Category Archives: HEALTH

What is Rett Syndrome ? New study Opens Avenue to Cure This Rare Disorder

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A group of researchers at the Texas Children Neurological Research Institute (NRI), Duncan, Baylor College of Medicine, found  a possible new therapy to cure Rett syndrome has been reported in the Science Translational Medicine journal, with the early signs of success in a neurodevelopmental disorder with no cure yet.

According to the corresponding author, Dr. Huda Zoghbi, the director of the Duncan NRI, Distinguished Service Professor at Baylor, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rett syndrome is an uncommon genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that results in a developmental regression, usually past 6 to 18 months of normal development, followed by severe motor skill impairment, speech and communication impairment and communication impairment. The disorder affects girls mostly and it occurs in 1 out of 10,000 live births.

Loss-of-function mutations in MECP2 gene cause Rett syndrome, which plays a central role in normal brain functions since it controls the amount of various genes controlling neurological functions. These mutations cause the protein to disappear or code a faulty protein which cannot perform its normal function. Certain mutated forms of MeCP2 protein are also less abundant and/or reduced in terms of DNA binding, which is a key role in the functioning of this protein.

In mouse models of Rett syndrome, it has been demonstrated that the disorder is reversible, once normal MeCP2 protein is added in the brains of those mice, the conditions are reversible. Notably, it has been demonstrated by researchers that raising the concentration of a mutant MeCP2 protein that retains a minimal amount of functioning also enhances symptoms, such as survival, motor coordination and respiratory defects in mice.

The importance of this in that approximately 65 percent of patients with Rett syndrome have partially functional MeCP2, which is either less abundant or lacking DNA binding capacity, as compared to the normal level, according to the authors. Our study, on working with mouse models and cells obtained by patients with Rett syndrome, suggests evidence of concept that an increase in the levels of mutant MeCP2 in patients with the condition would be therapeutically beneficial.

Mechanism of the MECP2 gene 

The creation of therapeutics that regulate the level of MeCP2 is not that simple. A mutation to MeCP2 that is too small leads to Rett syndrome, but an excess of MeCP2 leads to another neurological disorder, MECP2 Duplication Syndrome. The balance of the question has been so delicate that it has been difficult to come up with safe and efficient treatments.

Zoghbi said that before this research, they had already learned that the brain normally forms two versions of the MeCP2 protein E1 and E2, which differ slightly. These versions are the result of the same gene, which gets processed in one direction to form E1 and in another to form E2.

Consider a gene as a blueprint of a protein. MeCP2 has four ingredients, which are e1, e2, e3 and e4. In order to produce the MeCP2-E1 protein, cells simply mix ingredients e1, e3 and e4. In order to create MeCP2-E2, the cells mix all four ingredients, which makes ingredient e2 peculiar to this form of the protein. Both versions are produced by the brain, but E1 is prevalent.

“We also learnt that no cases of Rett syndrome individuals have been reported to have mutations on E2 protein. The condition is only caused by mutations that interfere with E1 protein,” said Tirumala. This is supported in studies on mice.

“All in all, we have known that MeCP2-E2 is a single ingredient below MeCP2-E1 in the gene and it is not so abundant as E1 and not linked to Rett syndrome and is not required to support the MeCP2 activities in the brain,” Tirumala said. “This made us hypothesize that by instructing the brain cells to omit the e2 ingredient, the production of additional MeCP2-E1 protein in patients with Rett syndrome will be promoted and will lead to a better disease outcome. We have experimental evidence in the mice and cells of patients with Rett-syndrome to support our hypothesis.”

The researchers first genetically removed the ingredient e2 of normal Mecp2 gene in mice and evaluated the outcome of the deletion on the abundance of the protein and its neurological activity. Tirumala said that the results of this approach gave 50 to 60 percent MeCP2 protein increment in normal mice.

The researchers subsequently used the same strategy on the cells that were obtained using the patients with Rett syndrome that contained MECP2 mutations that decrease the abundance and activity of the protein. They removed the ingredient e2 in this mutant MECP2 gene and evaluated the impact of this mutation on the abundance of this protein and the attributes of these cells. Tirumala said that they were excited to find that MeCP2 production improved when ingredient e2 was deleted. Notably, with the degree of mutation, these cells reappeared with part or all of their usual structure, their usual electrical functions and their capability to control the level of other genes.

Lastly, the team evaluated the therapeutic potential of such an approach. Does a blocking drug of ingredient e2 elevate MeCP2 protein?

Tirumala said the value of morpholinos was tested to stimulate MeCP2 protein production in mice. “Morpholinos are artificial molecules to be used in this instance to inhibit the production of MeCP2-E2 protein by preventing the e2 ingredient to enter the cell,” explained Tirumala. “This was interesting because our morpholinos found to increase MeCP2 protein in mice tremendously.”

The work by Zoghbi and colleagues forms the basis and offers preclinical support to a treatment method of Rett syndrome involving the enhancement of MeCP2 and offering some functional recovery, Zoghbi said. Even though morpholinos are not an option due to their toxicity, analogous ones, such as antisense oligonucleotide therapies that are already being employed to treat other diseases, might be created in Rett syndrome.

Use of Boron in Proteins to Create New Treatments to Cure Cancer: Study

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A large number of the most important proteins of modern medicine and science are insoluble. These comprise a host of signalling proteins and protein hormones, and all of the receptors embedded in the cell membranes, which are directed at approximately 60 percent of the active ingredients presently utilized in medicines. When the concentration of these proteins crosses some given level, they will form clumps and become useless.

This aggregation renders synthesis of these molecules in lab impossible. Since specialised production with specialised synthesing robots always needs more than a single fragment to be conjugated into a full protein, a single poorly soluble fragment of protein is usually sufficient to inhibit production. The reason is that the current techniques employed by chemists to assemble protein fragments merely perform successfully when the fragments exist in solution and in very high concentrations.

A team of researchers, headed by Jeffrey Bode, professor at the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry at ETH Zurich has now discovered how to couple even the poorly soluble portions of proteins into functional proteins. In order to do this, they utilized special properties of a chemical compound comprising an element named boron.

The slow carbon chemistry has a concentration constraint.

The only major difference between the ETH technique and the traditional strategies is in the rate of the coupling reaction. Unlike in biochemistry, which occurs extremely fast in cells of living organisms, through enzymes, reactions such as these typically need to be carried out at unnatural concentrations within the laboratory. The reason behind this is that the slower the reaction is taking place, the greater the concentration of the reacting substances should be so that the reaction processes take place as intended.

The novel coupling technique invented by the team of Bode is approximately 1000 times faster and thus was also applicable in 1000 times lower concentrations.

Boron opens up new opportunities bio-chemistry

The ETH chemists hastened the reaction by including Boron atoms to the carbon-based molecules. These are not found in natural molecules.

