Category Archives: HEALTH

Flavoured nicotine products driving youth addiction, WHO warns

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This is especially true among youth users: it’s one of the main reasons young people experiment with tobacco or nicotine products in the first place, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).  

Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products are inherently addictive and toxic – often more so than regular tobacco. Flavours increase usage, make quitting harder, and have been linked to serious lung diseases, WHO maintains.  

Despite decades of progress in tobacco control, flavoured products are luring a new generation into addiction and contributing to eight million tobacco-related deaths each year.

Youth-oriented marketing

Nicotine products are often marketed directly toward young people through bright and colourful packaging featuring sweet and fruity flavour descriptors.  

Research shows that this type of advertising can trigger reward centres in adolescent brains and weaken the impact of health warnings.

Young people also report a growing presence of flavoured nicotine product marketing across all social media platforms.

This marketing of flavours works across all forms of nicotine and tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pouches and hookahs.  

WHO said flavours such as menthol, bubble gum and cotton candy, are “masking the harshness of tobacco” and other nicotine products, turning what are toxic products “into youth-friendly bait.”  

Call for action

Just ahead of World No Tobacco Day, the UN health agency released a series of fact sheets and called on governments to ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products to protect young people from lifelong addiction and disease.

It cited Articles 9 and 10 of the successful 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which obliges countries to regulate the contents and disclosure of tobacco products, including flavourings.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that “without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic…will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours.”

As of December 2024, over 50 countries had adopted policies regulating tobacco additives, with most targeting flavourings by banning flavour labels or images and restricting the sale of flavored products. Some also control flavour use during production.

However, the WHO noted that tobacco companies and retailers have found ways to circumvent these rules, offering flavour accessories including sprays, cards, capsules and filter tips, to add to unflavoured products.

Still, WHO is urging all 184 FCTC parties (which make up 90 per cent of the world’s population) to implement and enforce strong bans and restrictions on flavoured products and related additives.

Pandemics to pollution: WHO Assembly delivers landmark health decisions

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In addition, the Assembly endorsed a wide range of measures to promote health equity, reduce air pollution, and strengthen protections for vulnerable populations.

“The words ‘historic’ and ‘landmark’ are overused, but they are perfectly apt to describe this year’s World Health Assembly,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the Assembly’s closing, ending nine days of intense debate and decisions.

The centrepiece of the Assembly’s outcomes was the WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted on 20 May after more than three years of negotiations.

The agreement, seen as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve global preparedness and response to future pandemics, aims to strengthen international coordination, enhance equity in access to medical tools and ensure that no country is left behind in future health crises.

A key next step will be consultations on access to pathogen and benefit-sharing, which seeks to guarantee equitable sharing of medical countermeasures derived from pathogens.

Boost for WHO budget

Another major outcome was the approval of a 20 per cent increase in assessed contributions – the core, mandatory funding from Member States that underpins WHO’s work.

By 2030-2031, these contributions will cover 50 per cent of the agency’s core budget, a crucial step toward financial sustainability.

Health leaders also pledged at least $210 million to WHO’s ongoing Investment Round, adding to the $1.7 billion already raised and expanding the agency’s donor base.

A healthier world

The Assembly also delivered a sweeping slate of resolutions addressing a wide range of health challenges.

For the first time, nations adopted global resolutions on lung and kidney health, aligning with the growing recognition of noncommunicable diseases as a global priority.

Countries also set an ambitious new target to halve the health impacts of air pollution by 2040 and in an innovative move, adopted a resolution on social connection, acknowledging mounting evidence linking social isolation to poor health outcomes.

They also endorsed measures to combat the digital marketing of formula milk and baby foods, and addressed rare diseases, a lead-free future and the eradication of Guinea worm disease.

Delegates meeting in a committee at the 78th World Health Assembly.

History is made

In conclusion, Director-General Tedros urged countries to continue the momentum beyond the Assembly, highlighting the spirit of cooperation and commitment to health for all.

“You, the nations of the world, made history,” he said.

“Yes, there is conflict in our world, but you have shown that there is also cooperation. Yes, there is inequity, but you have shown a commitment to equity. Yes, there is disease, but you have shown a commitment to health – health for all.”

Sudan war exacerbates risk of cholera and malaria: UNICEF

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In a report released Wednesday, UNICEF highlighted the growing threat of cholera in the war-torn country, with more than 7,700 cases and 185 associated deaths reported in Khartoum State alone since January 2025. Alarmingly, over 1,000 cases have affected children under the age of five.

Since the onset of conflict in April 2023, three million people have been forced to flee their homes, displaced internally and across the region.

Returning to homes without water

While improved access to parts of Khartoum State has enabled more than 34,000 people to return since January, many are coming back to homes that have been severely damaged and lack access to basic water and sanitation services.

Recent attacks on power infrastructure in Khartoum State have compounded the crisis, disrupting water supplies and forcing families to collect water from unsafe, contaminated sources.

This significantly increases the risk of cholera, particularly in densely populated areas such as displacement camps.

