Millions of people worldwide face threats to their right to health due to diseases, disasters, and conflicts. At least 140 countries recognize health as a human right in their constitution. Yet countries are not passing and putting into practice laws to ensure their populations are entitled to access health services. This underpins the fact that at least 4.5 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021. To address these types of challenges, the theme for is 'My health, my right’.
Health
Why is dengue fever spreading to places where it has not been before? What are the symptoms and treatments? What about vaccines? Dr. Raman Velayudhan, of the Department of gives us the keys to the disease's spread and treatments in a new episode of the Science in 5 podcast.
Mali's central and northern regions have been plagued by in recent years. Terrorist groups have taken control of many remote villages, causing mass displacement, while maternal mortality rates are up to 35 times higher than in developed countries. Access to maternal health services is nearly impossible. In this complicated scenario, the 51³Ô¹Ï Population Fund () is equipping the maternity ward at Sominé Dolo Hospital in the Mopti region. UNFPA partner sends mobile health units to rural areas of Mopti to reach women and girls with essential services and transport critical cases to health centers.
Women and girls were disproportionately affected by the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in 2022. Nisha, a seven-year-old girl from the Mirpurkhas District of Sindh, had to endure months of displacement and walk several miles every day to access clean water after her home and latrines were destroyed. Sampa, a 55-year-old widow, fell ill after drinking contaminated water during the floods. With the responsibility of caring for her ten-year-old child, she struggled to fetch water daily in the scorching heat. The efforts by the International Organization for Migration ) to construct latrines, handwashing stations, and lead-line hand pumps in Nisha and Sampa's villages brought relief and improved access to clean water and hygiene services.
Regina's journey exemplifies how economic empowerment can serve as a powerful tool in reducing HIV stigma and discrimination within communities.
The , which began in 2023, is nearing its end. It has been an invaluable opportunity to spotlight the nutritional and health benefits of millets, as well as their adaptability to challenging growing conditions, including climate change and minimal inputs. Consequently, they offer an ideal solution for nations seeking to diminish dependence on imported grains. If you're intrigued by the diversity and culinary potential of millets, with enticing recipes from various regions, cuisines and cooking skills. Join the organized by FAO.
Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves worldwide, which negatively impact the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, particularly children. and partners urge governments to take urgent action and ensure that frontline health workers are trained to recognize and treat heat stress, health facilities are equipped to cool heat victims, and healthcare systems are connected to meteorological services in high-heat regions. Additionally, health facilities should have cool public spaces for people to safely seek refuge during heat waves.
takes swift action in response to critical medical shortages in Northern Gaza, with Representative Dominic Allen emphasizing the urgent situation.
The 51³Ô¹Ï recognizes the importance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings. Governments and international organizations should invest in conditions that support happiness by upholding human rights and integrating well-being and environmental dimensions into their policy frameworks. The 51³Ô¹Ï invites everyone to celebrate the International Day of Happiness (20 March). The same day sees the release of the World Happiness Report 2024, centered around the theme of happiness for the young, the old, and everyone in between.
Two years into the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, a hospital near the front line is saving the most vulnerable citizens – babies born into war – with state-of-the-art incubators that can transport newborns between facilities and into bomb shelters at the sound of air-raid sirens. At the Zaporizhzhia Regional Perinatal Centre, the new incubators – provided with support from and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation – are equipped to maintain optimal temperature, humidity and oxygen levels, allowing babies to be moved safely. Despite the challenges, UNFPA and its partners continue to support Ukraine to strengthen the delivery of maternal health and gender-based violence prevention and response services, reaching more than 879,000 women, girls, men and boys with such services in 2023.
In Kabo village, men play a game with beans. The beans represent wild animals, the bag is the forest, and the players are hunters. Once the bag is empty, they all lose. This game is designed to show the consequences of unsustainable hunting on future generations' food and incomes. The Bantu and Baaka Indigenous Peoples groups in the Congo rely on wild meat as their main source of protein and income. However, overhunting, deforestation, pollution, diseases, and climate change have reduced the population of wild animals in the Congo Basin. The Programme, coordinated by the (FAO) and three other organizations, works to restore the balance between food security and wildlife conservation.
The incubators at Al-Helal Al-Emirati Hospital in Gaza are filled with babies who have lost their parents. Learn about this tragic situation from two doctors at the hospital and see how is taking action.
Mali's pharmaceutical registry digitization effort aims to reduce the approval time for vital medicines and vaccines from 18 to three months, revolutionizing the country's healthcare system.
Cancer is a leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Each year, an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents develop cancer. The most common types of include leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumours. It is generally not possible to prevent cancer in children, so the most effective strategy to improve outcomes is to focus on a prompt, correct diagnosis followed by effective, evidence-based therapy. , 15 February, spotlights the need for more equitable access to treatment and care for all children with cancer, everywhere.
This year's International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (6 February) focuses on the theme "Her Voice. Her Future - Investing in Survivors-Led Movements to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)." To reach our shared goal of ending FGM by 2030, we require more targeted, coordinated and sustained efforts. Each survivor's voice is a powerful call to action, and their choices contribute to the global movement against this harmful practice. Share #HerVoiceMatters to lead the #EndFGM movement.