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World AIDS Day, observed every year on 1 December, stands as a global initiative uniting people worldwide to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the epidemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners announced 10 projects that will receive almost US$ 2 million in grants to improve capacities in pathogen genomic surveillance. 

The catalytic grant fund was established by the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) to support partners from low- and middle-income countries to build their capacities in pathogen genomic analysis. This technology analyses the genetic code of viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms to understand, in conjunction with other data, how easily they spread, and how sick they can make people. This data allows scientists and public health teams to track and respond to infectious disease threats, supports the development of vaccines and treatments and empowers countries to take faster decisions. 

The fund is hosted by the United Nations Foundation and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome. 

“The IPSN catalytic grant fund has incredible potential to expand pathogen genomic surveillance for all, which we are already seeing through the first round of grantmaking,” said Sara Hersey, Director of Collaborative Intelligence at the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. “We are eager to support this work, which plays a key role in pandemic and epidemic prevention worldwide.” 

“The IPSN catalytic grant fund recipients will accelerate the benefits of pathogen genomic surveillance in low- and middle-income settings, as well as explore new applications for genomic surveillance, such as wastewater surveillance,” said Manisha Bhinge, Vice President of the Health Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. “Pandemics and epidemics continue to be a global threat, further amplified by climate change. There is urgent need for equitable access to these tools and capabilities to protect lives in vulnerable communities.” 

One of the recipients, the American University of Beirut, will use wastewater surveillance to study how diseases spread in refugee populations, helping to ensure that people can quickly receive the care and support they need in migration settings. Another grantee, the Pasteur Institute of Laos, will use the funding to develop new methods to track avian flu in live-bird markets, a setting that is often overlooked but vital to millions of people worldwide. 

“If we are to protect vulnerable populations from the devastating impacts of disease, we first need to better understand how these pathogens spread, evolve and cause illness. These projects, developed in-country and tailored to local priorities, will generate new insights, knowledge and evidence that will help track global pathogen trends and inform evidence-based decisions to implement effective interventions” said Titus Divala, Interim Head of Epidemics and Epidemiology at Wellcome. 

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will use the funding to develop an open-source bioinformatics tool that can be used to conduct offline analyses. The tool will be piloted in Latin America with potential for global use, especially in low-resource settings. 

"SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent regional disease outbreaks have underscored the importance of access to genomic surveillance tools in all countries. The IPSN's catalytic investments will generate data and innovative methods to support the much-needed scale-up in LMICs," said Simon Harris of the Gates Foundation.    

The grantees were announced at the IPSN Global Partners Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21–22 November. The event was co-hosted by the WHO Regional Offices for South-East Asia and the Western Pacific and the Centre for Pathogen Genomics at the Doherty Institute in Australia.  

A second round of catalytic grant funds will be made available to IPSN members in 2025.  

Note to editors: 

Background on the IPSN 

The IPSN is a new global network of pathogen genomic actors, brought together by the WHO Pandemic Hub, to accelerate progress on the deployment of pathogen genomics, and improve public health decision-making. The IPSN envisions a world where every country has equitable access to sustained capacity for genomic sequencing and analytics as part of its public health surveillance system. It sets out to create a mutually supportive global network of genomic surveillance actors that amplifies and accelerates the work of its members to improve access and equity. 

More information about the network can be found here: www.who.int/initiatives/international-pathogen-surveillance-network. 

Background on the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence 

Forming part of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence (the WHO Pandemic Hub), facilitates a global collaboration of partners from multiple sectors that supports countries and stakeholders to address future pandemic and epidemic risks with better access to data, better analytical capacities, and better tools and insights for decision-making. With support from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the WHO Pandemic Hub was established in September 2021 in Berlin, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrated weaknesses around the world in how countries detect, monitor and manage public health threats. 

More information about the WHO Pandemic Hub can be found here: https://pandemichub.who.int 

Background on the Centre for Pathogen Genomics 

The Centre for Pathogen Genomics at the Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne is an academic and training hub that supports new collaboration for translational research, genomics-informed infectious disease surveillance, and capacity building and training across the Asia-Pacific region. The Centre is underpinned by a portfolio of world-leading experts across pathogen genomics, public health, surveillance, bioinformatics, research, and capacity building and training, with years of experience in using cutting-edge technologies to address infectious diseases of national and global importance. 

