23 September 2024 - An investment today of an additional US$0.24 per patient per year in digital health interventions, such as telemedicine, mobile messaging and chatbots, can help save more than 2 million lives from noncommunicable diseases over the next decade, says a new report released jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union). This investment could also avert approximately 7 million acute events and hospitalizations, significantly reducing the strain on healthcare systems around the world.
The publication titled "Going digital for noncommunicable diseases: the case for action" has been launched at an event hosted by the Government of The Gambia during the 79th United Nations General Assembly, in collaboration with the ITU and WHO.
“The future of health is digital. But to make this vision a reality, we need both resources and collaboration,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. No single organization can do it alone. We call on governments, partners, and donors to come together, invest strategically, and ensure that these life-saving innovations reach those who need them most.”
“The digital revolution has the potential to unleash a health revolution,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “At ITU, universal meaningful connectivity is a priority because digital is a catalyst for delivering targets in key sectors such as health and education. We call for greater collaboration between the health and tech sectors, including the development of strong digital public infrastructure, essential for the delivery of digital health services that can benefit people everywhere without leaving anyone behind.”
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, are responsible for over 74% of global deaths annually, many of which are preventable. While significant progress has been made in combating NCDs, the integration of digital health technologies into mainstream health systems remains a challenge. The report shows that there is an urgent need to harness these technologies to scale up effective interventions and mitigate the growing burden on healthcare systems worldwide.
Four major risk factors linked to our everyday environment – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, the harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity – drive responses in our bodies that also increase NCD risk: raised blood pressure, obesity, raised blood glucose and raised cholesterol. Digital tools, including mobile messaging and chatbots, can support individuals to understand their modifiable risk factors and encourage them to develop healthier habits.
People living with NCDs require regular monitoring and continuous management, and many need long term and specialized care. Digital tools such as telemedicine can help them to overcome barriers to accessing healthcare. Real-time data and tools for health care professionals can also help them make informed decisions about their patients.
While over 60% of countries have developed a digital health strategy, there is often a lack of integration of new technologies into the existing health infrastructure. The report calls for countries to invest in digital public infrastructure, and promote standards and interoperability which can overcome critical barriers to realizing the full potential of digital health.
The report serves as a blueprint for action, complementing the WHO Global Initiative on Digital Health and Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025. The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force for the prevention and control of NCDs (UNIATF) Secretariat, in collaboration with WHO and ITU, including through the Be He@lthy, Be Mobile programmeare committed to providing tailored strategic planning and advocacy support to governments.
The United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (UN NCD Task Force) was established in 2013 by the UN Secretary-General to provide support to Member States in scaling up action on NCDs. Its role is to bring the United Nations system together to tackle NCDs and mental health conditions. It uses its networks and expertise to help governments develop and introduce effective responses to prevent and control NCDs. Bringing together over 46 UN agencies, as well as the World Bank and regional development banks, the UN NCD Task Force promotes a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Roche’s CINtec PLUS Cytology is the only FDA-approved and CE-marked dual-stain test to triage human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cervical cancer screening test results
Dual-stain biomarkers aid in detection of cervical precancer and may reduce the number of women who undergo unnecessary colposcopy procedures while allowing earlier intervention for those who are at higher risk of developing cervical cancer
This recognition follows the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP)’s recent inclusion of dual-stain testing in cervical cancer screening guidelines, as well as other WHO prequalifications of Roche’s cobas HPV test
Basel, 23 September 2024 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that the World Health Organization (WHO) has included dual-stain cytology testing in its cervical cancer prevention guideline.1 The Roche CINtec® PLUS Cytology test is the only FDA-approved and CE-marked dual-stain test that helps identify human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive individuals who are most at risk of developing cervical precancer and cancer.
The WHO joins the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP), which in March also updated its cervical cancer screening guidelines2 to include dual-stain as a triage test for HPV-positive individuals. If the dual-stain test is positive, the patient is at higher risk of having or developing precancer or cancer, and clinicians should recommend immediate colposcopy. However, if the dual-stain test is negative, the risk of precancer is low and individuals may follow up by retesting at a later time to determine if their body has taken care of the infection and eliminated the risk on its own. This may result in fewer women unnecessarily undergoing colposcopy procedures.
