1 August is the 1-year mark since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the last year, there have been more than 2,600 confirmed cases, including more than 1,800 deaths in parts of Ituri and North Kivu provinces. Almost one in three cases is a child. “At this critical juncture, we reaffirm […]
Ebola: 1 year into the DRC outbreak Read More »
50 years ago, most people would have drawn a blank if asked about dengue. Now, infectious diseases like dengue are endemic in more than 100 countries, causing more than 20,000 deaths, mostly among children, per year. At first, it might seem like the flu, but then the fever rises, accompanied by headaches, joint pain, nausea
Mission possible: accurately diagnosing infectious diseases Read More »
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) have developed 21 patient-centred standards to guide clinicians and public health workers to ensure optimal diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB). The second edition of the European Union Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ESTC) is now available. It has been updated to
Updated Standards for Tuberculosis Care Read More »
Over 41,000 children and adults in the WHO European Region have been infected with measles in the first 6 months of 2018. The total number for this period far exceeds the 12-month totals reported for every other year this decade. So far, the highest annual total for measles cases between 2010 and 2017 was 23,927
Measles at record high in Europe Read More »
Tuberculosis (TB), and especially drug-resistant TB, is a public health challenge in both civilian and penitentiary sectors worldwide. The Global End TB Strategy envisages specific measures to be taken by WHO Member States globally to tackle the problem and address the challenge. The WHO Regional Office for Europe has developed the TB Action Plan for
Good practices in the prevention and care of tuberculosis Read More »
Fewer than one third of older people are vaccinated in half the countries surveyed. Influenza vaccination coverage among high-risk groups has dropped in the European Region over the last seven years, and half the countries report a decrease in the number of vaccine doses available. These are the results of the first comprehensive overview of
This year on World Polio Day the WHO European Region is celebrating the 15th anniversary of being certified free from poliomyelitis (polio). Achieving this back in 2002 was a vital step forward for both the Region and the world on the path towards global eradication of this crippling disease. While this target is now closer
In the WHO European Region, 42 of 53 countries have interrupted endemic transmission of measles, and 37 Member States have interrupted endemic transmission of rubella as of the end of 2016. This was determined by the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) at its 6th meeting in June 2017. “I congratulate
An analysis of the antibacterial clinical development pipeline, including tuberculosis, launched by WHO shows a serious lack of new antibiotics under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. The report found very few potential treatment options for those antibiotic-resistant infections identified by WHO as posing the greatest threat to health, including drug-resistant tuberculosis
The world is running out of antibiotics Read More »
World Health Organization (WHO) data from 28 countries – representing approximately 70{ddf8d179d1bf712bb2a88ff2ad95ebdf63eaa5463c845d2f093b25848387ba96} of the global hepatitis burden – indicate that efforts to eliminate hepatitis are gaining momentum. The data reveals that nearly all 28 countries have established high-level national hepatitis elimination committees (with plans and targets in place) and more than half have allocated dedicated
The WHO Global Hepatitis Report Read More »