In several of its properties, the metalloid boron behaves in a somewhat different way. On bonding with metals, it forms very tough and heat-resistant metal alloys. Alternatively, it is capable of bonding with the nonmetals carbon, oxygen or nitrogen in the lab to form molecules that tend to have bizarre reaction characteristics. In 2010, Akira Suzuki, a Japanese researcher and Richard Heck, an American researcher, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry due to the development of boron-based coupling reactions to enable laboratory synthesis of natural substances.

According to Bode, “We reach an ultimate limit of reaction rate with purely carbon based systems. It is further expansion into previously untapped boron based reagents that places us in a space where even the most recalcitrant reactions that bring large biological molecules together can occur in a very brief time.”

cancer cells/photo:en.wikipedia.org

Protective acids: a rocky road

As shown by Bode and colleagues in 2012, this was the first study to demonstrate that it was possible to add an element of a hitherto unexplored chemical group to proteins fragments and do so with great speed and stability. Nevertheless, this compound was not stable with strong acids hence could not be utilized in automated synthesis.

To endure the tough environment that was applied to the sensitive boron compound in normal laboratory robots, the compound would require protection in the form of a chemical packaging, but this was easier said than done. The researchers experimented with a number of strategies in four years to little effect.

The discovery was made by mistake and eventually, the discovery occurred when a doctoral student tried an experimental method that the team had indeed thought was ineffective. The resulting protective compound binds to the boron group on three sides, therefore, being unable to be terminated in the acids in protein production.

According to Bode, such fundamental research, in which there is no assurance of success, is feasible only due to the unrestricted funds provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation and ETH.

Inorganic amino acids and cancer treatment

The ETH method implies that new peptide and protein drugs or drugs of medical interest to cure cancer that are prone to clumping, can now be produced via the usual laboratory protocols.

Moreover, special amino acids that are not natural can also be incorporated in the location of choice on the poorly soluble proteins. As an example, the chemists can functionalized these building blocks in a protein in a specific way in case they wish to attach it to an active substance on a particular location. Some of the applications of antibody-drug conjugates prepared through this method include cancer treatment procedures that do not damage normal tissues.

The way in which the method will be applied to clinical practice is not yet clear. In 2020 Bode co-founded the ETH spin-out Bright Peak Therapeutics, which applications the technologies invented in his lab to build immunotherapies to fight cancer. A therapeutic agent has already entered clinical trials and the new method based on boron may assist in increasing the size of the product pipeline of the spin-off.

New recombinant mpox strain detected in UK and India, WHO urges continued monitoring

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WHO confirmed that two cases of the recombinant strain – combining genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) – have been identified to date: one in the United Kingdom and one in India. Both patients had recent travel histories, and neither experienced severe illness.

No secondary cases were detected following contact tracing.

WHO has published a detailed update on the two cases and the national responses.

Recombination is a natural process that can occur when two related viruses infect the same person and exchange genetic material, producing a new variant.

According to WHO, detailed genomic analysis shows the two individuals “fell ill several weeks apart with the same recombinant strain,” suggesting that additional undetected cases may exist.

What is mpox?

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), part of the Orthopoxvirus genus, which also includes the virus that causes smallpox.

It spreads through close physical contact, including sexual contact, and in some cases through contaminated materials or respiratory droplets.

Symptoms typically include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and rash and/or lesions.

Click here for the WHO factsheet on mpox.

Two detected cases

The case in the United Kingdom was detected in December 2025 in a traveller returning from a country in the Asia Pacific region. Initial laboratory testing identified the virus as clade Ib, but whole genome sequencing later revealed that it contained genetic regions from both clade Ib and clade IIb strains. Repeat sequencing confirmed the findings and demonstrated that the virus “can replicate and presents potential for onward transmission.”

In India, a patient who developed symptoms in September 2025 was initially classified as infected with clade II MPXV. However, following updates to global genomic databases, the virus was reclassified as the same recombinant strain identified in the UK. The Indian case represents the earliest known detection of this strain.

“Due to the small number of cases found to date, conclusions about transmissibility or clinical characterization of mpox due to recombinant strains would be premature, and it remains essential to maintain vigilance regarding this development,” WHO said.

Clinical presentations in both cases were consistent with known mpox infections.

Risk assessment unchanged

WHO’s overall risk assessment remains unchanged: the risk is assessed as moderate for men who have sex with men with new and/or multiple partners and for sex workers or others with multiple casual sexual partners, and low for the general population without specific risk factors.

At the same time, WHO cautioned that clade differentiation PCR tests alone “may not reliably identify recombinant MPXV strains,” meaning genomic sequencing is essential for detection.

“All countries should remain alert to the possibility of MPXV genetic recombination,” WHO said, urging continued epidemiological surveillance, sequencing, vaccination of at-risk groups, and infection prevention and control measures.

WHO advised that no travel or trade restrictions are warranted based on current information.

US withdrawal from WHO ‘risks global safety’, agency says in detailed rebuttal

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WHO Rejects US Criticism, Defends Pandemic Response And Calls For Continued Cooperation

The World Health Organization has strongly rejected criticism from the United States administration, defending its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and reaffirming its commitment to global cooperation on public health.

In a statement released on Saturday, the UN health agency responded to accusations from the US government that it had compromised its independence and pursued policies hostile to American interests. The organization said such claims were unfounded and reiterated that it has consistently worked with member states in good faith.

The agency also expressed hope that the United States would remain engaged in global health efforts despite recent tensions.

WHO Rejects Allegations Of Bias

Responding to accusations that it had “trashed and tarnished” the United States, the WHO said the opposite was true.

According to the statement, the organization has always sought to maintain constructive engagement with the US government while respecting its sovereignty.

It also rejected claims that the agency had followed a politicized agenda influenced by countries hostile to US interests.

“The World Health Organization has always been and remains impartial,” the statement said, adding that the organization exists to serve all countries equally and without political bias.

Defence Of COVID-19 Pandemic Response

A large portion of the statement focused on defending the WHO’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US administration had accused the organization of obstructing the timely sharing of information and concealing failures in its response to the outbreak.

The WHO said those allegations were incorrect, arguing that it shared available information rapidly and transparently throughout the crisis while providing guidance based on the best scientific evidence at the time.

The agency clarified that while it recommended protective measures such as mask use, vaccination and physical distancing, it did not mandate lockdowns or vaccine requirements.

Early Warnings Issued In Initial Stages

According to the WHO, it began monitoring the emerging outbreak immediately after receiving reports of a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019.

The organization said it quickly contacted Chinese authorities for additional information and activated its emergency incident management system.

By the time the first death linked to the virus was reported on 11 January 2020, the WHO said it had already alerted the international community through formal channels, public statements and social media.

It also convened global health experts and issued guidance to help governments prepare their healthcare systems and protect their populations.

When the WHO Director-General declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020, fewer than 100 cases had been recorded outside China and no deaths had been reported beyond the country.

During the early months of the crisis, the Director-General repeatedly warned countries that urgent action was needed to contain the virus, cautioning that the “window of opportunity is closing.”