Full list of the first IPSN catalytic grantees: 

• National Institute for Health Research (Angola) - “Metagenomic surveillance for epidemic prevention in the DRC-Angola cross-border (FEEVIR Project)” 

• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - “Development of an offline-capable computational framework for decentralised real-time untargeted pathogen genomic surveillance” 

• National Public Health Laboratory (Cameroon) - “Integrating surveillance of malaria parasites into the National Public Health Laboratory genomics platform in Cameroon” 

• Evangelical University of Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo) - “Generating genomic surveillance data of pathogens in Democratic Republic of Congo by extending the Mini-Lab with a Nanopore MinION sequencer” 

• Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana (Ghana) - “Air Sampling Surveillance for Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Pathogens of Public Health Interest” 

• Ashoka University, International Foundation for Research and Education, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India) - “Quantitative mapping of environmental to clinical AMR via DNA barcoding” 

• Pasteur Institute of Laos (Laos) - “Environmental genomic surveillance of avian Influenza A viruses in high-risk live-bird markets in Laos: an innovative sequencing approach” 

• American University of Beirut (Lebanon) - “Wastewater Genomic Surveillance of Underestimated Viral Diarrheal Diseases among Vulnerable and Refugee Populations in Lebanon” 

• Rwanda Biomedical Centre (Rwanda) - “Establishing a Rwandan One Health genomic surveillance network for endemic and emerging viral hemorrhagic fevers” 

• Medical Research Institute Colombo (Sri Lanka) - “Piloting the application of pathogen genomics for public health and surveillance of foodborne disease” 

 

 

Delegations from over 110 countries are coming together to produce national roadmaps and negotiate a joint declaration on oral health at the first-ever global oral health meeting organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). The declaration is expected to outline collective commitments from Member States to accelerate the implementation of the Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023–2030.

Oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, affecting an estimated 3.5 billion people. Oral health is often misunderstood as just dental health, overlooking its broader importance. Oral diseases include dental caries or cavities, gum disease, tooth loss, oral cancer, noma and birth defects, affecting the mouth, teeth and facial structures that are essential for eating, breathing and speaking.

"Oral health is an important part of well-being, yet millions of people lack access to the services they need to protect and promote their oral health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO calls on all countries to prioritize prevention and expand access to affordable oral health services as part of their journey towards universal health coverage.”

This groundbreaking event, hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, is part of the preparatory process for the fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs (4th UN HLM on NCDs) in 2025. It aims to accelerate progress towards UHC, reaffirm political commitments made by Member States, and promote the implementation of the Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023–2030.

“Oral health is a crucial aspect of overall health, and Thailand is proud to host this landmark global meeting,” said H.E. Mr Somsak Thepsutin, Minister of Public Health in Thailand. “Our commitment to universal health coverage includes ensuring that all citizens have access to quality oral health services and promoting prevention through our communities, reinforcing our dedication to improving health outcomes for everyone."

Key outcomes of the meeting – the Bangkok declaration on oral health – will inform the WHO Director-General’s report for the 4th UN HLM on NCDs in 2025, ensuring better recognition and integration of oral diseases in the future global NCD agenda.

The Declaration seeks to guarantee oral health as a fundamental human right. It recognizes that improving access to affordable oral health care cannot be achieved without integrating it into primary health care and UHC packages.

During the meeting, it is expected a new global coalition on oral health will be announced, aiming to foster partnerships to enhance the reach and effectiveness of oral health initiatives worldwide.

The WHO first global oral health meeting is being attended by delegations from Member States, UN agencies, international organizations, philanthropic foundations, civil society organizations and other stakeholders dedicated to advancing oral health, NCDs and UHC programmes.

 

Note to editors:

The Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023–2030  provides a framework to address challenges in preventing and controlling oral diseases, promoting oral health within the NCD agenda and ensuring that essential services are accessible without financial strain as part of UHC initiative. It outlines six strategic objectives, 100 actions and 11 global targets aimed at reducing the burden of oral diseases, which contribute significantly to the global NCD crisis.

For more information and to watch the meeting, please visit WHO global oral health meeting event webpage.  