“Adding dual-stain cytology to the WHO guidelines further reinforces the value of our biomarker-based CINtec PLUS Cytology test to identify patients with an elevated risk of cervical cancer,” said Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. “HPV infections can cause cervical cancer, a potentially deadly disease that is highly preventable. Consequently, it is critical to determine who is most at risk.”
The CINtec PLUS Cytology test can simultaneously detect when two biomarkers (p16 and Ki-67) are present within the same cell – a strong indicator that it is undergoing transformation and may turn cancerous. By identifying those individuals who are at higher risk of developing cervical disease, CINtec PLUS Cytology helps provide labs, clinicians and patients with important information to guide patient management. This could reduce the number and frequency of follow-up visits, saving worry, time and money. The test can be performed using the same liquid sample that is used for HPV or Pap cytology testing, eliminating the need for additional or repeat sample collection.
The revised WHO guidelines represent an important step forward in achieving the organisation’s three cervical cancer elimination goals3, and a catalyst for ensuring that 90% of those identified with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment. With the recent news that the WHO has awarded prequalification designation to the cobas® HPV test on the cobas 4800, Roche’s entire portfolio of HPV tests on the 4800, 5800, 6800 and 8800 systems is now WHO prequalification-approved for both clinician-collected and self-collected samples
HPV is the known cause of more than 95% of all cervical cancers.4 Roche’s cervical cancer portfolio includes the cobas HPV test, used for primary screening and co-testing. While Pap cytology can potentially detect abnormalities in the cervix, cobas HPV detects 14 types of high-risk HPV genotypes that put patients at higher risk of developing cervical cancer. It includes results for HPV 16, HPV 18 and 12 other high-risk pooled genotypes.3
The HPV self-collection solution is approved for use with Roche's cobas HPV test. The cobas HPV test runs on the cobas 4800 and the fully automated cobas 5800/6800/8800 Systems, which offer the fastest time to results, providing up to 96 results in about three hours, and 384 results for the cobas 6800 System and 1,056 results for the cobas 8800 System in an eight hour shift. The portfolio also includes CINtec PLUS Cytology, the only FDA-approved dual-stain cytology product and CINtec Histology, the only FDA-cleared p16 biomarker technology that can help pathologists confirm the presence of pre-cancerous cervical lesions. The CINtec PLUS Cytology test can run on the BenchMark ULTRA IHC/ISH system. In countries accepting the CE mark, the CINtec PLUS Cytology test can be used to triage HPV-positive results.
The IMPACT trial, used to validate the clinical performance of the Roche cervical cancer portfolio, had representation from diverse patient segments, including 21 percent Black, 24 percent Hispanic-Latino and 0.3 percent American Indian or Alaskan Native participants.5 This diversity was critical to accurately assess the performance of the cobas HPV test and dual stain cytology in patient populations with higher incident rates of HPV. Learn more now: http://diagnostics.roche.com.
Roche is piloting a disease management software called navify® Cervical Screening. It aims to support health systems to increase adherence to clinical guidelines, reduce under- and over-testing and optimise healthcare resources with an organised approach to screening.
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.
Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.
Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the twelfth consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2020 employed more than 100,000 people worldwide. In 2020, Roche invested CHF 12.2 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 58.3 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan
20 September 2024 - Geneva, Switzerland -- Government-led negotiations on the world’s first agreement to protect people from future pandemics made significant progress during the latest round of discussions that ended today at the World Health Organization (WHO).
Substantive progress on the draft agreement, increased involvement of civil society and non-State actors, and a commitment by all parties to sustain momentum towards a pandemic agreement were hallmarks of the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which comprises the 194 member governments of WHO, and ran from 9-20 September in Geneva. Negotiators will resume discussions, at a 12th round, from 4-15 November.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, praised the “collective commitment” shown by governments and other stakeholders to conclude the pandemic agreement, and an urgent need to do so in light of the persistent threat shown by viruses with pandemic potential.