Steps Taken To Strengthen Pandemic Preparedness

The WHO noted that several independent reviews have examined the global response to the pandemic, including assessments of the organization’s own performance.

Following these evaluations, the agency said it has introduced reforms to strengthen its ability to respond to future health emergencies.

These efforts include initiatives to improve international coordination, strengthen surveillance systems and support countries in building stronger public health infrastructure.

According to the WHO, the global systems it developed before, during and after the pandemic have helped improve preparedness worldwide.

Agency Leaves Door Open For US Engagement

Despite the current dispute, the WHO emphasised that it remains committed to working with all countries, including the United States.

The organization highlighted the recent adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which it described as a major international legal framework aimed at preventing and responding to future global health emergencies.

The agency also acknowledged the significant role the United States has historically played in advancing global public health.

As a founding member of the WHO, the US has contributed to several major achievements, including the eradication of smallpox and progress in combating diseases such as polio, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and Ebola.

“WHO remains steadfastly committed to working with all countries in pursuit of its core mission,” the statement concluded, reaffirming its goal of ensuring the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for people worldwide.

Global alliance meets in Doha to confront hunger crisis

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Addressing heads of state, ministers and international partners, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock said today’s hunger crisis is not the result of scarcity, but of inequality, conflict and policy choices.

Last year, more than 670 million people experienced hunger, and 2.3 billion faced moderate or severe food insecurity. “That is billions wondering where their next meal will come from. Parents having to see their children go to bed hungry,” she said.

This is occurring in a world that wastes over one billion meals every day.

“The crisis of hunger is not lack of food. It is entirely preventable,” she stressed, pointing to failures in access, affordability and social protection.

The meeting took place as Doha hosts the Second World Summit for Social Development, where nearly 14,000 attendees are discussing how to strengthen social systems, expand opportunity and reduce inequality.

As the planet heats, hunger spreads

Ms. Baerbock highlighted climate change as a rapidly accelerating driver of hunger. Recalling a recent visit to the Sahel, she described fertile land turned to dust as heat rises and rains fail. “This is the new frontline of food insecurity,” she said.

If global warming continues unchecked, as many as 1.8 billion additional people could face food insecurity, she warned. But limiting warming to 1.5°C, backed by investment in adaptation and resilience, could prevent millions from falling deeper into poverty.

Launched under Brazil’s G20 Presidency in 2024, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty now includes nearly 200 members – over 100 countries, regional organizations, international agencies and civil society groups. Monday’s meeting was its first at leaders’ level, aimed at accelerating practical cooperation, from scaling up social protection to strengthening climate-resilient agriculture.

“In a world of plenty – where there should be more than enough to go around – ensuring that everyone, everywhere has enough to eat is entirely possible,” Ms. Baerbock said. “A world free from hunger and poverty is not a distant aspiration. It is within reach, if we reach for it together.”

 

80 million more children benefiting from school meals, WFP reports

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The number of children receiving school meals through government-led programmes has gone up by 20 per cent since 2020, found the latest edition of the WFP’s flagship biennial report The State of School Feeding Worldwide.

Now, nearly 80 million more children are able to enjoy nutritious meals at school, bringing the global total to approximately 466 million.

Beyond health and diet, national programmes can benefit employment, agriculture, and other sectors.

“School meals are so much more than just a plate of nutritious food – important as that is. For the vulnerable children who receive them, they are a pathway out of poverty and into a new world of learning and opportunity,” said Ms. McCain.

“They are proven to be one of the smartest, most cost-effective investments any nation can make to improve the long-term health, education and economic prosperity of future generations,” she added.

Example of what’s possible

The increase in the number of children receiving school meals comes thanks to the expansion of these programmes internationally, and especially by countries that are part of the School Meals Coalition, a network led by over 100 governments with the WFP as its secretariat.

Global funding for school meals has more than doubled, rising from $43 billion in 2020 to $84 billion last year. Africa is leading the surge with an additional 20 million children in the continent now fed through national programmes but domestic funding still remains lower in low-income countries.

“The surge in nationally funded school meal programmes is a powerful sign of what’s possible, even in challenging times. But in low-income countries, where needs are greatest, progress remains at risk as global aid shifts and domestic resources fall short,” said Carmen Burbano, director of school meals at WFP.

Meals improve learning outcomes

Children who are hungry might not attend school or could struggle to focus even if they do, according to the report. Providing meals at school can both incentivize attendance and help students stay engaged and more easily absorb educational material.

The report found that school meals are a significantly more effective way to improve the quality of education compared to other popular programmes and policies like teacher training and tech inputs.

A nutritious diet has also been associated with an increased attention span, higher cognitive function and better attendance.

“It’s only now that we’re really recognizing that the wellbeing of school children and adolescents is key to their learning ability,” said Professor Donald Bundy, co-editorial lead for the report, at a press briefing on Wednesday.

A catalyst for the economy

The report estimates that delivering school meals to 466 million children generates around 7.4 million cooking jobs globally, with further employment across logistics, farming, and supply chains.

On a national level, school meal programmes typically generate approximately 1,500 jobs for every 100,000 children.

Preliminary findings in some African countries suggest that the programmes are cost-beneficial in terms of the gains obtained in the education, health and nutrition sectors. In Malawi, for example, every $1 invested brought economic benefits ranging to $2 to $18 depending on the district.

Local procurement of school food can also create reliable and predictable markets for smallholders and family farmers, which ultimately encourages crop diversification, boosts rural economies, and fosters sustainable agricultural practices.

‘Shift the narrative’ on suicide to prevent loss of 720,000 lives annually

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Speaking on World Suicide Prevention Day, which is marked annually on 10 September, WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “each life lost leaves a profound impact on families, friends, colleagues and entire communities.”

All age groups are affected by suicide and was the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally in 2021, the last year for which data has been gathered by WHO.

Suicide does not just occur in high-income countries and impacts all regions of the world.

Close to three quarters of global suicides occurred in low and middle-income countries in 2021.

The average number of suicides across the world in 2021 was 8.9 per 100,000 people.

In Africa the figure stood at 11.5, while in both Europe and Southeast Asia the number of suicides was recorded at 10.1 per 100,000 people.

Globally, the lowest suicide rate was in the Eastern Mediterranean region at 4.0 per 100,000, while in the Western Pacific it was 7.5 per 100,000.

Who’s at risk?

The link between suicide and mental disorders, in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders, and a previous suicide attempt is well established in high-income countries.

However, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship disputes, or chronic pain and illness.

In addition, experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse or loss and a sense of isolation are strongly associated with suicidal behaviour.

Suicide rates are also high among vulnerable groups who experience discrimination, such as refugees and migrants, indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) persons and incarcerated prisoners.

Moving from silence to openness

“We must move from silence to openness, from stigma to empathy, and from neglect to support,” said Dr. Tedros.

“We must create environments where people feel safe to speak up and seek help,” he said.

“Shifting the narrative on suicide also means driving systemic change, where governments prioritise and invest in quality mental health care and policies to ensure everyone gets the support they need.”

