A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, with the epicentre located in Samangan province, about an hour from Mazar-e-Sharif. The tremors were felt as far away as Kabul and even parts of Pakistan, sending waves of panic through communities as families and children fled their homes in fear…. [Read More]
WHO
Global Immunization Priorities: Highlights from the SAGE September 2025 Meeting
The September 2025 meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), held from 22–25 September alongside the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG), underscored both the progress and ongoing challenges in global immunization. While global vaccination coverage has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, recovery remains uneven, especially in fragile and conflict-affected regions. Persistent… [Read More]
WHO Issues Urgent Call to Address Drastic Reductions in Global Health Funding
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidance to help countries mitigate the immediate and long-term impacts of sharp reductions in external health funding, which are severely affecting essential health services in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The report, titled “Responding to the health financing emergency: immediate measures and longer-term shifts,” outlines practical… [Read More]
How Integrating Family Planning with Maternal Health Services Saves Mothers’ Lives Worldwide
A new study published in The Lancet Global Health provides strong evidence that the global decline in maternal deaths over the past two decades has been largely driven by advances in both family planning and maternity care. The paper, titled “Effect of maternity care improvement, fertility decline, and contraceptive use on global maternal mortality reduction… [Read More]
Joint Quadripartite Statement Highlights Africa’s Commitment to the One Health Approach
On the occasion of One Health Day 2025, the Regional Representatives and Directors in Africa from the Quadripartite Regional Coordination Group—comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)—reaffirmed their collective commitment to advancing the One Health approach. This approach… [Read More]
Understanding the Effects of VAT on Families in the DRC
The 2020 Household Survey for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sheds light on how Value Added Tax (VAT) affects households differently across income levels. Introduced in 2012 to replace the turnover tax, VAT was designed to provide a more stable source of revenue compared to volatile mining income. Over time, it has become a… [Read More]
African Development Bank, Republic of Congo Deepen Cooperation to Boost Economic Growth
A high-level delegation from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) visited the Republic of Congo from 26 to 28 October 2025 to strengthen bilateral cooperation and advance preparations for the Bank’s Annual Meetings scheduled in Brazzaville in May 2026. Led by Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, the delegation met with President Denis Sassou Nguesso and… [Read More]
UN Responds as Powerful New Earthquake Devastates Northern Afghanistan
A powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif around 1 a.m. local time, causing several buildings to collapse as residents slept inside. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) swiftly mobilized teams to provide medical care and humanitarian support to the affected communities. Videos circulating online showed… [Read More]
FAO Warns: Land Degradation Threatens Food Security for 1.7 Billion People Worldwide
The latest State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2025 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide live in areas where crop yields are declining due to human-induced land degradation. This escalating crisis is silently undermining agricultural productivity and threatening ecosystem health, with profound implications for global food… [Read More]
UN Leads New Effort to Tackle Rising Mercury Pollution Worldwide
Mercury is a highly toxic metal that poses serious risks to human health, particularly affecting the brain, lungs, kidneys, and immune system. It is especially harmful to children and pregnant women. Mercury pollution is commonly caused by industrial processes such as small-scale gold mining, and because it can travel long distances through air and water,… [Read More]
Gaza Update: Southern Food Access Eases as Northern Regions Remain Cut Off
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), food access in southern Gaza has improved, with one in two households reporting better availability due to rising commercial and humanitarian deliveries. However, the situation in the north remains critical, as no food aid convoy has reached the area through direct crossings since… [Read More]
Global Highlights: Call for Self-Sufficiency in Healthcare, Australia’s Indigenous Treaty Efforts, and Haiti’s Women Crisis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that global healthcare aid to low and middle-income countries is expected to decline by 30 to 40 per cent this year compared to 2023. This sharp reduction has already caused a severe drop—up to 70 per cent—in key health services in some of the 108 countries covered by… [Read More]
Ethiopia Modernizes Health Emergency Information Systems to Boost Response Efficiency
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Ethiopia is supporting the Government of Ethiopia in modernizing and digitalizing its public health emergency systems to enable faster, data-driven decisions for preparedness and response. This transformation is being achieved through strong collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the implementation of three interoperable digital… [Read More]
Global Model WHO 2025: Youth Leaders Call for Urgent Measures Against Social Isolation
At the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, nearly 400 young leaders from over 40 countries came together at the Global Model WHO 2025 to raise global awareness about the growing crisis of social isolation. Declaring it a “public health priority shaping our generation’s future,” participants urged governments to recognize the health risks associated… [Read More]
WHO Strengthens Global Standards for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Products
On World Cities Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged national and local leaders to transform urban areas into engines of health, equity, and sustainability. With over 4.4 billion people—more than half of humanity—now living in cities, this number is expected to reach nearly 70 percent by 2050. Urban areas have become critical intersections where… [Read More]
WHO Strengthens Global Standards for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Products
The World Health Organization (WHO) organized the Interregional Training Workshop on Ensuring the Quality and Safety of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative (TCI) Medicine Products from 22–24 October 2025 in Macao SAR, China. The event formed part of WHO’s broader efforts to strengthen regulatory systems and promote the safe integration of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine… [Read More]
Celebrating Care: Honoring the Vital Role of Support and Care Providers Worldwide
The United Nations in Nepal marked the International Day of Care and Support on 31 October 2025, emphasizing the essential role of care and support in building inclusive and resilient societies. Hosted by ILO Nepal and UN Women Nepal, the event celebrated the dedication of care and support staff whose work sustains the wellbeing of… [Read More]
How to Design Risk Finance and Social Protection as a Unified System
Escalating global crises and climate-related shocks are exposing the immense costs and inefficiencies of mobilizing funds for recovery after disasters. This has underscored the importance of Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI) as a key solution to ensure timely, predictable funding for crisis response. At the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development… [Read More]
A Human Rights Victory: Afghan Women Make Inspiring Return to Football
The former Afghan Women’s National Football Team, now known as Afghan Women United, made a powerful return to the field in Morocco this week after four years of exile. Their comeback represents far more than a sporting event—it marks a return from forced displacement and defiance against a system that sought to silence and erase… [Read More]
Sudan Crisis: Mass Exodus from El Fasher as Violence and Atrocities Intensify
Since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a major assault on El Fasher last week, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has received alarming reports of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks on humanitarian workers, looting, abductions, and forced displacement. According to OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango, numerous residents fled the city in terror and… [Read More]
Iran Faces Spike in Executions and Crackdown on Dissent, Warn UN Human Rights Investigators
The UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran presented its findings to the General Assembly for the first time, revealing a sharp deterioration in the country’s human rights situation following Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed over 1,000 people. According to Iranian Government data, 276 civilians, including 38 children and 102 women, were among the dead, and more… [Read More]
Why Gender Equality Is Essential for Building and Sustaining Peace
The landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was described as a “real game-changer” by Laura Flores, Americas Division Director at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), in an interview with UN News. She emphasized that the resolution fundamentally shifted global perceptions by recognizing that women are not just victims of conflict but essential… [Read More]
Rotuma Strengthens Maritime Safety with 127 New Boatmaster-Certified Sailors
In Oinafa, Rotuma, Fiji, communities, elders, and youth from all seven districts gathered to celebrate the graduation of 127 participants who successfully completed the Boatmaster and Restricted Master Engineer 6 training. This milestone marks a significant step toward strengthening maritime safety, resilience, and livelihoods across the island. The training was delivered through a partnership between… [Read More]