 

Two studies published in Eurosurveillance marking European Antibiotic Awareness Day and World AMR Awareness Week raise the alarm about the spread of bacteria resistant to carbapenems in both healthcare and community settings across Europe.

Since 7 October 2023, 47% of attacks on health care – 65 out of 137 – have proven fatal to at least one health worker or patient in Lebanon, as of 21 November 2024.

This is a higher percentage than in any active conflict today across the globe – with nearly half of all attacks on health causing the death of a health worker.

In comparison, the global average is 13.3%, based on the SSA’s figures from 13 countries or territories that reported attacks in the same period, 7 October 2023–18 November 2024 – among them Ukraine, Sudan and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). In the case of oPt, 9.6% of the total number of incidents has resulted in the death of at least one medical professional or patient.

According to the SSA, 226 health workers and patients were killed in Lebanon and 199 injured between 7 October 2023 and 18 November 2024.

In the same period, the SSA registered a combined total of 1401 attacks on health in oPt, Lebanon and Israel – 1196 in oPt, 137 in Lebanon and 68 in Israel.

Civilian health care has special protection

“These figures reveal yet again an extremely worrying pattern. It’s unequivocal – depriving civilians of access to lifesaving care and targeting health providers is a breach of international humanitarian law. The law prohibits the use of health facilities for military purposes – and even if that is the case, stringent conditions to taking action against them apply, including a duty to warn and to wait after warning,” said WHO Representative in Lebanon Dr Abdinasir Abubakar.

International humanitarian law states that health workers and facilities should always be protected in armed conflicts and never attacked. Health facilities must not be used for military purposes, and there should be accountability for the misuse of health facilities.

“There need to be consequences for not abiding by international law, and the principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality should always be adhered to. It’s been said before, indiscriminate attacks on health care are a violation of human rights and international law that cannot become the new normal, not in Gaza, not in Lebanon, nowhere,” said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy.

The majority of incidents in Lebanon impact health workers

The majority (68%) of incidents in Lebanon registered by the SSA impacted health personnel, a pattern seen repeatedly in the last few years, including in Gaza in the past year. In Lebanon, roughly 63% affected health transport and 26% affected health facilities.

Attacks on health care hit twice. First, when health workers lose their lives or when a health centre is obliterated, and again in the following weeks and months when the injured can’t be treated, those who are dependent on regular care don’t receive it and when children can’t be immunized. 

“Casualty numbers among health workers of this scope would debilitate any country, not just Lebanon. But what the numbers alone cannot convey is the long-term impact, the treatments for health conditions missed, women and girls prevented from accessing maternal, sexual and reproductive health services, undiagnosed treatable diseases and, ultimately, the lives lost because of the absence of health care. That is the impact that’s hard to quantify,” said Dr Abubakar.

1 in 10 hospitals in Lebanon directly impacted

The greater the blow to the health workforce, the weaker the longer-term ability of a country to recover from a crisis and deliver health care in a post-conflict setting

Lebanon is a lower middle-income country with a fairly advanced health system that’s been hit hard by multiple crises in recent years. After hostilities in Lebanon escalated in September 2024, the growing number of attacks on health have caused further strain on an already over-burdened system.

Today, the country’s health system is under extreme duress, with 15 out of 153 hospitals having ceased to operate, or only partially functioning. Nabatieh, as an example, one of Lebanon’s 8 governorates, has lost 40% of its hospital bed capacity.

“Attacks on health care of this scale cripple a health system when those whose lives depend on it need it the most. Beyond the loss of life, the death of health workers is a loss of years of investment and a crucial resource to a fragile country going forward,” Dr Balkhy concluded.

So far this year, between 1 January 2024 and 18 November 2024, a total of 1246 attacks on health care were registered globally, in 13 countries or territories, killing 730 health workers and patients and injuring 1255.

Note to editors

The Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA), established in 2017 by the World Health Organization, is an independent global monitoring mechanism whose goal is to collect reliable data on attacks on health care and to then identify patterns of violence that inform risk reduction and resilience measures so that health care is protected. The SSA also provides an evidence base for advocacy against attacks on health care.

ECDC is launching a new Community of Practice for infectious disease prevention and behaviour called ECDC Lighthouse.

ECDC is today opening the 2024 European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE).