According to the 2024 Mental Health Atlas report by WHO, median government spending on mental health has remained at a modest 2 percent of total health budgets since 2017.

Moreover, there is a significant disparity between high-income and low-income nations. Whilst high-income nations allocate up to $65 per person to mental health, low-income nations spend as little as $0.04.

WHO recognizes mental health as a universal human right.

Effective prevention measures

WHO says that there are effective measures that can be taken to prevent suicide and self-harm.

LIVE LIFE, the agency’s initiative for suicide prevention, recommends the following key effective evidence-based interventions:

  • limit access to the means of suicide (eg, pesticides, firearms, certain medications);
  • interact with the media for responsible reporting of suicide;
  • foster socio-emotional life skills in adolescents;
  • early identify, assess, manage and follow up anyone who is affected by suicidal behaviours.

Child obesity level surpasses underweight cases worldwide for the first time, UNICEF warns

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One in 10 children aged 5 to 19 – 188 million worldwide – are now living with obesity, placing them at heightened risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart conditions, and certain cancers.

“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and development of children. Ultra-processed food is increasingly replacing fruits, vegetables and protein at a time when nutrition plays a critical role in children’s growth, cognitive development and mental health”, she added.

The report, Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children, draws on data from over 190 countries and highlights a stark shift.

One in five overweight

Since 2000, the number underweight among five to 19-year-olds has dropped from nearly 13 per cent to 9.2 per cent.

In the same period, obesity has tripled, from three per cent to 9.4 per cent. Today, obesity rates exceed underweight in every region except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The situation is particularly acute in the Pacific Islands, where traditional diets have been displaced by cheap, energy-dense imported foods.

High-income countries are not exempt: 27 per cent of children in Chile, and 21 per cent in both the United States and United Arab Emirates, are affected.

Globally, one in five children and adolescents, or 391 million, are overweight, with nearly half now classified as obese.

Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than what is healthy for their age, sex and height.

Obesity is a severe form of overweight and leads to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as life-threatening diseases later in life, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

A consumer in Mongolia eats a sugary desert.

Marketing to blame

The report points to powerful commercial forces shaping these outcomes. Ultra-processed and fast foods, high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and additives, dominate children’s diets and are aggressively marketed, influencing children’s diets.

In a UNICEF poll of 64,000 young people across 170 countries, 75 per cent reported seeing ads for sugary drinks, snacks, or fast food in the previous week.

Sixty per cent said the ads made them want to eat the products. Even in conflict-affected countries, 68 per cent of young people said they were exposed to these advertisements.

These patterns, UNICEF warns, carry staggering economic consequences. By 2035, the global cost of overweight and obesity levels is projected to exceed $4 trillion annually. In Peru alone, obesity-related health issues could cost over $210 billion across a generation.

Government must act

Still, some governments are taking action. Mexico – where sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods make up 40 per cent of children’s daily calories – has banned their sale in public schools, improving food environments for more than 34 million children.

UNICEF is urging governments worldwide to follow suit with sweeping reforms: mandatory food labelling, marketing restrictions, and taxes on unhealthy products; bans on junk food in schools; stronger social protection programmes; and safeguards to shield policymaking from industry interference.

“In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition, the existence of stunting and obesity. This requires targeted interventions,” said Ms. Russell.

“Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development. We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children”, she concluded.
 

WHO sounds alarm as mental health conditions soar past one billion worldwide

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Disorders such as anxiety and depression are exacting a heavy toll on individuals, families and economies, yet most countries are failing to provide adequate support.

Mental health problems are widespread across every society and age group and remain the second leading cause of long-term disability. They drive up healthcare costs for families and governments while costing the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year in lost productivity, UN health experts said.

Way off track

The findings are detailed in two new reports: World mental health today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024.

Together, they show that while there has been some progress since 2020, the world is still far off track in tackling the scale of the crisis. The reports will help to inform debate at a UN high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases and mental health, to be held late this month in New York.

“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities and economies, an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every leader has a responsibility to act urgently and to ensure mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right.”

Troubling gaps, uneven progress

The reports highlight several stark findings:

  • Women are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions, with anxiety and depression most common among both sexes.
  • Suicide claimed an estimated 727,000 lives in 2021 and is a leading cause of death among young people. On current trends, the world will fall far short of the UN target to reduce suicide deaths by a third by 2030, managing only a 12 per cent reduction.
  • Median government spending on mental health remains at just two per cent of health budgets, unchanged since 2017. While high-income countries spend up to $65 per person on mental health, low-income countries spend as little as four cents.
  • The mental health workforce is dangerously thin in many regions. There are just 13 mental health workers for every 100,000 people worldwide.
  • Fewer than one in 10 countries has fully moved to community-based care, with most still relying heavily on psychiatric hospitals. Almost half of inpatient admissions are involuntary, and more than one in five patients remain hospitalised for over a year.

Despite these challenges, there have been some positive developments. More countries are integrating mental health into primary healthcare and expanding early intervention programmes in schools and communities.

Over 80 per cent of countries now include mental health and psychosocial support in emergency response, up from less than 40 per cent in 2020. Telehealth services are also becoming more widely available, though access is still uneven.

Call for systemic change

WHO is urging governments to step up investment and reform, warning that the current pace of progress is too slow to meet global goals. Key priorities include:

  • Fairer financing of mental health services
  • Stronger legal protection and rights-based legislation
  • Greater investment in the mental health workforce
  • Accelerated shift towards community-based, person-centred care

The UN health agency stresses that mental health should be treated as a fundamental human right. Without urgent action, millions will continue to suffer without support, and societies will bear rising social and economic costs.

For more information on how the UN overall is advocating for more resources to support mental health and wellbeing, check out this story from our colleagues at www.un.org. 

It’s time to end physical punishment of kids once and for all, WHO says

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Corporal punishment refers most frequently to hitting children but can refer to any punishments inflicted by parents, caregivers or teachers which are intended to cause some degree of discomfort. It can happen in the home or in more public settings like the school classroom.  

But wherever it happens, this sort of punishment has wide-ranging effects, including increased risk of anxiety and depression in addition to reduced cognitive and socio-emotional development.

“[Corporal punishment] offers no benefits to the behaviour, development or well-being of children and no benefit to parents or societies either,” said Etienne Krug, director of WHO’s department of health determinants.

No evidence that it works

Over past decades, many studies have examined the effects of corporal punishment, and not one has found that it has a positive impact on children or their behaviour. In contrast, many have found that it has many long-term negative health impacts on children as individuals – and societies as a whole.  

“There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that corporal punishment carries multiple risks to the health of children,” Ms. Krug said.  

A study conducted across 49 low and middle-income countries found that children who are corporally punished are 24 per cent less likely to be developmentally on track with their peers.  

In addition to causing immediate physical harm, this form of punishment heightens children’s hormonal stress levels which can actually change brain structure and function. In short, the impacts on an individual level can be life-long, according to the report.  