UNICEF has implemented a multi-pronged approach to the crisis, including distributing household water treatment chemicals, delivering over 1.6 million oral cholera vaccines, supplying cholera treatment kits, and more.

“Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition, but both are preventable and treatable, if we can reach children in time,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan.

Malaria and new prevention efforts

Also on Wednesday, UNICEF launched a partnership with the Sudanese government’s health ministry and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to distribute nearly 15.6 million insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent the spread of malaria among vulnerable families across Sudan, along with 500,000 additional nets for antenatal and immunization facilities.

The campaign aims to protect 28 million Sudanese across 14 states.

As with cholera, ongoing conflict and displacement have created conditions conducive to the spread of malaria. Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, coupled with the approaching rainy season, present a serious health risk to millions, particularly those returning to damaged communities.

In addition, the initiative aims to bolster the availability of anti-malarial medications, rapid diagnostic tests, and investments in strengthening the healthcare system.

Critical medical supplies reach West Darfur

In a more positive development, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday that El Geneina Hospital in West Darfur has received eight tonnes of medical supplies for nutrition, non-communicable diseases and mental health.

The delivery, supported by the World Bank Africa, the Share Project, and the European Union, is expected to sustain the hospital’s operations for six months, providing vital support to one of the regions hardest hit by the multiple escalating crises.

Sudan conflict triggers regional health crisis, warns WHO

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“The ongoing conflict and displacement, in addition to fragile health infrastructure and limited access to affected populations, pose a risk of mass disease transmission,” the UN health agency said in a report issued Tuesday, urging immediate support to sustain surveillance, bolster outbreak response and preserve lifesaving health services.

Since civil war erupted in April 2023, 14.5 million people have been displaced – 10.5 million internally and four million to neighbouring countries such as Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic – making this the world’s largest displacement crisis.

Inside Sudan, conflict has devastated infrastructure and triggered the breakdown of essential services and infrastructure, fuelling the spread of cholera, measles and other communicable diseases.

At Tuesday’s press briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that with fighting and shelling intensify across the country “the cholera outbreak in Khartoum state is worsening at an alarming rate,” with cases rising by 80 per cent over the past two weeks.

Mr. Dujarric called for “increased, flexible and timely funding to scale-up the humanitarian response, as well as unimpeded access via all necessary routes, so that aid workers can reach people in need wherever they may be.”

Disease and displacement

The impact extends well beyond Sudan’s borders. As of 7 May, Egypt has received 1.5 million Sudanese refugees during the two years of fighting. 

The country has expanded healthcare coverage, but Sudanese face higher costs under the Universal Health Insurance system. WHO Egypt is working with national authorities to strengthen health services and reach the most vulnerable.

However, as Sudanese refugees arrive at overcrowded refugee camps across the region, the situation is far grimmer.

Chad. Rapid Influx of Sudanese refugees leaves thousands in desperate need

In Chad, where over 726,000 have arrived in four crisis-affected eastern provinces already overwhelmed with other refugees, health needs are urgent.

Refugees face outbreaks of malaria, measles, hepatitis E and severe acute malnutrition. There have been 657,135 cases of malaria alone and 314 deaths across the country this year.

South Sudan has received over 1.5 million people, including 352,000 Sudanese. But conflict and attacks on health facilities in the host country have severely hindered response efforts and exacerbated disease.

Hunger and cholera are especially concerning, with 7.7 million people facing severe food insecurity, and more than 54,800 cholera cases and 1,000 deaths since late September.

Ongoing WHO support

Despite the growing funding crisis and severe operational challenges, WHO and its partners continue providing support.

These include support for 136 nutrition stabilisation centres, delivery of medical supplies and consultations, cholera treatment sites, and efforts to rebuild damaged health infrastructure.

The agency has called for sustained support to prevent the worsening of what is already one of the gravest humanitarian and public health emergencies in the world today.

What’s your poison? Alcohol linked to higher risk of pancreatic cancer

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The research, led by the UN World Health Organization’s centre for cancer research, pooled data from nearly 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

It revealed a “modest but significant” association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, regardless of sex or smoking status.

“Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive,” said Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study at the international cancer research agency and Head of Nutrition and Metabolism Branch at the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The pancreas is a vital organ that produces enzymes for digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal cancers, largely due to late diagnosis.

All drinkers are at risk

The IARC study found that each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 3 per cent increase in pancreatic cancer risk.

For women consuming 15 to 30 grams of alcohol daily – about one to two drinks – the risk rose by 12 per cent compared to light drinkers. Among men, those who drank 30 to 60 grams daily faced a 15 per cent increased risk, while men drinking more than 60 grams daily saw a 36 per cent higher risk.

“Alcohol is often consumed in combination with tobacco, which has led to questions about whether smoking might confound the relationship,” Mr. Ferrari said.

“However, our analysis showed that the association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk holds even for non-smokers, indicating that alcohol itself is an independent risk factor.”

Further research is needed, he added, to better understand the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption, including patterns such as binge drinking and early-life exposure.