“The next pandemic will not wait for us, whether from a flu virus like H5N1, another coronavirus, or another family of viruses we don’t yet know about,” Dr Tedros told the meeting. “But all the ingredients are in place to meet the objective of countries to negotiate a generational pandemic agreement. The world needs hope that it is still possible for countries to find common solutions to common problems. You can provide that hope.”
Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou, INB Bureau Co-chair of France, said the latest round of negotiations demonstrated the commitment by governments towards a pandemic accord to make the world safer and healthier. It also showed the critical role being played by civil society and other non-governmental stakeholders to ensure that equity, innovation and collaboration are at the heart of the agreement.
“During extensive discussions, visible commitment was shown by Member States of WHO towards a pandemic agreement,” Ambassador Amprou said. “There was clear recognition from all countries that we must agree on a way forward to work better, together, to protect their citizens from future pandemics.” Ambassador Amprou added: “The constructive contributions by INB relevant stakeholders were incredibly valuable. Together, we must sustain this progress during the coming months to realize our shared goal to forge a pandemic agreement that guides future global responses to pandemics.”
Each day during the past two weeks of discussions, INB relevant stakeholders joined negotiators for updates on progress and next steps, the latest version of the draft agreement reflecting the latest government proposals, and to offer suggestions. Detailed interactive dialogues were held during the week prior on critical subjects and publicly broadcast.
“There is growing urgency for an effective Pandemic Agreement that does not only prepares us for the next pandemic but helps prevent it, including via a One Health approach,” said Nina Jamal, Head of Pandemics at the global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS. “We thank the Bureau for transparency towards relevant stakeholders, increased openness and constructive proposals by Member States, promoting successful negotiations. We are looking forward to further progress on the substance of the pandemic agreement and improved dialogue among member states to arrive at a meaningful, effective result."
Michelle Childs, Policy Advocacy Director for the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), added: “DNDi welcomes the sharing of the draft texts and daily briefings. These help to improve the ability of stakeholders to follow and input and counter misinformation about what is actually being discussed. We encourage further steps to enhance transparency, including making stakeholder interventions publicly available.”
Ms Precious Matsoso, INB Co-Chair from South Africa, said there was progress on fundamental areas of the draft agreement, including on research and development, regulatory systems strengthening, One Health, pandemic prevention and technology , supply chain networks and a new system for increased access to pathogens of pandemic potential and sharing of benefits, such as vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.
“Following nearly three years of negotiations, countries are now focused on the remaining and most critical elements of the draft agreement to protect the world from future pandemics,” Ms Matsoso said.
Ms Matsoso added: “At the heart of the negotiations is recognition that collaboration among countries will ensure the world will not be left vulnerable in the face of future pandemics, while each and every country will maintain their sovereignty and control over national health decision-making.”
In December 2021, a special session of the World Health Assembly established the INB to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the Constitution of the World Health Organization, to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. At the World Health Assembly in June 2024, governments made concrete commitments to complete negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest, and possibly in 2024.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Suspect and Protect will highlight risks of concussion and provide educational resources for everyone involved at every level of football
Knowing the signs and symptoms of suspected concussion and how to protect players can help to make the game safer for all
Global campaign is launched in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and supported by FIFA Member Associations
In line with the Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023–2027 and following on from the announcement at the IFAB AGM in March 2024, FIFA is launching Suspect and Protect: No Match is Worth the Risk, a concussion awareness campaign, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the fact that concussion is a traumatic brain injury and is a risk to every player on the pitch. It has been endorsed by players, coaches and team doctors from around the world.
Developed through extensive consultation with FIFA Medical and WHO brain health experts, the Suspect and Protect campaign aims to increase sign and symptom recognition among players, coaches and medical staff, as well as the general public. The campaign highlights that symptoms may take up to 72 hours to appear and offers guidance on how to return to play safely following a suspected or confirmed concussion. These tailored resources are designed to empower national team stakeholders, professional clubs and leagues and grassroots and amateur communities.