From a societal perspective, children who are themselves physically punished are also more likely to do the same to their own offspring, creating an intergenerational cycle of violence. Similarly, adults who were corporally punished as children are more likely to develop violent, criminal and aggressive behaviours.

“The practice [of corporal punishment] also fuels a broader social acceptance of violence, reinforcing harmful cycles across generations,” the report said.  

There is no evidence that corporal punishment is effective at changing children’s behaviours.

Regional differences

While corporal punishment is prevalent across the world and across cultures, regional variations do persist.

For example, in Europe and Central Asia, approximately 41 per cent of children are subjected to corporal punishment in homes compared to 75 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa.  

The disparity is even larger in schools — only 25 per cent of children in the Western Pacific experience corporal punishment during their schooling compared to over 70 per cent in Africa and Central America.  

Girls and boys are almost equally as likely to experience corporal punishment, though they may experience punishment for different behaviours and in different manners.

However, children with disabilities are at a heightened risk for suffering from corporal punishment. Additionally, poorer communities and those which experience economic or racial discrimination are more likely to practice corporal punishment.  

More than policy

The report emphasizes that banning corporal punishment is important but not enough. In fact, studies have found that there is no consistent association between legal bans and decreased rates in physical punishment.  

Currently, 67 countries worldwide have universal bans on corporal punishment, both in the home and in school. In addition to better enforcement of these prohibitions, WHO is calling for new educational campaigns to reinforce the harm it can cause.  

“Continuing use of corporal punishment and persisting belief in the necessity of its use despite legal bans, suggest that efforts to enact and enforce such laws should be accompanied by campaigns to increase awareness,” the report said.

Studies suggest that if parents knew of alternative and more effective methods of punishment for children, they would use them.  

“It’s time to end this harmful practice to ensure that children thrive at home and school,” Ms. Krug said.  

Cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa poses crisis for children

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“The heavy rains, widespread flooding and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission and putting the lives of children at risk,” said UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa Gilles Fagninou.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease can be treated with oral rehydration solution and antibiotics, but can be fatal within hours if untreated.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to cholera due to factors such as poor hygiene, inadequate sanitation and access to safe water and a greater risk of severe dehydration.

Regional hotspots

Active outbreaks in the hotspots of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria are fuelling the risk of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries.  

The DRC is the hardest hit country in the region, reporting more than 38,000 cases and 951 deaths in July. 

Children under five now account for nearly 26 per cent of cases in the DRC, and without stronger containment measures, they may face the worst cholera crisis since 2017.

The situation in the capital, Kinshasa, is particularly critical as intense rainfall and widespread flooding have caused cases to surge sharply over the past four weeks. Straining an already overwhelmed healthcare system, the city is now facing an alarming case fatality rate of eight per cent.

Nigeria is the second most affected country in the region, with 3,109 suspected cholera cases and 86 deaths as of the end of June. Cholera is endemic in the country, where major outbreaks have re-occurred in recent years.

Region-wide crisis

Chad, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo are also facing ongoing epidemics.

A total of 612 cholera cases were reported in Ghana as of 28 April, 322 cases and 15 deaths in Côte d’Ivoire as of 14 July and 209 cases and five deaths in Togo as of June 22.  

Niger, Liberia, Benin, the Central African Republic and Cameroon are also under close surveillance due to their vulnerability.

UNICEF response

Urgent and scaled-up efforts are needed to prevent further spread and contain the disease across the region.

Throughout the outbreaks, UNICEF has delivered lifesaving health, water, hygiene and sanitation supplies to treatment facilities and communities.  

The agency has also supported cholera vaccinations, scaled up preparedness and response efforts and encouraged families to seek timely treatment and improve their hygiene practices.

“We are in a race against time, working hand in hand with the authorities to deliver essential healthcare, safe water and proper nutrition to children already at risk of deadly diseases and severe acute malnutrition,” said Mr. Fagninou.  

“Together with an array of partners, we are strengthening community engagement and extending our reach to remote and underserved areas, making every effort to ensure that no child is left behind.”

UNICEF West and Central Africa urgently requires $20 million over the next three months to scale up critical support in health, WASH, risk communication and community engagement. 

Slight decrease in global hunger as inequalities widen, says UN interagency report

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The report estimates 8.2 per cent of the global population (673 million individuals) experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 per cent in 2023 and 8.7 per cent in 2022.

Latin America and Asia saw improvements, with the prevalence of undernourishment falling by 1.2 percent in Asia and 1 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2022 and 2024.

However, 20 per cent of the African population and 12.7 per cent of people in Western Asian face hunger, showing evidence of an unfortunately steady rise.

Of the projected 512 million people who could be chronically undernourished by 2030, almost 60 per cent will be in Africa.

Sustainable Development progress

Together, these figures and the report’s assessment of nutrition targets under the Sustainable Development Agenda underscore the immense challenge of achieving the global goal of Zero Hunger.

Among child nutrition indicators, the prevalence of stunting among under-fives declined 3.2 per cent from 2012 to 2024, but the proportion of children overweight or wasting remains largely unchanged.

Also notable was the increase in anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 and adult obesity.

Crucially, while global food insecurity declined only slightly from 2023 to 2024, 335 million more people were affected in 2024 than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 683 million more than in 2015, when the Sustainable Development Agenda was adopted.

Covid-era food inflation

The report was published by five UN agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

They noted that hunger and food security estimates remain above pre-pandemic levels due to a “perfect storm” of COVID-19 inflation, the war in Ukraine and climate shocks.

Speaking at the report’s preview on 22 July, FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen highlighted the finding that fiscal and monetary policies during the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand and inflation.

Combined with food and commodity trade restrictions linked to the war in Ukraine and ongoing climate shocks, these factors drove food inflation up dramatically, hindering the post-pandemic recovery in food security and nutrition.

This perfect storm hit low- and lower-middle-income countries especially hard, driving food inflation even higher than the already elevated global average.

As a result, although the number of people able to afford a healthy diet increased globally from 2019 to 2024 despite rising prices, it declined in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where prices rose even more sharply.

Recommendations and funding needs

The report recommends a combination of policy responses to fight global food price inflation. These include targeted fiscal measures to protect the most affected, credible and transparent monetary policies to keep inflation in check and strategic investments in agrifood systems.

The report and agency leaders also underscored that funding is desperately needed to address global challenges.

“Hunger remains at alarming levels, yet the funding needed to tackle it is falling,” stressed WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain.

“This year, funding cuts of up to 40 percent mean that tens of millions of people will lose the vital lifeline we provide,” she added.

“While the small reduction in overall rates of food insecurity is welcome, the continued failure to provide critical aid to people in desperate need will soon wipe out these hard-won gains, sparking further instability in volatile regions of the world.”

Home is where the heart is — and where development begins

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Mathare, one of the country’s largest slums, houses upwards of 500,000 people in five square kilometres, cramming them together and storing the human waste they produce in uncovered rivulets. But when he recounted the visit later to UN News, this was not the image that stuck with him the most.  