The first-ever Investment Round of the World Health Organization (WHO) reached a culminating moment during the G20 Leaders' Summit today in Rio de Janeiro, chaired by the President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Heads of state and government at the G20 voiced strong support for a sustainably funded WHO, additional financial pledges were announced, and incoming G20 Chair South Africa pledged to maintain a focus in 2025 on sustainably financing the Organization. 

The support was reflected in the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration which said: “We reiterate the central coordinating role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global health architecture, supported by adequate, predictable, transparent, flexible and sustainable financing. We support the conducting of the WHO Investment Round as an additional measure for financing the WHO activities.” 

The Investment Round is raising funds for WHO’s strategy for global health, the Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which can save an additional 40 million lives over the next four years. The Investment Round has succeeded in shifting WHO’s funding model so that it is more predictable, flexible and resilient.  

With the pledges received from Australia, Indonesia and Spain at the Leaders’ Summit, WHO has now received pledges of US$ 1.7 billion. Including other signed funding agreements and expected funding from partnerships, WHO has funding of US$ 3.8 billion for the next four years. This means that WHO has raised 53% of the US$ 7.1 billion funding needed, successfully increasing predictability as compared to 2020, when WHO had only 17% of funding secured for its previous strategy. WHO, Member States and partners will continue efforts to cover the remaining gap so the Organization can deliver on the strategy for 2025–2028.  

The Investment Round has also successfully broadened WHO’s donor base, improving its funding resilience. Since its launch in May, there have been 70 new pledges from Member States, and philanthropic and private sector donors, 39 of which are contributing voluntary funds for the first time. This is making WHO’s funding more diversified and thus marks a milestone in the Organization’s evolution. 

Seven of these new donors are low-income countries and 21 are middle-income countries, representing a shift in WHO’s funding base. This shift also demonstrates broad-based recognition of the need to invest in health and in WHO. 

Forty-six donors have so far pledged more flexible funding, compared to 35 in the last four years, increasing the ability of WHO to use the funds where they are most needed.  

Overall, the Investment Round means that WHO can work more efficiently, better plan the implementation of its Strategy and respond even better to crises. 

It is expected that a number of other governments and donors will pledge to the Investment Round in the coming months.  

Quotes: 

President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said: “The World Health Organization represents humanity’s greatest ideals. Investment over the next four years will be repaid many times over in well-being gained. It will set the foundation for future generations.” 

The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, said: “The work of the WHO benefits all of us. It needs reliable financing from a broad base. Every contribution counts."  

President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said: “The World Health Organization deserves our support, as our unique common, universal, compass to global health. It is the only organization technically and politically able to coordinate our global action, and edict universal norms and advice in the field of health. As part of this Investment Round, WHO is bringing to life a new Academy, open to all health practitioners around the world, to tackle one of the key investment priorities identified during the COVID crisis, which is human capacity in the health sector. In a nutshell, investing in WHO is investing in the strengthening of our response capacity to health crises and in particular to pandemics.”  

President of South Africa H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, who will Chair the G20 Presidency in 2025, said: “We are proud to carry the baton on from Brazil and continue to spotlight the importance of WHO and the need for sustainable financing towards the goal of health for all.” 

“The WHO Investment Round is about mobilizing the predictable, flexible funding WHO needs to save lives, prevent disease and make the world a healthier and safer place,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I thank President Lula for his strong support for WHO and for hosting the culmination of the Investment Round during the G20 Leaders’ Summit, and I thank all donors for their contributions. I am grateful to President Ramaphosa for carrying the baton for sustainable financing for WHO into South Africa’s G20 Presidency next year.” 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for the LC16m8 mpox vaccine, making it the second mpox vaccine to be supported by WHO following the Director-General’s declaration of an mpox public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024.

This decision is expected to facilitate increased and timely access to vaccines in communities where mpox outbreaks are surging. In 2024, cases have been reported across 80 countries, including 19 countries in Africa, based on data as of 31 October 2024. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the hardest-hit country, recorded a large majority of suspected cases – over 39 000 – as well as more than 1000 deaths.

Today’s move is particularly relevant as the Government of Japan has announced that it will donate 3.05 million doses of the LC16m8 vaccine, along with specialized inoculation needles, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is the largest donation package announced to date in response to the current mpox emergency.  