Suspect and Protect will be delivered at a global level across FIFA channels, while toolkits are being distributed to the 211 FIFA Member Associations for delivery at a national, regional and local level.
“Concussion is a brain injury and should always be taken seriously. Playing football should be something enjoyed safely, by everyone, everywhere,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. “By knowing the signs of concussion, by being aware of the risks, and by treating a concussion correctly, you can help to put player safety first.
“A big thank you to FIFA’s member associations for their efforts in launching with us and for following the advice provided by our colleagues at the World Health Organization.”
“Concussion is a public health issue of concern at all levels of football, and many other sports, requiring greater levels of awareness and action,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “That is why WHO is proud to team up with FIFA on the Suspect and Protect campaign to promote ways to protect the brains of footballers, young and old, around the world from the risks of concussion.”
The campaign is built upon three main action points for audiences within national teams, professional clubs and leagues and amateur and grassroots communities.
Whether a player, coach, team doctor, parent or carer, it is important to understand that concussion is a traumatic brain injury and should always be taken seriously. Everyone should know the common signs of concussion as well as when to seek urgent medical advice.
Anyone who sustains a direct or indirect impact to their head, face, neck or body, should be assessed for concussion symptoms. Symptoms may take up to 72 hours to present. They include headache or ‘pressure’ sensation, nausea or vomiting, problems with balance, dizziness or being unsteady on feet, distorted/blurry or double vision, sensitivity to light and/or noise, memory problems (difficulty recalling the traumatic event, and/or events before or after), feeling drowsy, confused or unable to focus, sleep problems.
Anyone presenting with one or more concussion symptoms should leave the pitch immediately. A doctor must be seen as soon as possible and within 24 hours. The symptoms of a concussion can change or evolve within the minutes, hours, days and even weeks after the traumatic event. Some symptoms require urgent medical attention. Players should follow medical guidance on return to play. No match is worth the risk.
The WHO works with countries to promote optimal brain development and function, neurological health, and well-being across the life course. Key activities include strengthening policies, service delivery, health information systems, research and technology, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries; providing technical assistance to develop integrated and person-centred approaches to brain health that prioritize promotion, prevention, treatment, care, and rehabilitation; and promoting increased investment, inter-agency collaboration, and engagement across a range of sectors globally.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
13 September 2024/Geneva -- In coordination with Member States, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have established an access and allocation mechanism for mpox medical countermeasures including vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests. The Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) will increase access to these tools for people at highest risk and ensure that the limited supplies are used effectively and equitably.
This is part of the response to the public health emergency of international concern declared by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 14 August 2024, following an upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries. Fifteen countries in Africa have reported mpox this year. Recommendations issued on the advice of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee asked States Parties to ensure "equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured countermeasures for mpox.”
“Alongside other public health interventions, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics are powerful tools for bringing the mpox outbreaks in Africa under control,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the need for international coordination to promote equitable access to these tools so they can be used most effectively where they are most needed. We urge countries with supplies of vaccines and other products to come forward with donations, to prevent infections, stop transmission and save lives.”
The AAM was established as a part of the interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM-Net). The i-MCM-Net brings together partners from around the world, including UN and other international agencies, health organizations, civil society organizations, industry and private sector to build an effective ecosystem for the development, manufacturing, allocation and delivery of medical countermeasures. The network was endorsed by WHO Member States as a mechanism to operate in the interim, as negotiations continue towards a pandemic agreement.
Along with WHO, the AAM for mpox includes members of the i-MCM-Net: the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, FIND, Gavi, the PAHO Revolving Fund, UNICEF, Unitaid and others.
Over 3.6 million doses of vaccines have been pledged for the mpox response. This includes 620 000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine pledged to affected countries by the European Commission, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Spain, and the United States of America, as well as vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic. Japan has pledged 3 million doses of the LC16 vaccine, the largest number of doses pledged so far.