Without formal sewage systems, rivulets in the Mathare slum in Nairobi hold human waste.

What he remembered most clearly was a group of boys and girls, dressed in navy blue school uniforms — the girls in skirts and the boys in pants, both with miniature ties underneath their vests — surrounded by squawking chickens and human waste.  

There was no formal, or UNICEF-funded, school nearby. But the Mathare community had come together to create a school where their children might just have the chance to break an intergenerational cycle of poverty and invisibility.

“That was a message for me that development should be localized. There is something happening at the community [level],” said Mr. Jobin.

Globally, over one billion people live in overcrowded slums or informal settlements with inadequate housing, making this one of the largest development issues worldwide, but also one of the most underrecognized.  

“The first place where opportunity begins or is denied is not an office building or a school. It is in our homes,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a high-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Tuesday.    

A litmus test

Mr. Jobin was one of the experts taking part in the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development at UN Headquarters in New York this month to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

One of the goals aspires to create sustainable cities and communities. However, with close to three billion people facing an affordable housing crisis, this goal remains unrealized.

“Housing has become a litmus test of our social contract and a powerful measure of whether development is genuinely reaching people or quietly bypassing them,” said Rola Dashti, Under-Secretary-General for the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).  

Housing as a mirror for inequalities

An apartment building at an informal settlement in Mumbai, India.

With over 300 million unhoused people worldwide, sometimes it is easy to forget about the one billion people who are housed but inadequately. These people, who populate informal settlements and slums, live in unstable dwellings and in communities where few services are provided.  

“Housing reflects the inequalities shaping people’s daily lives. It signals who has access to stability, security and opportunity and who does not,” said Ms. Dashti.

Children living in slums or informal settlements are up to three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. They are also 45 per cent more stunted than their peers as a result of poor nutrition.  

Women and girls are more likely to experience gender-based violence. And human trafficking and child exploitation are also more prevalent.  

An intergenerational invisibility

People in informal settlements are often not a part of the national census, according to Mr. Jobin, meaning that they are not taken into consideration in policies, social programmes or budgets. Even if they were given social protections, these settlements rarely have addresses at which families could receive cash transfers.  

This is why experts often say that the people living in informal settlements and slums are invisible in official data and programmes.

“You’re born from an invisible family, so you become invisible,” Mr. Jobin said. “You don’t exist. You’re not reflected in policies or budgeting.”

This invisibility makes it almost impossible to escape poverty.  

“You become a prisoner of a vicious circle that entertains itself and then you reproduce yourself to your kid,” he said, referring to an inescapable cycle of deprivation.

The urban paradox

More and more people are migrating into urban centres, leading to the growth of these informal settlements. And with their growth, comes more urgency to address the issues.  

The World Bank estimates that 1.2 million people each week move to cities, often seeking the opportunities and resources that they offer. But millions of people are never able to benefit, instead becoming forgotten endnotes in an urban paradox that portrays urban wealth as a protection against poverty.  

By 2050, the number of people living in informal settlements is expected to triple to three billion, one-third of whom will be children. Over 90 per cent of this growth will occur in Asia and Africa.  

“These statistics are not just numbers — they represent families, they represent workers and entire communities being left behind,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General of UN Habitat which is working to make cities more sustainable.  

The Mathare slum in Nairobi houses 500,000 people within 5 square kilometres.

Housing as a human right

It is not just national and local governments which struggle to contend with informal settlements — organizations like UNICEF are also “blind”, Mr. Jobin said, regarding the scope of problems in informal settlements.  

Development partners face twin issues in designing interventions — there is not enough national data and informal governance, or slum lords, can be more critical for coordinating programs than traditional governmental partners.

“We know the issue …  But somehow we have not really been able to intervene,” he said.

Ms. Mohammed emphasized that we need to begin to see adequate and affordable housing as more than just a result of development — it is the foundation upon which all other development must rest.  

“Housing is not simply about a roof over one’s head. It’s a fundamental human right and the foundation upon which peace and stability itself rests.” 

Lifesaver: Study shows vaccine campaigns cut deaths by nearly 60 per cent

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The study, conducted by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in collaboration with Australia’s Burnet Institute, and published in the authoritative British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, analyzed 210 outbreaks across 49 low-income countries over a 23-year period.

It found that rapid vaccine deployment during outbreaks of cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever, had led to estimated reductions in illnesses and deaths of nearly 60 per cent on average.

For diseases like yellow fever and Ebola, the impact was even more dramatic: yellow fever deaths dropped by 99 per cent, while Ebola fatalities fell by 76 per cent.

The results highlight not only the effectiveness of emergency vaccination, but also the critical role of preparedness and speed in response to emerging threats.

“For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases,” said Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi.

“This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines as a cost-effective countermeasure to the increasing risk the world faces from outbreaks.”

Gavi: A lifesaving partnership

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a unique global partnership that helps vaccinate nearly half the world’s children against deadly and debilitating diseases.

It brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other key partners to expand access to immunisation.

Gavi also maintains global vaccine stockpiles for major diseases, managed in coordination with WHO, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Working in partnership with Gavi, governments and health authorities, UN agencies support vaccination campaigns in some of the most remote regions of the wrote. Pictured here, a child receives a vaccine in Solomon Islands in the Pacific.

Quantifying lives and costs saved

In addition to reducing deaths and disability-adjusted life years, emergency vaccination during the 210 outbreaks studied generated nearly $32 billion in economic benefits – from averting premature deaths and years of life lost to disability.

The study’s authors say this figure is likely a conservative estimate, as it does not include the broader social and macroeconomic impacts of major outbreaks.

For example, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which occurred before an approved vaccine was available, cost the region an estimated $53 billion. In contrast, later outbreaks responded to with emergency vaccines saw deaths reduced by three-quarters and the threat of regional spread dramatically lowered.

Source: Gavi/Burnet Institute study

Results by disease

Click here for details.

Disease-by-disease gains

The study provides a breakdown of vaccine effectiveness by disease.

Measles, one of the most infectious viruses known, saw cases drop by 59 per cent and deaths by 52 per cent thanks to outbreak response campaigns.

Yellow fever saw the biggest gains, with emergency vaccination nearly eliminating deaths – a 99 per cent drop.

Cholera and meningitis, which often strike communities with limited healthcare access and infrastructure, saw more modest but still meaningful reductions in cases and deaths.

Vaccinations helped reduce cholera cases and deaths by 28 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively, across 40 cholera outbreaks between 2011 and 2023. For meningitis, cases and deaths fell by 27 per cent and 28 per cent respectively, over 10 years.

Vaccines, COVID-19, and future threats

The coronavirus“>COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of the value of vaccines, which saved an estimated 20 million lives globally in the first year of rollout alone, according to the respected and influential Lancet medical journal.

Yet the pandemic also disrupted routine immunisation, leading to dangerous backsliding in coverage rates for diseases like measles and polio. The Gavi study emphasizes that emergency vaccination must be paired with strong routine immunisation systems to prevent future outbreaks.