A growing global challenge

Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer globally, but it accounts for 5 per cent of cancer-related deaths due to its high fatality rate.

In 2022, incidence and mortality rates were up to five times higher in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern Asia than in other regions.

‘A silent crisis’: Obstetric fibrosis affects 500,000 women, yet it’s fully treatable

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16 years – that is how long Dah had to live with the agonising condition, undergoing eight different surgical procedures before finally getting the fistula repaired.

In recognition of the over 500,000 women like Dah who are forced to endure what is a highly treatable condition, the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is being marked on Friday.

Obstetric fistula is a medical condition which refers to the development of a small hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, leading to leaking urine or faeces.

This year’s theme, “Her Health, Her Right: Shaping a Future without Fistula” will seek to make progress towards the goal of eliminating fistula by 2030.

Women’s bodies become battlegrounds — not only through sexual violence but through deliberate denial of reproductive rights and health
– Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women

“Women’s bodies become battlegrounds — not only through sexual violence but through the deliberate denial of reproductive rights and health services” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women.

‘A silent crisis’

It is often brought on by prolonged or difficult childbirth. Most of the half million women suffering the condition live in the Global South.

Many women who have a fistula experience social isolation and exclusion brought on by leaking urine or faeces. This, in turn, can lead to depression and exacerbated poverty.

Kambiré, a small business owner who lives in Bouna, lived with obstetric fistula for 23 years. She even had another child before getting medical assistance.

“I preferred to isolate myself because of the fistula,” she said. “I couldn’t sit for long for fear of getting wet.”

She only learned that it was treatable when listening to a radio show, inspiring her to go to a UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA)-supported hospital for treatment. Now, she owns a small pot-making business.

Kambiré had obstetric fistula for 23 years and now owns her own pot-making business.

Entirely preventable and treatable

UNFPA set the goal of elimination by 2030 – which seems doable given that, as a medical condition, it is both completely preventable and fully treatable.

Between 2003 and 2024, UNFPA supported nearly 150,000 surgical fistula repairs, 4,400 of which alone happened in Côte d’Ivoire for women like Dah and Kambiré.

Catherine, a mother of two in Bouna, also received medical assistance from a UNFPA-supported hospital.

“Now that I’m healthy, I’m happy. I can run my business and spend time with my friends,” she said.

Nevertheless, obstetric fistula has remained stubbornly persistent throughout the world due to disparities in global health systems.

UNFPA says that midwives are key to preventing fistula, and other childbirth injuries. However, there is a global shortage of over 900,000 midwives, 500,000 of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Reproductive health education and empowerment are similarly essential to addressing and preventing obstetric fistula.

“The most effective shield we can offer women and girls is their own power, voice and leadership,” Ms. Bahous said.

Networks of solidarity

After Dah received successful treatment for her obstetric fistula, she, like Kambiré, began a seasonal food business through which she prepares and sells produce.

She has also banded together with other fistula survivors from Bouna to enhance community awareness and reduce stigma.

“When women lead, they protect not only themselves but their families and communities … The impact is transformative,” Ms. Bahous said.

World Health Assembly opens amid high-stakes pandemic treaty vote, global funding crisis

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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, urged Member States to remain focused on shared goals even amid global instability.

“We are here to serve not our own interests, but the eight billion people of our world,” he said in his keynote address at the Palais des Nations. “To leave a heritage for those who come after us; for our children and our grandchildren; and to work together for a healthier, more peaceful and more equitable world. It’s possible.”

The Assembly, WHO’s highest decision-making body, runs through 27 May and brings together delegations from 194 Member States under the theme One World for Health.

This year’s agenda includes a vote on the intensely negotiated Pandemic Agreement, a  reduced budget proposal, and discussions on climate, conflict, antimicrobial resistance, and digital health.

Pandemic prevention focus

A central item on the Assembly’s agenda is the proposed WHO pandemic accord, a global compact aimed at preventing the kind of fragmented response that marked the early stages of COVID-19.

The treaty is the result of three years of negotiations between all WHO Member States.

“This is truly a historic moment,” Dr Tedros said. “Even in the middle of crisis, and in the face of significant opposition, you worked tirelessly, you never gave up, and you reached your goal.”

A final vote on the agreement is expected on Tuesday.

If adopted, it would mark only the second time countries have come together to approve a legally binding global health treaty under WHO’s founding rules. The first was the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, adopted in 2003 to curb the global tobacco epidemic.

2024 health check

In his address, Tedros presented highlights from WHO’s 2024 Results Report, noting both progress and persistent global health gaps.

On tobacco control, he cited a global one-third reduction in smoking prevalence since the WHO Framework Convention entered into force two decades ago.

He praised countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Oman, and Viet Nam for introducing stronger regulations last year, including plain packaging and restrictions on e-cigarettes.

On nutrition, he pointed to new WHO guidelines on wasting and the expansion of the Tobacco-Free Farms Initiative in Africa, which has supported thousands of farmers in transitioning to food crops.

He also emphasised WHO’s growing work on air pollution and climate-resilient health systems, including partnerships with Gavi and UNICEF to install solar energy in health facilities across multiple countries.