The recent surge in mpox cases, coupled with the limited availability of vaccines and other medical countermeasures, underscores the need for a collaborative and transparent process to distribute these critical resources fairly. The AAM is working to allocate the currently scarce supplies of vaccines and diagnostics for those at the highest risk of infection, including for vaccinating contacts of confirmed cases, and providing access to point of care diagnostics to countries with ongoing mpox outbreaks so that people who might be suspected cases can systematically be tested and cared for.
The AAM will operate based on these guiding principles:
Preventing illness and death: Prioritize vaccination and other tools to interrupt transmission for those at greatest risk to prevent illness and death.
Mitigating inequity: Ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures for all people at risk, irrespective of socio-economic or demographic background.
Ensuring transparency and flexibility: Establish and maintain clear and open communication about allocation decisions and be ready to adapt strategies as new data emerge or situations change.
“WHO and partners are supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries to implement an integrated approach to case detection, contact tracing, targeted vaccination, clinical and home care, infection prevention and control, community engagement and mobilization, and specialized logistical support,” said Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. “The AAM will provide a reliable pipeline of vaccines and other tools in order to ensure the success on the ground in interrupting transmission and reducing suffering.”
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Around 560 000 children under ten years old were vaccinated against polio during the first round of an emergency vaccination campaign conducted in three phases from 1-12 September 2024 in the Gaza Strip.
The 12-day campaign provided novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to 558 963 children, following meticulous planning and coordination. This involved the use of an extensive network of teams, vaccinating at selected fixed sites at health facilities and outreach posts. Mobile and transit teams actively reached out to families living in shelter homes, tents, and camps for the displaced, alongside community workers engaging families to raise awareness ahead of and during the campaign. For each phase, an area-specific humanitarian pause of nine hours daily was agreed to ensure the safety of communities and health workers, and enable vaccination efforts.
“Health and community workers have shown incredible resilience, carrying out this campaign at unprecedented scale and speed under the toughest conditions in Gaza. Swift action by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative—from the moment the virus was detected to the launch of the vaccination campaign—speaks to the effectiveness of the polio programme. In areas where humanitarian pauses took place, the campaign brought not just vaccines, but moments of calm. As we prepare for the next round in four weeks, we’re hopeful these pauses will hold, because this campaign has clearly shown the world what’s possible when peace is given a chance,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
“It was critical this ambitious campaign was carried out quickly, safely and effectively to protect children in the Gaza Strip and neighbouring countries from the life-altering poliovirus,” said Jean Gough, UNICEF Special Representative in the State of Palestine. “The progress made in this first round is encouraging, but the job is far from done. We are poised to finish the task and call on all involved to ensure we can do so in the next round in four weeks' time, for the sake of children everywhere.”
Partners at all levels recognize common operational challenges faced during these efforts, including devastated infrastructure, from health facilities to roads, limited trained healthcare workers, access issues due to insecurity, limited fuel for generators used to safely store vaccines and freeze ice packs, and constant population movements. However, these issues were addressed in a timely manner, with the key support of the Palestinian Ministry of Health and UNRWA, to enable planned vaccination activities.
Despite these challenges and the conditions that families in the Gaza Strip have endured over the past 11 months, families flocked to health facilities to get their children vaccinated. This can be attributed to traditionally positive health seeking behaviour among the Palestinian people and an impactful campaign to raise awareness and mobilize the public.
The original target for the campaign was 640 000 children, estimated in the absence of an accurate survey, which may have been an over-estimate, as the population continues to move from place to place, and people are fleeing and being killed due to the ongoing hostilities. During the campaign, trained monitoring teams were deployed to oversee vaccination efforts. As next steps, an additional 65 independent monitors are being deployed to cross-check the proportion of children vaccinated across the Gaza Strip to independently assess the level of coverage achieved in the first round. They need safe, unimpeded access so they can visit households, markets, transit points, and health facilities to check children for the prominent purple dye marked on their little finger when they are vaccinated. These efforts will provide an independent measure of the percentage of vaccination coverage achieved and reasons for any unvaccinated children.
