Mar 02, 2018, at 02:04 pm
New York, Mar 2 (JEN): Governments are being urged to invest more in drug treatment and rehabilitation rather than just focusing solely on prevention, the latest report by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) recommends.
Some 19 million newborns at risk of brain damage every year due to iodine deficiency – UN
Mar 02, 2018, at 01:52 pm
New York, Mar 2 (JEN): Nearly 19 million babies born globally every year – 14 per cent – are at risk of permanent yet preventable brain damage and reduced cognitive function due to a lack of iodine in the earliest years of life, according to a United Nations-backed report released Thursday.
Near-record warm temperatures fuel deadly, costly weather events in 2017 – UN
Jan 19, 2018, at 02:30 pm
New York, Jan 19 (JEN): The upward trend in global temperatures marked by record-shattering warmth in 2015 and 2016 kept pace last year, with the United Nations weather agency warning Thursday that continued pressure on the Arctic in 2017 will have “profound and long-lasting repercussions on sea levels, and on weather patterns in other parts of the world.”
South Africa responding to largest-ever Listeria outbreak – UN health agency
Jan 13, 2018, at 02:12 pm
New York, Jan 13 (JEN): What is believed to be the largest-ever outbreak of the bacterial disease Listeriosis – or Listeria – has left more than 60 people dead across South Africa, with nearly 750 confirmed cases, the United Nation’s health agency said Friday.
Taking on environmental health risks, UN agencies aim to protect 'foundations for life' on Earth
Jan 11, 2018, at 01:01 pm
New York, Jan 11 (JEN): Two United Nations agencies are teaming up in a major new initiative taking on the herculean task of combatting environmental health risks, which claim an estimated 12.6 million lives a year.
Millions of children across Somalia vaccinated against measles in UN-backed campaign
Jan 09, 2018, at 01:42 pm
New York, Jan 9 (JEN): One million children aged six months to 10 years in Puntland and 4.2 million across Somalia were reached during a five-day measles campaign that wrapped up on Sunday, the United Nations has reported.
UN agency's mobile reproductive health teams reach women in besieged area of Aleppo
Jan 04, 2018, at 01:39 pm
New York, Jan 4 (JEN) The United Nations reproductive rights agency has reached the Sheikh Maqsoud area of Aleppo, where thousands of women have been cut off from medical care for years.
Early action key to preventing crises related to El Niño and La Niña – UN relief official
Jan 03, 2018, at 12:50 pm
New York, Jan 3 (JEN): La Niña is expected to impact weather around the world in 2018, a United Nations relief official said, urging governments and the international community to act early to mitigate the impacts from this potentially destructive weather pattern and its counterpart, El Niño.
1888 Indian hailstorm named among all-time deadliest weather events in world
May 21, 2017, at 01:19 am
Geneva, May 20 (IBNS): The UN weather agency has named a hailstorm which hit India in 1888 as the deadliest hailstorm ever.
Importance of broad financing for sustainable forest management highlighted at UN forum
May 05, 2017, at 09:46 pm
New York, May 5 (Just Earth News): A United Nations meeting on sustainable management of forests on Thursday discussed the importance of mobilizing resources from a diverse range of actors to ensure broad ownership as well as to advance the overall sustainable development agenda.
UN health agency to examine lower-cost ‘biosimilar’ drugs to expand access to cancer treatment
May 05, 2017, at 09:33 pm
New York, May 5 (Just Earth News): As a step towards making some of the most expensive treatments for cancer more widely available in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that it will launch a pilot project for prequalifying so-called “biosimilars,†or lower cost drugs.
Citing Uruguay’s ‘inspiring’ record on environment, UN expert says country must do more
May 03, 2017, at 04:13 pm
Washington, May 3 (Just Earth News): Uruguay has much to be proud of in its record on human rights and the environment, but the South American country still has some challenges ahead, including the setting up of an environment ombudsperson, a United Nations-appointed expert said on Tuesday.
Governments make strong commitments to biodiversity at UN conference in Mexico
Dec 20, 2016, at 03:29 pm
New York, Dec 20 (Just Earth News):Countries attending the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Mexico reached agreements on actions to integrate biodiversity in forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and tourism sectors and to achieve the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.
Dec 14, 2016, at 02:46 pm
New York, Dec 14 (Just Earth News): The United Nations announced on Tuesday at a meeting of the world’s top agricultural scientists, that in order to achieve world’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of defeating hunger and poverty by 2030, governments and the private sector must increase commitment to agricultural science and technology research.
Malaria remains acute public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa – UN report
Dec 14, 2016, at 02:42 pm
New York, Dec 14 (Just Earth News): Despite major progress in the fight against malaria, the mosquito-borne disease remains an acute public health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, home to 90 per cent of the world’s malaria cases, according to an annual flagship report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
UN inaugurates water project in Haiti benefiting 60,000 people as part of fight against cholera
Dec 13, 2016, at 02:22 pm
New York, Dec 13 (Just Earth News): Sandra Honoré, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), inaugurated on 8 December a water capture and distribution project in the town of Merger, an hour outside of the Caribbean nation’s capital Port au Prince.
WHO report warns global actions and investments to end tuberculosis epidemic are falling far short
Oct 15, 2016, at 12:46 am
Washington, Oct 14 (IBNS): New data published by WHO in its 2016 "Global Tuberculosis Report" show that countries need to move much faster to prevent, detect, and treat the disease if they are to meet global targets.
UN, global health officials meet in South-east Asia to discuss security preparedness
Jul 01, 2016, at 03:17 pm
New York, July 1 (Just Earth News): After recent outbreaks of Ebola, Zika and yellow fever, senior health officials from the United Nations, Governments and other institutions are prioritizing global health security preparedness given ongoing concerns about national health systems that are weak, fragmented and under-funded.
UN reiterates need to tackle illegal wildlife trade after tiger cub bodies found in Thailand
Jun 04, 2016, at 03:02 pm
New York, June 4 (Just Earth News): Following the discovery earlier this week of 70 dead tiger cubs, as well as tiger skins, talismans and other wildlife parts, in a Buddhist temple in Thailand, two United Nations agencies have said those circumstances represent only a “tiny proportion†of the extent of an illegal trade in wildlife that is pushing species to the brink of extinction.
On World No Tobacco Day, UN urges plain packaging of tobacco products to save lives
Jun 01, 2016, at 03:13 pm
New York, June 1 (Just Earth News): As the global community marks World No Tobacco Day, the United Nations is advocating for the use of plain packaging of tobacco products in an effort to save lives by reducing demand for such products, which kill nearly 6 million people every year.
UN agencies boost efforts to prevent further spread of Lassa fever in Benin
Feb 12, 2016, at 03:18 pm
New York, Feb 12 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Following the outbreak of Lassa fever in Benin, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) officials in the country are scaling up an emergency response to help prevent further spread of the disease.
UN agencies mobilize to support Government response after Benin confirms cases of Lassa fever
Feb 06, 2016, at 02:02 pm
New York, Feb 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS) After the identification of four cases of Lassa fever in Benin, the Government, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has immediately launched a response against the epidemic, the agencies announced on Friday.
'2015 is hottest year on record' - UN weather agency
Jan 26, 2016, at 02:36 pm
New York, Jan 26 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The global average surface temperature in 2015 broke all previous records by a strikingly wide margin, according to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which announced on Monday that for the first time on record, temperatures were about 1 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial era.