On maternal and child health, Tedros noted stalled progress and outlined new national acceleration plans to reduce newborn mortality. Immunisation coverage now reaches 83 per cent of children globally, compared to less than 5 per cent when the Expanded Programme on Immunisation was launched in 1974.

“We are living in a golden age of disease elimination,” he said, citing the certification of Cabo Verde, Egypt, and Georgia as malaria-free; progress in neglected tropical diseases; and Botswana’s recognition as the first country to reach gold-tier status in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

WHO has been supporting Universal Health Coverage in Rwanda.

WHO budget strain

Turning to WHO’s internal operations, Tedros offered a stark assessment of the organisation’s finances.

“We are facing a salary gap for the next biennium of more than US$ 500 million,” he said. “A reduced workforce means a reduced scope of work.”

This week, Member States will vote on a proposed 20 per cent increase in assessed contributions, as well as a reduced Programme Budget of $ 4.2 billion for 2026–2027, down from an earlier proposal of $ 5.3 billion. The cuts reflect an effort to align WHO’s work with current funding levels while preserving core functions.

Tedros acknowledged that WHO’s long-standing reliance on voluntary earmarked funding from a small group of donors had left it vulnerable. He urged Member States to see the budget shortfall not only as a crisis but also as a potential turning point.

“Either we must lower our ambitions for what WHO is and does, or we must raise the money,” he said. “I know which I will choose.”

He drew a sharp contrast between WHO’s budget and global spending priorities: “US$ 2.1 billion is the equivalent of global military expenditure every eight hours; US$ 2.1 billion is the price of one stealth bomber – to kill people; US$ 2.1 billion is one-quarter of what the tobacco industry spends on advertising and promotion every single year. And again, a product that kills people.”

“It seems somebody switched the price tags on what is truly valuable in our world,” he said.

Emergencies and appeals

The Director-General also detailed WHO’s emergency operations in 2024, which spanned 89 countries. These included responses to outbreaks of cholera, Ebola, mpox, and polio, as well as humanitarian interventions in conflict zones such as Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza.

In Gaza, he said, WHO had supported more than 7,300 medical evacuations since late 2023, but over 10,000 patients remained in urgent need of care.

Looking ahead: a transformed WHO?

The WHO chief closed with a look at the agency’s future direction, shaped by lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted new initiatives in pandemic intelligence, vaccine development, and digital health, including expanded work on artificial intelligence and support for mRNA technology transfer to 15 countries.

WHO has also restructured its headquarters, reducing management layers and streamlining departments.

“Our current crisis is an opportunity,” Dr Tedros concluded. “Together, we will do it.”

Countries set to adopt ‘vital’ pandemic preparedness accord

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The stakes are high for this year’s World Health Assembly, the UN’s premier health forum, where officials will tackle a sweeping agenda – from pandemic readiness and climate-related health risks to mental health, maternal care, and environmental justice. But with geopolitical tensions running high, international collaboration on these and other vital issues will be tested.

Here are some of the key areas set to dominate discussion:

1. ‘Cautious optimism’: Signing off on a pandemic accord

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that there are stark inequities in access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, both within and between countries. Healthcare services were overwhelmed, economies were severely disrupted and nearly seven million lives were lost.

This was the motivation for countries to come together to work on an accord to ensure that the world handles the next pandemic in a fairer and more efficient way. When the delegates arrive in Geneva on Monday 19 May, they will thrash out the text of the agreement, which Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), described as “vital for future generations.”

If the agreement is adopted, it will be a major breakthrough in the way the world handles pandemics and health crises. Negotiations, though, remain politically delicate: several nations, including the United States, have raised concerns about national sovereignty and intellectual property rights. Still, in recent weeks, Dr. Tedros has expressed “cautious optimism” that consensus can be reached.

A woman wearing a mask, Malawi.

2. Climate Change: An existential threat

The climate crisis isn’t just about rising temperatures – it’s putting lives at risk. Extreme weather and disease outbreaks are on the rise, threatening the health of millions. An action plan created by WHO calls for climate and health policies to work together, strengthens resilience, and ensures funding to safeguard vulnerable communities.

A draft version of the plan was released following a resolution adopted at the 2024 conference and, this year, delegates are expected to finalise the draft, which includes strategies to adapt to and mitigate climate-related health risks.

3. Health for all: Getting universal health care back on track

Ensuring that all people have affordable access to the full range of quality health services they need is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which all UN Member States signed up to in 2015. However, the health target is way off track: in fact, improvements to health services have stagnated over the last ten years.

Nevertheless, universal health care (UHC) will be a top priority at the Assembly, where delegates will discuss strategies to strengthen primary healthcare systems, secure sustainable financing and provide care for vulnerable populations.

© WHO/Panos/Eduardo Martino

4. Healthy Beginnings: Maternal and newborn health

Close to 300,000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over two million babies die in their first month of life In April, WHO launched a year-long campaign to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

Titled “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” it will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.