A second round of the campaign will follow, ideally within four weeks, to provide a second dose of nOPV2 to children in Gaza to stop the outbreak and prevent its international spread.
To repeat this ambitious intervention, reach enough children, and successfully stop further transmission of the poliovirus, WHO, UNICEF and UNRWA are calling on all parties to the conflict to commit to another round of humanitarian pauses, with unimpeded access to children in areas that need special coordination.
Ultimately, we need a long-lasting ceasefire as all families in the Gaza Strip need peace so they can begin to heal and rebuild their lives.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
13 September 2024 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against mpox to be added to its prequalification list.
The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely and increased access to this vital product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak. WHO’s assessment for prequalification is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for this vaccine.
“This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We now need urgent scale up in procurement, donations and rollout to ensure equitable access to vaccines where they are needed most, alongside other public health tools, to prevent infections, stop transmission and save lives.”
The MVA-BN vaccine can be administered in people over 18-years of age as a 2-dose injection given 4 weeks apart. After prior cold storage, the vaccine can be kept at 2–8°C for up to 8 weeks.
“The WHO prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine will help accelerate ongoing procurement of the mpox vaccines by governments and international agencies such as Gavi and Unicef to help communities on the frontlines of the ongoing emergency in Africa and beyond,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products. “The decision can also help national regulatory authorities to fast-track approvals, ultimately increasing access to quality-assured mpox vaccine products.”
The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization reviewed all available evidence and recommended the use of MVA-BN vaccine in the context of an mpox outbreak for persons at high risk of exposure. While MVA-BN is currently not licensed for persons under 18 years of age, this vaccine may be used “off-label” in infants, children and adolescents, and in pregnant and immunocompromised people. This means vaccine use is recommended in outbreak settings where the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks.
WHO also recommends single-dose use in supply-constrained outbreak situations. WHO emphasizes the need to collect further data on vaccine safety and effectiveness in these circumstances.
Available data shows that a single-dose MVA-BN vaccine given before exposure has an estimated 76% effectiveness in protecting people against mpox, with the 2-dose schedule achieving an estimated 82% effectiveness. Vaccination after exposure is less effective than pre-exposure vaccination.
Good safety profile and vaccine performance has been consistently demonstrated in clinical studies, as well as in real-world use during the ongoing global outbreak since 2022. In light of the changing epidemiology and emergence of new virus strains, it remains important to collect as much data as possible on vaccine safety and effectiveness in different contexts.
Since the triggering of the emergency use listing for mpox vaccines by WHO Director-General on 7 August 2024, WHO has conducted product and programmatic suitability assessments of MVA-BN vaccine.
“The findings of the assessments are particularly relevant in the context of the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) related to the upsurge of mpox in Africa,” said Dr Rogerio Gaspar, WHO Director for Regulation and Prequalification. “We are progressing with prequalification and emergency use listing procedures with manufacturers of two other mpox vaccines: LC-16 and ACAM2000. We have also received 6 expressions of interest for mpox diagnostic products for emergency use listing so far.”
The escalating mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries was declared a PHEIC by the WHO Director-General on 14 August 2024.
Over 120 countries have confirmed more than 103 000 cases of mpox since the onset of the global outbreak in 2022. In 2024 alone, there were 25 237 suspected and confirmed cases and 723 deaths from different outbreaks in 14 countries of the African Region (based on data from 8 September 2024).
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva, 12 September 2024 - At least one quarter or 22 500 of those injured in Gaza by 23 July are estimated to have life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of the types of injuries resulting from the ongoing conflict in Gaza: Estimating Trauma Rehabilitation Needs in Gaza using Injury Data from Emergency Medical Teams.
The analysis found that severe limb injuries, estimated to be between 13 455 to 17 550, are the main driver of the need for rehabilitation. Many of those injured have more than one injury. According to the report, between 3105 and 4050 limb amputations have also occurred. Large surges in spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and major burn injuries all contribute to the overall number of life-changing injuries, which includes many thousands of women and children.