LC16m8 is a vaccine developed and manufactured by KM Biologics in Japan. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for EUL of vaccines convened to discuss the outcome of the LC16m8 vaccine review, including the product and programmatic suitability assessments. The TAG recommended the vaccine for use in individuals over one year of age as a single dose vaccine, via a multiple puncture technique using a bifurcated needle.

“WHO emergency use listing of the LC16m8 vaccine against mpox marks a significant step in our response to the current emergency, providing a new option to protect all populations, including children,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products. “Vaccines are one of the important tools to help contain the outbreak as part of a comprehensive response strategy that also includes improved testing and diagnosis, treatment and care, infection prevention control, and engagement and education within affected communities.”

WHO’s assessment for EUL is based on information submitted by the manufacturer and review by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), the Japanese regulatory agency of record for this vaccine. The LC16m8 vaccine has been used in Japan during previous mpox outbreaks and was shown to be safe and effective, including in people with well-controlled HIV.

The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization reviewed available evidence and recommended the use of LC16m8 vaccine in outbreak settings in children and others with a documented high-risk of exposure to mpox.

However, minimally replicating vaccines, such as LC16m8, should not be used during pregnancy and in people who are immunocompromised. Immunocompromised persons include those with active cancer, transplant recipients, immunodeficiency, and active treatment with immunosuppressive agents. They also include people living with HIV with a current CD4 cell count of <200 cells µl.

The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety reviewed the updated safety data on LC16m8 on 20 September 2024 and recommended that healthcare workers are provided with training on the use of bifurcated needles to prevent injuries and adverse effects. 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.

WHO continues to work closely with manufacturers, global partners and countries to ensure the availability and administration of safe and effective life-saving products.

On 13 September 2024, WHO prequalified the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine and expanded its indication to include use in individuals aged 12 years and older on 8 October 2024.

 

Note to editors:

WHO Prequalification (PQ) and Emergency Use Listing (EUL) are mechanisms used to evaluate quality, safety and efficacy of medical products, such as vaccines, diagnostics and medicines, and product suitability for use in the contexts of low- and middle-income countries. Products receiving PQ or EUL support decision-making for international, regional and country procurement by UN and partner procurement agencies and Member States. PQ is based on the review of full set of quality, safety and efficacy data on medical products, including risk management plan and programmatic suitability. EUL is a risk benefit assessment to address urgent demands during public health emergencies based on available limited data where the benefits outweigh the risks.

Data published by ECDC in connection with European Antibiotic Awareness Day shows that, despite improvement in some areas, the EU is lapsing in progress towards its 2030 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) targets.

As world leaders arrive in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the G20 Summit this weekend, the city’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue will be illuminated in the colour teal. The Brazilian advocates behind this effort are among many around the globe joining the World Health Organization (WHO) to mobilize efforts on a worldwide “Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination.” Other countries are marking the day with campaigns to provide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening, launching new health policies to align with the world’s first-ever effort to eliminate a cancer, and raising awareness in communities.

Four years ago to the day, 194 countries resolved to eliminate cervical cancer and WHO launched a global strategy. Since then, significant progress has been made. At least 144 countries have introduced the HPV vaccine, over 60 countries now include HPV testing in their cervical screening programmes and 83 countries include surgical-care services for cervical cancer in health-benefit packages.

“I thank all the health workers who are playing a critical role in this global effort,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “While we are making progress, we still face huge inequities, with women in low-income countries bearing most of the burden. Only with strong leadership and sustained investment can we achieve our shared goal of equitable access for communities most in need.”

Marking this campaign for the fourth  year, governments, partners and civil society are organizing various activities and commitments. These include:

• Chile will announce a pilot for self-collection with HPV testing, which will be incorporated as part of its health care reform and universal primary health care.
• China: Medical schools and hospitals will host a series of academic lectures, health runs, and illuminations to raise awareness across 31 cities.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo will host a 3-day forum to launch a national strategy for cervical cancer elimination, concluding with a march through Kinshasa for cervical cancer awareness.
• Ethiopia, with support from Gavi, will launch an HPV vaccination campaign aiming to reach over 7 million girls.
• India: Civil society groups in different states will host a series of activities that include awareness campaigns and trainings for health-care professionals.  
• Ireland will launch its Action Plan to achieve cervical cancer elimination, one year after announcing its goal to achieve this milestone by 2040 on the Day of Action in 2023.
• Japan’s Ministry of Health, local municipalities, and hospitals will illuminate over 70 landmarks across the country during their annual Teal Blue Campaign.
• Nigeria will raise awareness through advocacy led by the Nigerian First Ladies Against Cancer.
• Rwanda will announce its goal to reach the 90-70-90 targets by the year 2027, three years ahead of the WHO goal.
• South Africa’s Department of Health will roll out health provider trainings in 3 provinces.

