Long-term exposure to air pollution and lack of green spaces significantly increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Vienna this week. Researchers from the University of Bergen, Norway, found that even in Northern Europe, where air pollution levels are relatively […] Continue reading ->
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is planning to launch its mpox vaccination campaign in early October, marking a critical step in the fight against the ongoing outbreak across Africa, said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the African Centres for Disease Control and Protection (Africa CDC), on Thursday.  Kaseya spoke at a press briefing following […] Continue reading ->
Tens of millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa will experience “catastrophic levels” of intimate partner violence because the world is failing to make progress on the climate crisis, according to new projections by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. The report, jointly produced by UNFPA, the International Institute for Applied Systems […] Continue reading ->
Manufacturers of antibiotics are dumping waste into waterways that is driving antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warns the first-ever guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) on waste water management and AMR. Antibiotic pollution is “largely unregulated” and a “neglected” issue,  according to the WHO guidance, which explains how to mitigate liquid and solid waste during the formulation […] Continue reading ->
Fundamental policy changes aimed at fixing India’s seemingly intractable air pollution health crisis were suggested at the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) held in Bengaluru recently.  Among the dozens of presentations by air quality scientists and officials, five key elements emerged for policy action that can speed up the reduction of air pollutants. These involve: […] Continue reading ->
New Delhi’s decades-old regime to control vehicular pollution, including a heavy reliance by commercial vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel, has been challenged by a new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).  The report upends the narrative the that CNG is a ‘clean’ fuel, pointing to its high level of health-damaging […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization and UNICEF have appealed for ‘humanitarian pauses’ in the grinding Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip in August and September to facilitate a massive polio booster campaign – as three suspected polio cases were being investigated by a Jordanian laboratory. The appeal came as the entire region see-saws between the possibility […] Continue reading ->