“The huge surge in rehabilitation needs occurs in parallel with the ongoing decimation of the health system,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. “Patients can’t get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, placing patients' lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs.”
Currently, only 17 of 36 hospitals remain partially functional in Gaza, while primary health care and community-level services are frequently suspended or rendered inaccessible due to insecurity, attacks, and repeated evacuation orders. Gaza’s only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center, located in Nasser Medical Complex and supported by WHO, became non-functional in December 2023 due to lack of supplies and specialized health workers being forced to leave in search of safety, and was later left damaged following a raid in February 2024. Tragically, much of the rehabilitation workforce in Gaza is now displaced. Reports indicate 39 physiotherapists have been killed as of 10 May. In-patient rehabilitation and prosthetic services are no longer available and the number of people with injuries requiring assistive products far exceeds the equipment available within Gaza. Partners report that stocks of essential assistive products such as wheelchairs and crutches have run out and it is difficult to replenish supplies due to the restricted flow of aid into Gaza.
The analysis focuses solely on new injuries sustained since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. However, tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza were already living with pre-existing chronic conditions and impairments before this, putting them at significant risk due to the lack of appropriate services.
The estimates in the analysis will be used by WHO and partners to plan for a surge in rehabilitation-related services and contribute to long-term health planning and policymaking.
Amidst the ongoing hostilities, it is critical to ensure access to all essential health services, including rehabilitation to prevent illness and death. WHO reiterates its call for a ceasefire, which is critical for rebuilding the health system to cope with escalating needs.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Port Sudan, 9 September 2024 -- WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy yesterday concluded a two-day mission to Port Sudan, where they reaffirmed WHO's commitment to reaching all Sudanese in need and called on the international community to urgently act to end the extreme health and humanitarian crisis.
During their visit, Dr Tedros and Dr Balkhy met with Sudanese leaders, including Lt. Gen. Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council; Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Dr Malik Agar; and Federal Minister of Health Dr Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim Awadallah. The discussions centered on the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict and the critical need for unhindered humanitarian access to ensure that life-saving aid reaches all those in need, regardless of their location.
“The international community has seemingly forgotten about Sudan and is paying little heed to the conflict tearing it apart, with serious repercussions for the region,” Dr Tedros said during a press conference held today in Port Sudan. “That is why I have come to Sudan. I am here, with my sister Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director, to meet with the wide range of partners involved in the response, and to call for urgent and scaled up action to provide more resources, more access to humanitarian aid, and more security to health workers and the patients they serve.”
He added: “We are calling on the world to wake up and help Sudan out of the nightmare it is living through. ... We must not fail the people of Sudan.”
Much of Sudan’s health system has been devastated by the conflict, with more than 100 attacks on healthcare facilities in the over 500 days of conflict leading to significant casualties among health workers and patients. The insecurity has forced many health workers to flee with their families, worsening the shortage of medical staff. This exodus has further weakened the health system's ability to provide essential services, leaving many Sudanese without access to critical care.
The high-level WHO mission included a visit to a nutrition stabilization center supported by WHO, where Dr Tedros and Dr Balkhy saw firsthand the impact of the malnutrition crisis gripping Sudan. Currently, 3.6 million children are acutely malnourished, with 730 000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated food insecurity, making it increasingly difficult to deliver essential nutrition and health services to vulnerable populations.
At an internally displaced persons camp, Dr Tedros and Dr Balkhy saw the difficult living conditions the people face. The camp's residents are struggling with a lack of food, medicine, and clean water, exposing them to heightened risk of disease outbreaks and other health threats. The daily risks include threat of gender-based violence, particularly against the estimated four million women and girls at risk due to the ongoing conflict.
Dr Balkhy emphasized the critical need to respect the sanctity of healthcare, in line with international humanitarian law. "Sudan’s health infrastructure is in ruins, with many facilities destroyed, looted, or abandoned. To rebuild and stabilize the health system, there must be significant investment not only in restoring facilities but also in strengthening the health workforce," Dr Balkhy said. She linked this to the broader economic aspect, noting that without a functioning health system, the economic recovery and future stability of Sudan are at risk.