Expect new targets and renewed commitments to end preventable deaths to be announced at the Assembly.

5. Closing the gaps: Noncommunicable diseases

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, kill tens of millions of people each year. Around three-quarters of those deaths are in low and middle-income countries.

Many lives could be saved if more countries had strong national responses, providing detection, screening and treatment, as well as palliative care.

In preparation for a WHO meeting on NCDs and mental health in September, delegates will review the way the UN health agency collaborates with governments, civil society, and the private sector to prevent and control these diseases, and address ways to improve access to essential medicines and health technologies.

6. Getting the finances in order

This year has been described as one of the most challenging ever at the UN, which is being buffeted by extreme pressures on its finances. The US, a major donor announced that it would be leaving WHO in January, and other countries have also cut development and aid funding.

This year’s Assembly will see Member States negotiating a 50 per cent increase in the base budget, something that has been in the works since the 2022 meeting. If a funding boost is approved, it will provide a vital boost to at a challenging time.  WHO is also seeking additional voluntary contributions, and additional pledges are anticipated from member states and philanthropic organisations.

Follow the sessions at the World Health Assembly here. 

Pandemic accord can be a ‘gamechanger’ for marginalised communities, says youth advocate

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Mr. Hassan and his fellow Youth Councillors advise and actively engage with the WHO Director-General and the agency’s senior leadership, designing and expanding the agency’s programmes and strategies.

In an interview with UN News ahead of the 2025 World Health Assembly – the UN’s highest forum for global health – Mr. Hassan, who was born and raised in Texas, USA,  explains why he started iCure, a global non-profit organisation designed to ensure that all people receive access to preventative medical screening, and how the pandemic treaty could radically improve care for vulnerable communities.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Courtesy of Rehman Hassan

Rehman Hassan: 10 years ago, my grandfather passed away from heart disease. I saw how he was treated differently because of the way that he presented himself, as an immigrant and a person of colour. He was very knowledgeable, but he had limited literacy, and he wasn’t necessarily told what all his options were. I felt that the doctors tried to rush him into surgery and that they forced him to be anaesthetized because they believed he was moving around too much, when in fact he was just in pain and uncomfortable.

I’m convinced that he didn’t get the care that he deserved and that really resonated with me, because I wanted to make sure that no one else felt that way. I saw that, as a young person, my role could involve working at a community level, mobilising other young people to promote things like good diet or exercise, and advocate for those who need help.

That’s how iCure started, and it has blossomed into an international movement. We have hosted a youth fellowship programme with around 65 young people from all over the world, from Vietnam to Qatar to Puerto Rico, discussing the health issues they’re seeing and how to address them, as trusted members of their communities, to bridge the kinds of information gaps that are very common in many marginalized communities, especially amongst low income people and immigrants.

UN News: Tell me about your personal experience during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Rehman Hassan: The pandemic was, for many people across the world, a deeply difficult, scary, intense process. I was living with my grandparents who were immunocompromised, and I knew that they were at significant risk. Whilst we had a lot of vaccines in the US, there was a lot of pandemic disinformation and misinformation; presenting it as something that had a low mortality rate and that we could ignore.

In addition, we had a major winter storm in Texas that froze the state for almost two weeks. We didn’t have access to electricity, gas or water. Our house was flooded and ultimately was destroyed. This combination of the climate crisis and the pandemic meant that many people, especially in my community, were left behind and did not receive the resources that they needed.

Children in Mexico received food baskets during the COVID-19 pandemic (file, 2022)

UN News: The WHO says that the pandemic preparedness treaty, if and when it is adopted, will be a breakthrough for health equity and make a real difference on the ground. Do you agree?

Rehman Hassan: I definitely think it’s a game changer. I got involved with the treaty process through the WHO Youth Council, where I represent an organisation [ACT4FOOD, a global youth-led movement to transform food systems] that primarily focuses on access to food, the social determinants of health and how we can promote change at the community level.

The text of the treaty spells out the efforts that need to be taken at a community level, and each member state has an obligation to make sure that the most vulnerable get access to support or care, as part of their pandemic response plans.

There is a commitment to early detection: if we can detect pandemics early, then we can ensure that everyone has access to the care and resources they need.

UN News: It’s likely that there will be another pandemic in our lifetimes. Will we manage it better than the last one?

Rehman Hassan: We’re definitely seeing an acceleration of pandemics and extreme events that ultimately undermine equity.

I think that the World Health Assembly and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the pandemic treaty have done an incredible job of understanding what went wrong during the COVID-19 pandemic, and previous pandemics, and then looking at how we can craft an instrument that will address those inequities or prevent them from happening in the first place.

If member states deliver a meaningful treaty, I think it would significantly improve and facilitate a much better pandemic response than what we saw during last time.

‘The world is failing its health checkup,’ says WHO

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“Behind every data point is a person – a child who didn’t reach their fifth birthday, a mother lost in childbirth, a life cut short by a preventable disease,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as the organization’s latest statistics report revealed the pandemic’s deeper health impacts.

