Improving universal health coverage

Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General in conversation with a group of people.
WHO

15 February 2013 -- WHO and the World Bank are co-hosting a ministerial-level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) on 18–19 February 2013. UHC is about ensuring that all people have access to services that promote good health, prevent illness, offer treatment and rehabilitation. The services must be of good quality and effective, and people must not suffer financial hardship when paying for them. The meeting is bringing together ministers of finance and health from selected countries with other high-level stakeholders.

Mortality among people who inject drugs

A person approaches a street substance abuse clinic.
WHO

12 February 2013 -- People who use drugs, especially by injection, are at higher risk of dying from both acute and chronic diseases, many of which are related to their drug use, than people who do not use these drugs. This WHO Bulletin article explains that fatal overdose and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other blood borne viruses transmitted through shared needles and syringes are the most common causes of death in this group.

Ensuring progress on noncommunicable diseases

Girl roller skating, Wellness Week 2012, Peru.
WHO/PAHO

8 February 2013 -- WHO has developed a global monitoring framework to enable global tracking of progress in preventing and controlling major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) - cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes - and their key risk factors. The framework comprises nine global targets and 25 indicators and will be up for adoption by Member States during the World Health Assembly in May 2013.

Speeding up access to quality medicines in Africa

Nurses prepare medication for distribution to patients at the pharmacy in the Ibanda hospital, Uganda
WHO/C. Black

5 February 2013 -- In many countries, medicines are required to go through a national process of quality assurance before their use is authorized – a lengthy, expensive procedure. This feature story describes how ten African countries have joined a WHO initiative that aims to speed up access to medicines and develop local expertise in medicines’ regulation.

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WHO highlights

  • February 2013

    Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: updated fact sheet

    The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks. The virus is primarily transmitted to people from ticks and livestock animals and is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, in countries south of the 50th parallel north.

  • February 2013

    Female genital mutilation (FGM) fact sheet

    FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. About 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM.

  • February 2013

    Health innovation and access to medicines

    For the first time, the three global intergovernmental bodies dealing with health, intellectual property and trade have pooled their expertise on a study of policies needed to advance medical and health technologies and to ensure they reach the people who need them.

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