Following the mission, Dr Tedros and Dr Balkhy underscored the need for concerted international action – both to advance peace and provide the necessary short- and long-term aid. "Our priority is to ensure that every Sudanese in need receives the assistance they require, wherever they are in the country. This will only be possible through sustained peace, substantial investment in health infrastructure, and full, unimpeded access for humanitarian efforts across Sudan by whatever means needed, including both cross-line and cross-border from neighbouring countries.
“The only way forward is peace, for which the warring parties themselves have the greatest responsibility, with support from the international community. The world must not look away—this crisis demands our immediate and collective response."
The conflict has left some 25 million people — more than half of the country’s population — in dire need of humanitarian aid. Of these, 14.7 million require urgent assistance for a range of life-saving support, for which the humanitarian sector has requested US$ 2.7 billion, which is less than half of the funding required.
WHO’s current funding gap for the Sudan health crisis is concerning, with only 24% received out of the total WHO ask, severely limiting the ability to address the crisis.
The high-level visit also included the inauguration of the new premises of WHO’s office in Port Sudan, expanding WHO’s ability to reach people affected by the crisis.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Over 187 000 children under ten years of age were vaccinated with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in central Gaza during the first phase of a two-round polio vaccination campaign, conducted between 1–3 September 2024. Vaccination coverage in this phase exceeded the initial estimated target of 157 000 children due to population movement towards central Gaza, and expanded coverage in areas outside the humanitarian pause zone.
To ensure no child is missed in this area, polio vaccination will continue at four large health facilities in central Gaza over the next few days. Vaccine doses have been supplied to these sites to meet any additional needs.
“It has been extremely encouraging to see thousands of children being able to access polio vaccines, with the support of their resilient families and courageous health workers, despite the deplorable conditions they have braved over the last 11 months. All parties respected the humanitarian pause and we hope to see this positive momentum continue,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory.
The first phase of the campaign was conducted by 513 teams, consisting of over 2180 health and community outreach workers. Vaccination was provided at 143 fixed sites, including hospitals, medical points, primary care centres, camps where displaced people are living, key public gathering spaces such as temporary learning spaces, food and water distribution points, and transit routes leading from central towards northern and southern Gaza. Additionally, mobile teams visited tents and hard to-reach areas to ensure they reached families who were unable to visit fixed sites. The presence of a substantial number of children eligible for vaccination who were unable to reach vaccination sites due to insecurity, necessitated special missions to Al-Maghazi, Al-Bureij and Al-Mussader – areas just outside of the agreed zone for the humanitarian pause.
Preparations are underway to roll out the next phase of the campaign, which will be conducted in southern Gaza from 5–8 September 2024, targeting an estimated 340 000 children below ten years of age. Some 517 teams, including 384 mobile teams, will be deployed. Nearly 300 community outreach workers have already begun outreach to families in southern Gaza to raise awareness about the campaign, while 490 vaccine carriers, 90 cold storage boxes, and other supplies have been transferred to Khan Younis for distribution to vaccination sites.
The third and last phase of the polio vaccination campaign will be implemented in northern Gaza from 9–11 September 2024, targeting around 150 000 children.
At least 90% vaccination coverage during each round of the campaign is needed to stop the outbreak, prevent the international spread of polio and reduce the risk of its re-emergence, given the severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems in the Gaza Strip. Vaccination coverage will be monitored throughout the campaign, and, when necessary, vaccinations will be extended to meet coverage targets as part of flexible strategies to ensure every eligible child receives their vaccine dose.
The two-round campaign, being conducted by the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and many partners, aims to provide two drops of nOPV2 to around 640 000 children during each round.
"The successful delivery of the first phase of the campaign in central Gaza is a culmination of immense coordination among various partners, including the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and donors, and underscores the importance of peace for the health and well-being of people in Gaza. We call on all parties to continue fulfilling their commitment to the humanitarian pauses as the second phase of the campaign begins tomorrow,” said Dr Peeperkorn.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.