Warning that overall progress is under threat today, WHO on Thursday called on governments “to act, with urgency, commitment, and accountability to the people they serve.” Tedros bemoaned the “avoidable tragedies” behind the statistics.

Chronic diseases

The 2025 report shows an estimated 1.4 billion more people were living healthier lives by the end of 2024, surpassing WHO’s one billion target. This was driven by reduced tobacco use, better overall air quality and access to water, hygiene and sanitation, said WHO.

But underinvestment in primary health care, shortages of skilled health workers, and gaps in service like immunisation and safe childbirth are now holding countries back.

Driven by population growth and aging, premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, are rising. Worldwide, such diseases now account for the leading causes of deaths among people under 70.

Additionally, “air pollution continues to harm population health around the world,” said WHO’s Haidong Wang. 

Maternal deaths

The rate of maternal deaths fell by over 40 per cent and deaths of children under five were cut by half between 2000 and 2023.

However, progress has been either stalling or reversing in many countries, and maternal and child deaths are not falling “fast enough” – putting millions of lives at risk.

Millions more lives on the line

Essential health service coverage and protection from emergencies have lagged, the UN health agency data shows.

Without urgent course correction, WHO estimates that the world risks losing the chance to prevent an additional 700.000 maternal deaths and eight million deaths of children under five years old,” between 2024 and 2030.

World News in Brief: Sudan refugees, aid for Syrian returnees, MERS alert in Saudi Arabia, Venezuela urged to end secret detentions

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The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Wednesday that most of the new arrivals are women and children.

Many have come from Zamzam camp and the city of El Fasher, locations targeted by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who’ve been fighting forces of the military government for more than two years.

In Chad, the high numbers of those arriving are putting significant strain on overwhelmed resources.

Exhausted and victimised

Aid teams say that many refugees arrive exhausted after walking for days because they are unable to afford transport.

They report being victims of targeted attacks, looting and sexual violence.

Numerous children have been injured, families separated, and others remain missing, the refugee agency said.

Immediate needs in Chad include shelter, food, medical care and psychological support but the $409 million refugee response appeal is only 20 per cent funded.

Syria’s returnees desperately need help to start over

Syrians trying to rebuild their lives in their war-torn country urgently need the support of the rest of the world to help them start again, UN aid agencies said on Wednesday.

Hopes rose this week in Damascus following Donald Trump’s move to end punitive sanctions – but after more than 13 years of civil war that ended with the fall of the Assad regime last December, many communities today face a range of basic problems.

These include unreliable access to electricity, clean water and healthcare.

Records destroyed

The destruction of public records is also preventing returnees from accessing essential services or claiming housing and land rights, according to the UN migration agency, IOM.

Its Director-General, Amy Pope, insisted Syrians were resilient and innovative but that they needed help, now. “Enabling (them) to return to a country that is on the path to stability and progress is critical for the country’s future,” she insisted.

A new IOM report from more than 1,100 communities across Syria found that work is scarce, partly because farming and markets are still struggling to recover.

Shelter reconstruction is also needed urgently, while unresolved property issues continue to prevent people from rejoining their communities.

Since January 2024, the UN agency has recorded more than 1.3 million returnees previously displaced within Syria, in addition to nearly 730,000 arrivals from abroad.

WHO issues warning over deadly MERS outbreak in Saudi Arabia

A recent outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia has raised concerns after two people died from the disease between March and April.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated guidelines to help contain the outbreak, which has seen nine confirmed cases – seven of them in the capital, Riyadh. Several of those infected were healthcare workers who caught the virus from a patient.

MERS is caused by a zoonotic coronavirus, from the same family of viruses as COVID-19. While WHO estimates the fatality rate to be around 36 per cent, the true figure may be lower, as mild cases often go undiagnosed.

Despite the recent cases, the risk of wider spread remains moderate at both the regional and global levels, according to WHO.

MERS is primarily carried by dromedary camels and can be passed to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected animals.

Human-to-human transmission usually happens in healthcare settings, through respiratory droplets or close contact.

No vaccine, no cure

Much like COVID-19, MERS can range from no symptoms at all to severe respiratory illness, including acute respiratory distress — and in some cases, death. There’s currently no vaccine or specific treatment.

To stop the virus from spreading, WHO urges hospitals and clinics to step up infection prevention and control measures, especially where suspected cases are being treated.

Since MERS was first identified in 2012, it has caused 858 deaths across 27 countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Call for Venezuela to end secret detention of political opponents

Top independent human rights experts have urged the Venezuelan authorities to stop the reported practice of holding political opponents incommunicado.

In an alert on Wednesday, they insisted that these “targeted detentions” were illegal and amounted to enforced disappearance, a major human rights violation if proved and potentially an international crime.

They maintained that using secret detention was a deliberate strategy by the State “to silence opposition figures…and to instill fear among the population”.

Lack of legal protection

The mission pointed to a widespread lack of “effective judicial protection” for civil society in Venezuela and accused State security forces of colluding with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The services allegedly responsible for detentions include the national intelligence service, the national guard and military counterintelligence.