Push for better tests

WHO is launching new guidance on Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for HPV screening tests. This technical product outlines preferred standards for new HPV tests. The tests should be able to function even in remote areas in low- and middle-income country settings where disease burden is highest. The TPPs highlight the importance of tests that give women the option to collect their own samples for testing; and the value of tools that enable HPV testing in settings closer to where women receive care.

The new publication aims to support innovation in the HPV testing market, emphasizing high-performance, low-cost, and accessible solutions, particularly transformative in resource-limited settings.

Editor’s note

In 2020, 194 countries resolved to eliminate a cancer for the first time and WHO launched the Global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. This historic response to the WHO Director-General’s call to action in 2018 catalyzed a social movement and sparked an annual tradition, bringing communities across the world together for a Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination. 

 

Since the launch of the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) in May 2023, WHO, ministries of health and partners have worked to consolidate a vision of an interoperable and globally connected health emergency workforce that can work together on health emergencies. GHEC will enable countries to strengthen their emergency workforce capacities, streamline coordination mechanisms during response efforts and ultimately save lives. 

To foster broadened ownership of GHEC, WHO is now rolling out implementation guidance that can be adapted and used at national, regional and global levels. WHO gathered country representatives and partners, from 30 October–1 November 2024, to test the design of the Global Health Emergency Corps through a scenario-based exercise and to discuss concrete steps for implementation.  

Ministry of Health representatives from Brazil, Mozambique and Qatar who participated in the GHEC design workshop reiterated the value of the initiative and shared outcomes they foresee.  

• Assessing and strengthening emergency workforce capacities. Through GHEC, countries can assess, structure and invest in their national health emergency corps. Dr Soha Al-Bayat, Director of Health Emergency, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, said, “For countries with robust health security systems, like Qatar, the Global Health Emergency Corps enables us to confirm that we are on the right track and is an eye-opener to workforce-related gaps that exist. Additionally, for other countries in the region who are just starting to build health emergency workforce capacities, GHEC will serve as a tool that they can leverage to secure pollical buy-in to implement the initiative.”  

• Enabling coordination mechanisms across surge networks. GHEC also outlines modalities for collaboration and support between countries and partners. Pre-established and tested coordination mechanisms are critical during an emergency response. Dr Eduardo Samo Gudo Junior, Director General, Mozambique National Institute of Health, recalled that in 2019 when Mozambique was hit by one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and a subsequent cholera outbreak, the country was inundated by external humanitarian responders. “If we had a mechanism for better coordination – like GHEC now provides — to streamline response efforts, we would have avoided delays, minimized duplication of efforts and better utilized resources,” he said.  

Echoing the need for better coordination mechanisms in emergency response efforts, Dr Leonardo Gomes Menezes, Specialist, Brazil’s Ministry of Health, noted how critical it was to streamline efforts across sectors during recent floods in Southern Brazil, which impacted over 2.3 million people. “Search and rescue teams needed to work closely with medical service providers, and this required immense coordination and collaboration across sectors,” he said. “With the coordination mechanisms that GHEC facilitates, we can be far more effective in future emergency responses.” 

• Connecting emergency health leadership. Through GHEC, emergency leaders are well-connected at all levels so that they can collectively mount coordinated and effective responses to emerging health threats. In alignment with GHEC, WHO is establishing a regional health emergency leaders' network — involving emergency health leaders from across the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean Regions — to enhance the continent’s ability to respond to complex health emergencies. Additionally, WHO is working to establish regional health emergency councils in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions, composed of heads of state and supported by standing and limited tenure committees, to guide pandemic preparedness and public health emergency response efforts. This is part of WHO's efforts with partners to adapt the implementation of the Global Health Emergency Corps in the region under the Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF).  

