19 takes its…

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WHO says it advised Ukraine to destroy pathogens in health labs to prevent disease spread

The World Health Organization advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens housed in the country's public health laboratories to prevent "any potential spills" that would spread disease among the population, the…

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WHO announces 2nd hub for training countries to make COVID vaccines

Feb 23 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it has set up a hub in South Korea to train low- and middle-income countries to produce their own vaccines and therapies, and…

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WHO says quarantine can be shortened in places with high COVID cases

The World Health Organization said countries struggling with surging COVID-19 infections may shorten the recommended quarantine duration of 14 days in some situations. The U.N. agency said its new guidelines…

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WHO must be bolstered to strengthen global health security, says Tedros

JAKARTA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Efforts to strengthen global health security will only succeed if the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) is enhanced, the agency's head said on Thursday, as…

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WHO chief scientist: pandemic has not ended as more variants expected

CAPE TOWN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said on Friday that the world was not yet at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic…

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Africa COVID cases could be seven times higher than reported – WHO

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization estimates that the number of COVID-19 infections in Africa could be seven times higher than official data suggests, while deaths from…

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COVID infections, deaths on the rise in Middle East

Middle Eastern countries have seen a rise in coronavirus infections in the last six weeks because of low vaccination rates, officials at the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office said. Reported…

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WHO held talks on COVID origins with Chinese premier

The head of the World Health Organization said he had discussed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang the need for stronger collaboration on the origins of COVID-19, a subject of controversy…

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Europe entering Covid pandemic ‘ceasefire’, says WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) Europe director says the continent could soon enter a "long period of tranquillity" in the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Hans Kluge cited high vaccination rates, the…

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Huge volumes of COVID hospital waste threaten health – WHO

Discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment,…

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UPDATED: WHO head says ‘dangerous’ to assume pandemic is nearing end

Jan 24 (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday it would be dangerous to assume that the highly transmissable Omicron was the last variant…

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End of pandemic in Europe ‘plausible’ says WHO

The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director said Sunday. "It's plausible that…

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WHO says no evidence healthy children, adolescents need COVID-19 boosters

There is no evidence at present that healthy children and adolescents need booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said. Speaking at a news…

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WHO warns pandemic not over amid Europe case records

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning to world leaders that the coronavirus pandemic "is nowhere near over". Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against the…

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‘More mutations coming,’ WHO expert warns

Dr David Nabarro, a World Health Organisation (WHO) special envoy for COVID-19, has told Sky News there was "light at the end of the tunnel" for the UK in tackling…

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WHO recommends Eli Lilly, GSK-Vir’s drugs, widening COVID-19 treatment pool

A World Health Organization (WHO) panel recommended use of two drugs by Eli Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology for COVID-19 patients, adding treatment options as the fast-spreading Omicron variant…

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More than 85% of people in Africa yet to receive vaccine

In Africa, more than 85% of people are yet to receive a single dose of vaccine, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. “We cannot end the acute…

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COVID-19 cases surged in Mideast in early Jan but deaths fell – WHO official

CAIRO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A "shocking" surge in COVID-19 cases across the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean region is probably due to the Omicron variant, a WHO official said,…

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Omicron less severe than Delta but still poses danger for unvaccinated: WHO

The highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant causes less severe disease than the Delta strain but it remains a "dangerous virus", particularly for those who are unvaccinated, the head of the…

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Too soon to treat COVID-19 like flu as Omicron spreads – WHO

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is on track to infect more than half of Europeans, but it should not yet be seen as a flu-like endemic illness, the World Health…

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Omicron may be less severe in young and old, but not ‘mild’ – WHO

The more infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta strain, but should not be categorised as "mild", World Health Organization (WHO)…

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Omicron coronavirus strain spreading significantly faster than Delta -WHO

The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health…

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COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against Omicron – WHO

Preliminary evidence indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the World…

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