The mission’s independent rights experts also maintained that criminal courts and the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice were also “complicit” by ensuring that the alleged crimes went unpunished.

The Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela was created by the Human Rights Council in 2019; its members are not UN staff and they work in an independent capacity.

Half of women’s organizations in crisis zones risk closure within six months

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Across 73 countries, 308 million people now rely on humanitarian aid – a number that continues to rise. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by these crises, facing preventable pregnancy-related deaths, malnutrition, and alarming levels of sexual violence.

Despite the growing need, the humanitarian system is facing severe funding shortfalls, threatening life-saving services for women and girls.

Programmes suspended

According to a UN survey conducted among 411 women-led and women’s rights organizations providing services in crisis areas, 90 per cent have already been hit by funding cuts.

A staggering 51 per cent have been forced to suspend programmes, including those that support survivors of gender-based violence.

Pushed to the brink, almost three-quarters of the organizations surveyed also reported having to lay off staff – many at significant levels.

Already underfunded even before the recent wave of cuts, women’s organizations serve as a “lifeline” for women and girls, particularly in crisis settings.

With these organizations serving as cornerstones of humanitarian response, Sofia Calltorp, Chief of UN Women Humanitarian Action, called the situation “critical”, as funding cuts threaten essential, life-saving services.

Local women’s leadership

Despite the growing challenges, women’s organizations remain unwavering – “leading with courage, advocating for their communities, and rebuilding lives with resilience and determination,” said the UN gender equality agency.

In light of the findings, UN Women recommends prioritising and tracking direct, flexible, and multi-year funding to local women-led and women’s rights organizations whose work is under threat.

Placing local women’s leadership and meaningful participation at the centre is a core pillar of a humanitarian reset. “Supporting and resourcing them is not only a matter of equality and rights, but also a strategic imperative,” said Ms Calltorp.

Gaza: 57 children reported dead from malnutrition, says WHO

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Since the aid blockade began on 2 March, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health.

If the situation persists, nearly 71,000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next 11 months.

Briefing journalists in Geneva, WHO’s representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Dr. Rik Peeperkorn said that that Israel’s complete aid embargo has left only enough WHO supplies to treat 500 children with acute malnutrition – “a fraction of the urgent need”

“People are trapped in this cycle where a lack of diversified food, malnutrition and disease fuel each other,” he warned.

Dr. Peeperkorn’s comments follow the publication on Monday of a new analysis by the UN-backed food security alert scale known as the IPC showing that one in five people in Gaza – 500,000 – faces starvation, while the entire 2.1 million population of the Strip is subjected to prolonged food shortages. WHO is a member of the IPC.

An escalating hunger crisis

“This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time,” Dr. Peeperkorn said.

The UN health agency representative spoke of his recent visit to Kamal Adwan hospital in north Gaza, where each day more than 300 children are screened at a WHO-supported nutrition centre. During the visit, the hospital reported more than 11 per cent of cases with global acute malnutrition.

Describing the affected children, he said, “I’ve seen them [in the] wards… A child of five years old, and I thought he’s two and a half”.

WHO supports 16 outpatient and three inpatient malnutrition treatment centres in the enclave with lifesaving supplies, but the stopping of aid by Israel and shrinking humanitarian access are threatening its ability to sustain these operations.
Dr. Peeperkorn insisted on the long-term damage from malnutrition which “can last a lifetime”, with impacts including stunted growth, impaired cognitive development and health.

“Without enough nutritious food, clean water, access to health care, an entire generation will be permanently affected,” he warned.

The WHO official stressed that the agency was “constantly” raising with Israeli authorities the need to get supplies into the Strip. Some 31 WHO aid trucks are at a standstill in Al-Arish in Egypt just a few dozen kilometres away from the Rafah border crossing with Gaza and more supplies are positioned in the West Bank, ready to move “any day when this is allowed”.

‘Health care is not a target’

Turning to attacks on health care, Dr. Peeperkorn said that the burn unit of Nasser Medical Complex in the southern town of Khan Younis was reportedly hit by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday, killing two and injuring 12. The attack has resulted in the loss of 18 hospital beds in the surgical department including eight “critical” intensive care beds.

Media reported that a Palestinian journalist was killed in the attack during treatment for injuries sustained in a previous airstrike.

“Health care is not a target,” Dr. Peeperkorn concluded. He reiterated calls for the protection of health facilities, an immediate end to the aid blockade, the release of all hostages held by Palestinian armed groups and for a ceasefire “which leads to lasting peace”. 

‘She cries in her sleep’: Deeper crisis looms beneath devastation from Myanmar quake

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“I hate earthquakes. Earthquakes took my mother and my aunt away,” five-year-old Khin Yadanar told the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after both her mother and aunt were killed when a brick wall collapsed on them.

Around 6.5 million children were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake, which compounded existing vulnerabilities resulting from the brutal civil war between multiple armed opposition groups and the military junta which seized power in a February 2021 coup.

Families now face a further threat from flooding and landslides with the arrival of the monsoon season.