Implementing the Global Health Emergency Corps  

The GHEC design workshop was an opportunity to build further consensus around GHEC and its implementation at the country level. WHO, ministry of health representatives and key partners from across regions were also introduced to generative artificial intelligence (AI) and how it could be used as a tool to operationalize GHEC, empower countries to adapt the principles to their own specific circumstances, and accelerate the dissemination of the innovation.  

GHEC enables countries, regions and emergency response partners to assess their health emergency workforce and related coordination structures in a comprehensive manner. Through GHEC, countries can identify elements that are missing or require strengthening to ensure a robust response to health emergencies that can be coordinated effectively with those in neighbouring countries, the region and globally. WHO and partners will work closely with several pathfinder countries to implement GHEC over the coming months, to test the improvements in coordination through a simulation exercise, and to further strengthen the Emergency Corps for the benefit of all countries.

 

Worldwide, there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases.

Measles is preventable with two doses of measles vaccine; yet more than 22 million children missed their first dose of measles vaccine in 2023. Globally, an estimated 83% of children received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, while only 74% received the recommended second dose.

Coverage of 95% or greater of two doses of measles vaccine is needed in each country and community to prevent outbreaks and protect populations from one of the world’s most contagious human viruses.

“Measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “To save even more lives and stop this deadly virus from harming the most vulnerable, we must invest in immunization for every person, no matter where they live.”

“The number of measles infections are rising around the globe, endangering lives and health,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said. “The measles vaccine is our best protection against the virus, and we must continue to invest in efforts to increase access.”

As a result of global gaps in vaccination coverage, 57 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2023, affecting all regions except the Americas, and representing a nearly 60% increase from 36 countries in the previous year. The WHO African, Eastern Mediterranean, European, South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions experienced a substantial upsurge in cases. Nearly half of all large or disruptive outbreaks occurred in the African region.

An unacceptable death toll due to rising measles cases

The new data show that an estimated 107 500 people, mostly children younger than 5 years of age, died due to measles in 2023. Although this is an 8% decrease from the previous year, far too many children are still dying from this preventable disease. This slight reduction in deaths was mainly because the surge in cases occurred in countries and regions where children with measles are less likely to die, due to better nutritional status and access to health services.

Even when people survive measles, serious health effects can occur, some of which are lifelong. Infants and young children are at greatest risk of serious complications from the disease, which include blindness, pneumonia, and encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage).

As measles cases surge and outbreaks increase, the world’s elimination goal, as laid out in Immunization Agenda 2030, is under threat. Worldwide, 82 countries had achieved or maintained measles elimination at the end of 2023. Just this week, Brazil was reverified as having eliminated measles, making the WHO Americas Region once again free of endemic measles. With the exception of the African Region, at least 1 country in all WHO regions has eliminated the disease.

Urgent and targeted efforts by countries and partners, particularly in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, and in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings, are needed to vaccinate all children fully with two doses of measles vaccine. This requires achieving and maintaining high-performing routine immunization programmes and delivering high-quality, high-coverage campaigns when those programmes are not yet sufficient to protect every child. 

Countries and global immunization partners must also strengthen disease surveillance, including the Global Measles Rubella Laboratory Network (GMRLN). Strong disease surveillance is critical to optimizing immunization programmes and detecting and responding rapidly to measles outbreaks in order to mitigate their size and impact.

 Note to editors

Progress Toward Regional Measles Elimination — Worldwide, 2000–2023 is a joint publication of WHO and CDC. It is published within the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record and in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC and WHO use statistical modelling to estimate measles cases and deaths each year, based on cases reported by countries, and revise previous year's estimates to assess disease trends over time.

CDC and WHO are founding members of the Measles & Rubella Partnership (M&RP), a global initiative to stop measles and rubella. Under the umbrella of Immunization Agenda 2030 and guided by the Measles and Rubella Strategic Framework 2030, M&RP’s mission includes addressing the decline in national vaccination coverage, hastening the recovery of the measles backsliding resulting from COVID-19 pandemic, and accelerating progress towards creating a world free of measles and rubella. The partnership also includes  American Red Cross, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, United Nations Foundation, and UNICEF.