Looking ahead, Gavi’s 2026-2030 strategy includes expanding stockpiles, accelerating vaccine access for diseases like mpox and hepatitis E, and supporting preventive campaigns in high-risk regions.

Look back: COVID-19 pandemic disrupts vaccinations for children globally.

Fight to end AIDS: ‘This is not just a funding gap – it’s a ticking time bomb’

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The 2025 Global AIDS Update released on Thursday by UNAIDS – the global body’s agency fighting AIDS and HIV infection – warns that a historic funding crisis now threatens to unravel decades of hard-won gains unless countries radically rethink how they fund and deliver HIV services.

Yet even amid these challenges, many of the most-affected countries are stepping up. Of the 60 low and middle-income nations surveyed in the report, 25 have signaled plans to increase domestic HIV budgets in 2026 – a clear sign of growing national leadership and commitment to the response.

Although promising, such efforts are not sufficient to replace the scale of international funding in countries that are heavily reliant on global donors.  

Global emergency   

Despite marked progress in the HIV response in 2024, this year has seen many disruptions to HIV prevention programmes and treatment services, due to abrupt funding shortfalls in Washington and other major donor capitals.  

Even before the large-scale service disruptions, reported data for 2024 showed that 9.2 million people living with HIV still did not have access to life-saving treatments, contributing to 75,000 AIDS-related deaths among children in 2024.  

“This is not just a funding gap – it’s a ticking time bomb,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, as many AIDS-relief programmes are being defunded, pushing people out of critically needed care.  

If US-supported HIV treatment and prevention services collapse entirely, UNAIDS estimated that an additional six million new HIV infections, and four million additional AIDS-related deaths could occur between 2025 and 2029. 

Call for solidarity

Despite the grim landscape, “there is still time to transform this crisis into an opportunity,” said Ms. Byanyima, as countries and communities are stepping up to protect treatment gains.  

As of December 2024, seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa had achieved the 95-95-95 targets: 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those are on treatment, and 95 per cent of those on treatment are virally suppressed.  

While such successes must be maintained and further scaled up, the global HIV response cannot rely on domestic resources alone.  

“In a time of crisis, the world must choose transformation over retreat,” said Ms. Byanyima.  

“Together, we can still end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 – if we act with urgency, unity and unwavering commitment,” she added.   

In South Asia, anaemia threatens women’s health and economic futures

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The warning, issued jointly by UN agencies and the regional socio-economic bloc SAARC on Wednesday, underscores South Asia’s status as the “global epicentre” of anaemia among adolescent girls and women.

An estimated 259 million already suffer from the condition, which impairs the body’s ability to carry oxygen, contributing to chronic fatigue, poor maternal outcomes, and reduced educational and economic participation.

“This is a clarion call for action,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, Regional Director for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which together with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and SAARC prepared the analysis.

“When half of all adolescent girls and women in South Asia are anaemic, it is not only a health issue – it is a signal that systems are failing them.”

A far-reaching but preventable condition

Anaemia doesn’t just affect women and girls – it contributes to 40% of the world’s low birth weight cases and affects child growth and learning, particularly in poorer households.

The economic toll is staggering: anaemia costs South Asia an estimated $32.5 billion annually, perpetuating cycles of poverty and poor health.

Yet, the condition is preventable and treatable. Proven solutions include iron and folic acid supplementation, iron- and vitamin-rich diets, better sanitation and infection control, and stronger maternal health services.

Experts stress that multi-sector collaboration is critical for sustained progress.

A nurse speaks to women about nutritious food in western India’s Sabarkantha district, were many women and girls suffer from iron deficiency.

Integrated efforts crucial

In nearly every country, progress hinges on strengthening health systems, expanding nutrition programmes, and reaching adolescent girls and women in marginalised communities.

Sri Lanka, where 18.5 per cent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, is scaling up its national nutrition initiative, focusing on the most affected districts.

India and Pakistan are also seeing encouraging signs. In India, high-burden states are integrating iron supplementation into school and maternal care programmes. Pakistan has piloted community-based nutrition initiatives linked to reproductive health services, enabling early detection and follow-up care.

In Bangladesh, school-based health initiatives are reaching adolescents with fortified meals and health education, coordinated across health, education, and agriculture ministries.

Community-driven action works

The Maldives and Bhutan are prioritising early prevention through childhood nutrition, food fortification, and public awareness campaigns. Though smaller in population, both are investing in anaemia surveillance and inter-ministerial collaboration.

Nepal stands out for its equitable results: since 2016, the country has cut anaemia among women of reproductive age by 7 per cent, with larger declines in poorer areas. Its female community health volunteers are key, providing counselling and referrals in remote regions and linking vulnerable households to public services.

Man Kumari Gurung, a public health nurse in Karnali Province, credits the achievements to a range of community-driven efforts.

“Pregnant women receive eggs, chicken and nutritious food through programmes like Sutkeri Poshan Koseli (Nutrition Gift for New Mothers),” she said. “Cash grants also help with transport to hospitals, supporting safer births and better nutrition.”

A nurse checks a pregnant woman’s weight and vital signs at a clinic in Galigamuwa, Sri Lanka.

Everyone has a role

Ending anaemia requires leadership and teamwork. Governments must lead, but communities, health workers, schools, and families all play a part.

Stronger health systems, better data, and coordinated action across sectors can help girls and women reach their full potential – building healthier communities and stronger economies.

“Young people and mothers are at the heart of South Asia’s development goals. Ensuring that they are healthy, nourished and empowered is not just a moral imperative, it is a strategic investment in the future of our societies,” said Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of SAARC.

Every hour, 100 people die of loneliness-related causes, UN health agency reports

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 Loneliness is linked to approximately 100 deaths every hour – more than 871,000 deaths annually. By contrast, strong social connections are associated with better health and longer life, the UN health agency said on Monday.

WHO defines social connection as the ways in which people relate to and interact with one another. Loneliness is the distressing feeling that arises when there is a gap between desired and actual social relationships, while social isolation refers to the objective lack of social ties.

“In this age when the possibilities to connect are endless, more and more people are finding themselves isolated and lonely,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Disproportionate impact

While loneliness affects people across all ages, young people and people living in low- and middle-income countries are especially vulnerable.

“Even in a digitally connected world, many young people feel alone. As technology reshapes our lives, we must ensure it strengthens – not weakens – human connection,” said Chido Mpemba, co-chair of WHO Commission on Social Connection, which published the report.

The report, From loneliness to social connection: charting the path to healthier societies, highlights concerns about excessive screen time and harmful online interactions, particularly among youth and their negative effects on mental health.

Multiple factors contribute to loneliness and social isolation, including poor health, low income and education, living alone, lack of adequate community infrastructure and public policies, as well as certain aspects of digital technologies.

Serious health risks

Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and early death. Lonely people are twice as likely to experience depression and may also face heightened anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

Conversely, social connection offers protective benefits throughout life—reducing inflammation, lowering the risk of serious illness, promoting mental health, and extending longevity.