Measles elimination is defined as the absence of endemic measles virus transmission in a region or other defined geographical area for more than 12 months. Conversely, a country is no longer considered to be measles free if the virus returns and transmission is sustained continuously for more than a year.

For more information on CDC’s global measles vaccination efforts, visit https://www.cdc.gov/global-measles-vaccination.

For more information on WHO’s measles response and support, visit https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles.

 

The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has surpassed 800 million, more than quadrupling since 1990, according to new data released in The Lancet on World Diabetes Day. The analysis, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), highlights the scale of the diabetes epidemic and an urgent need for stronger global action to address both rising disease rates and widening treatment gaps, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

“We have seen an alarming rise in diabetes over the past three decades, which reflects the increase in obesity, compounded by the impacts of the marketing of unhealthy food, a lack of physical activity and economic hardship," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must urgently take action. This starts with enacting policies that support healthy diets and physical activity, and, most importantly, health systems that provide prevention, early detection and treatment.”

The study reports that global diabetes prevalence in adults rose from 7% to 14% between 1990 and 2022. LMICs experienced the largest increases, where diabetes rates have soared while treatment access remains persistently low. This trend has led to stark global inequalities: in 2022, almost 450 million adults aged 30 and older – about 59% of all adults with diabetes – remained untreated, marking a 3.5-fold increase in untreated people since 1990. Ninety per cent of these untreated adults are living in LMICs.

The study further reveals substantial global differences in diabetes rates, with the prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 18 and older around 20% in the WHO South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean Regions. These two regions, together with the African Region, have the lowest rates of diabetes treatment coverage, with fewer than 4 in 10 adults with diabetes taking glucose-lowering medication for their diabetes.

WHO’s commitment to global diabetes response

Addressing the soaring diabetes burden, WHO is also launching a new global monitoring framework on diabetes today today. This product represents a crucial step in the global response, providing comprehensive guidance to countries in measuring and evaluating diabetes prevention, care, outcomes and impacts. By tracking key indicators such as glycaemic control, hypertension and access to essential medicines, countries can improve targeted interventions and policy initiatives. This standardized approach empowers countries to prioritize resources effectively, driving significant improvements in diabetes prevention and care.

WHO’s Global Diabetes Compact, launched in 2021, includes the vision of reducing the risk of diabetes, and ensuring that all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and quality treatment and care. The work undertaken as part of the Compact will also support the prevention of type 2 diabetes from obesity, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. In addition, the same year, a diabetes resolution was endorsed at the World Health Assembly urging Member States to raise the priority given to the prevention, diagnosis and control of diabetes as well as prevention and management of risk factors such as obesity.

In 2022, WHO established five global diabetes coverage targets to be achieved by 2030. One of these targets is to ensure that 80% of people with diagnosed diabetes achieve good glycemic control. Today’s release underlines the scale and urgency of action needed to advance efforts to close the gap.  

The upcoming year 2025 presents a significant opportunity to catalyse action against the alarming rise in diabetes worldwide with the Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to take place in September. This meeting brings heads of states and governments together to set a powerful vision for preventing and controlling NCDs, including diabetes, through a collective commitment to address root causes and improve access to detection and treatment. By aligning efforts towards the 2030 and 2050 goals, this high-level meeting is a pivotal moment for strengthening global health systems, including primary health care and halting the rise in the diabetes epidemic.

 

Notes for editors

The study released today was conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), a worldwide network of over 1500 researchers and practitioners, in collaboration with WHO. It is the first global analysis of trends in both diabetes rates and treatment coverage that is based on data from over 140 million people aged 18 years or older that were included in more than 1000 studies covering populations in all countries. The study used an updated methodology of measuring diabetes prevalence in populations from previous studies to provide a more accurate overview of the global diabetes epidemic.

 

The annual Cross-sectoral Biorisk Awareness and Mitigation (BAM) training took place from 5–7 November 2024 in Athens, Greece.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) is a European health initiative coordinated by ECDC.

A cross-border outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona ST2559 is ongoing in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK).

A cross-border outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona ST2559 is ongoing in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK).

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) announced today an important grant allocation of US$ 10 million to WHO to implement the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP).

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and ECDC concluded a five-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on simulation exercises aimed at public health emergency preparedness experts from member states of the Northern Africa Regional Coordination Centre (RCC).