Towards healthier societies

The report lays out a roadmap for global action focused on five key areas: policy, research, interventions, improved measurement and public engagement. Together, these aim to reshape social norms and build a movement for social connection.

While the costs of social isolation and loneliness are steep, the benefits of social connections are profound. WHO urged governments, communities, and individuals to make social connection a public health priority.

DR Congo: New initiative to eliminate HIV in children ‘a beacon of hope’

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“Our country can no longer tolerate children being born and growing up with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect and effectively treat this infection,” President Félix Tshisekedi declared at a recent government conference in the south-eastern Lualaba province, as he launched the five-year initiative.

Backed by an initial commitment of $18 million in national funds, the Presidential Initiative to End Pediatric AIDS will focus on political leadership, systems strengthening and inclusive healthcare access particularly for children, adolescents, and pregnant women.

It also aligns well with DRC’s global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.

Children lagging behind

The initiative marks a renewed commitment by the DRC to address children’s extremely limited access to HIV prevention and treatment services.

While the DRC has made notable strides in adult HIV response – 91 per cent of adults living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment – children continue to lag far behind. 

Only 44 per cent of children living with HIV in the country currently receive lifesaving treatment, a figure that has remained unchanged for over a decade.

Every year, thousands of Congolese children are still infected, often due to a lack of screening among pregnant women, depriving the health system of a crucial opportunity to prevent mother-to-child transmission as well as saving the mother’s live.

“The eradication of paediatric AIDS is a moral imperative, an imperative of social justice and an indicator of dignity,” Mr. Tshisekedi said.

Four core priorities

The Presidential Initiative targets four core areas:

  • Improving early detection and treatment of HIV for children, adolescents and pregnant women
  • Preventing new infections in children, adolescents and mothers
  • Guarantee systematic and immediate treatment for those diagnosed
  • Remove structural barriers hindering young people’s access to health services 

A breath of fresh air

The UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) praised the initiative as an example of the national leadership needed to close critical gaps in global HIV response.

Susan Kasedde, UNAIDS Country Director in the DRC, commended the initiative as “a breath of fresh air” at a time when global development financing is under strain.

“At a time when development financing is experiencing turbulence and risk jeopardizing the systems that support the most vulnerable, President Tshisekedi’s leadership initiative is a beacon of hope,” she said.

According to UNAIDS, recent funding cuts are threatening critical HIV services, with stock of medication and condoms feared to run out within months. Key areas like antenatal testing, paediatric treatment and data quality monitoring have also been impacted. 

Energy access has improved, but more funding is needed to address disparities: WHO

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While the rate of basic access to energy has increased since 2022, the current pace is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030, one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a report published by the WHO and partners this Wednesday.

The report highlights the role of cost-effective distributed renewable energy — a combination of mini-grid and off-grid solar systems — in accelerating energy access, particularly as the populations who remain unconnected mostly live in remote, lower-income, and fragile areas.

Regional disparities

“Despite progress in some parts of the world, the expansion of electricity and clean cooking access remains disappointingly slow, especially in Africa,” said Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as 85 per cent of the global population without electricity access reside in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the region, renewables deployment has rapidly expanded; however, on average, it remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita — only one eighth of the average in other developing countries.

Clean cooking

As regional disparities persist, an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lack access to clean cooking, while over two billion people remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs.

Yet, the use of off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that enable electric cooking, can offer solutions that reduce the health impacts caused by household air pollution.

“The same pollutants that are poisoning our planet are also poisoning people, contributing to millions of deaths each year from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, particularly among the most vulnerable, including women and children,” said Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Lack of financing

The report identified the lack of sufficient and affordable financing as a key reason for regional inequalities and slow progress.

While international public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy have increased since 2022, the developing world received significantly fewer flows in 2023 than in 2016.

“This year’s report shows that now is the time to come together to build on existing achievements and scale up our efforts,” said Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the UN Statistics Division, as the report called for strengthened international cooperation between the public and private sectors to scale up financial support for developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. 

‘Still reeling’: Myanmar quakes worsen humanitarian crisis in fractured country

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The 28 March quake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, struck central regions with deadly force, killing some 3,800 people and injuring over 5,000, according to UN estimates.

The disaster devastated infrastructure and homes across Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway, displacing tens of thousands more in a country already grappling with over 3.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) since the 2021 military coup.

“Communities are still reeling from the earthquakes – the strongest the country has experienced in a century,” said Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), speaking to journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York via video from Beijing after a three-day visit to Myanmar.

“The devastation caused by the quakes compounded the existing challenges of conflict, displacement and severe humanitarian needs.”

Needs outpace resources

UNOPS, which maintains the largest UN presence in Myanmar with nearly 500 staff, mobilized $25 million within weeks of the disaster and has reached half a million people with lifesaving support.

“My colleagues worked swiftly with partners to deliver emergency shelters, clean water, and deploy infrastructure specialists for rapid assessments,” Mr. da Silva said.

However, he warned that far greater international support is needed to meet the scale of needs.

The World Bank estimates total damages at nearly $11 billion, with full reconstruction expected to cost two to three times more. Over 2.5 million tonnes of debris must also be cleared to enable recovery.

Mr. da Silva emphasized that reconstruction must be people-centred, inclusive, and linked to peacebuilding efforts.

“We echo calls from across the UN for an end to violence,” he said. “Recovery and reconstruction should support Myanmar’s journey to peace and reconciliation. Protection of civilians must be a priority.”

Women and girls face disproportionate risks

The humanitarian fallout has hit women and girls particularly hard – many of whom were among those killed or injured – and now face growing protection risks.

According to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, more than 4.6 million women of reproductive age – including over 220,000 currently pregnant – are at heightened risk.

Damage to health facilities, worsened by monsoon flooding and insecurity, has disrupted access to emergency obstetric care and menstrual hygiene. Gender-based violence meanwhile, is rising sharply in overcrowded, poorly lit shelters.

UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva meets with a woman and her newborn child at a health clinic.

Health system under pressure

The risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and vector-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria is also rising.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) while no major outbreaks had been reported as of 31 May, cases of acute watery diarrhoea and skin infections are ticking up.

Monsoon rains have worsened conditions in temporary shelters, where overcrowding and poor sanitation raise serious health concerns. Mental health remains fragile, with 67 per cent of respondents in a recent survey reporting emotional distress linked to the quake and ongoing conflict.

WHO and its partners have delivered more than 300,000 vaccine doses – including tetanus and rabies – but access remains limited, and health services underfunded.

Protracted crisis

More than 3.25 million people remain displaced within Myanmar since the military coup of February 2021, with at least another 176,000 seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, according to refugee agency, UNHCR.

This excludes the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from earlier waves of violence.

Myanmar also remains one of the world’s deadliest countries for landmines and explosive remnants of war.

In the first nine months of 2024 alone, 889 casualties were reported – raising fears the toll could surpass the record 1,052 deaths and injuries documented in 2023.