Midwives are lifelines

As health services collapsed after the earthquake, “women, especially pregnant mothers, were severely impacted,” said Yu Yu, a midwife in Mandalay, speaking to the UN’s reproductive health agency, UNFPA.

Amidst the chaos, midwives have emerged as frontline heroes. Undeterred by aftershocks and confronting both physical obstacles and emotional challenges, midwives provided hope and life-saving support.

Yu Yu notably recalls the case of one of her patients who suddenly became stranded, unable to reach any medical facilities as she went into labour following the quake.

Without hesitation, Yu Yu rushed to her side: “When I reached her, she was exhausted, overwhelmed by fear and financial insecurity following the earthquake,” she recalled.

On that day, Yu Yu saved both mother and child, as the baby’s umbilical cord had wrapped itself around the infant’s neck.

UNFPA has deployed mobile clinics to ensure that women and girls continue to receive essential healthcare and protection services.

A 10-year-old boy with his parrot on his shoulder at a temporary camp set up in the aftermath of devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar.

Deep trauma

“She cries in her sleep, and I worry something inside her has broken,” said Thida, mother of eight-year-old Thiri, speaking to UNICEF.

Beneath the visible devastation of the earthquake lies a deeper crisis: the profound psychological trauma that young survivors carry.

“I was so scared. My heart was beating so fast – and all I could think about was my parrots and cats at home,” said Thurein Oo, a ten-year-old boy who was praying at a mosque when the tremor struck.

Across earthquake-affected areas, parents are witnessing similar signs of distress in their children – sudden anxiety, emotional withdrawal, and sleepless nights, say UN aid workers.

In response to this growing mental health crisis, UNICEF and its partners have mobilised to provide critical psychological support to affected communities.

Setting up child-friendly spaces, UNICEF aims to promote psychosocial wellbeing, build resilience, and restore a sense of normalcy to children’s routines. Through various activities such as drawing, children learn to cope with their trauma.

“I coloured a picture of my mother,” said Khin, who lost her mother in the quake. “I feel better when I draw.”

Although the physical rebuilding of homes and infrastructure will likely take years, the emotional and psychological toll the earthquake has had on children cannot be left untreated.

“I like coming here,” said Thurein, referring to one of these spaces. “I feel safe, and I made a new friend who also lost his home,” he added.

Earthquake survivors survey the ruins of their homes in Pyinmana, Myanmar following the earthquake there.

Proactive planning

While earthquakes are among the deadliest natural hazards, it is the collapse of buildings that causes the most devastating effects. As such, proactive disaster risk reduction – such as making structures earthquake-resistant – is essential to reducing deaths and economic losses.

Focusing on risk-sensitive urban development, UN-Habitat and the UN office for disaster risk reduction (UNDRR) are also working across Myanmar to mitigate the risks future earthquakes could pose.

While little can be done to prevent natural hazards such as earthquakes from occurring, much can be done to mitigate their effects.

As rebuilding efforts are underway, the UN is dedicated to “ensuring that each step we take makes the rebuilt areas stronger and more resilient than before,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.

Lives of pregnant women and newborns at risk as funding cuts impact midwifery support

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But despite their critical role, UN support for midwifery is under serious threat due to severe funding cuts.

Each year, three-quarters of all maternal deaths occur in just 25 countries, the majority of them located in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA. 

Midwives are often the first and only responders delivering life-saving care to pregnant women and their newborns in crisis settings, where the risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth doubles.

Funding cuts are now forcing UNFPA to scale back its support for midwifery. In eight of the affected countries the agency will only be able to fund 47 per cent of the 3,521 midwives it had intended to support in 2025.

On the frontline

In times of crisis, women often lose critical access to vital maternity services. Coming to the rescue in the direst of circumstances and serving as a lifeline to pregnant women, “midwives save lives,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.

UN support for midwives in humanitarian settings includes training, providing supplies and equipment and in some cases transportation for mobile health clinics. All this is having to be cut back amid the funding cuts. 

“When crises strike and systems break down, midwives step up,” said UNFPA, marking International Day of the Midwife.

Funding cuts

Amid a global shortage of nearly one million midwives, rising death rates among women and newborns in conflict zones and fragile contexts are now being reported following budget cuts.

“We’re lacking everything, from blood bags to medicines. With the support of UNFPA and other partners, we can still provide services – but for how long?” said Fabrice Bishenge, Director of Kyeshero General Hospital in eastern DR Congo.

Deaths during childbirth in fragile and conflict-affected settings now account for 60 per cent of all maternal deaths globally. Worldwide, deep funding cuts only exacerbate this trend. In Yemen, for instance, over 590,000 women of childbearing age are expected to lose access to a midwife.

© UNICEF/Mukhtar Neikrawa

The waiting room of a maternity hospital in Herat Province, Afghanistan.

New initiative

In light of the current funding crisis, UNFPA and partners recently launched the Global Midwifery Accelerator — a coordinated initiative to scale up midwife-led care in countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.

The initiative sets out a cost-effective roadmap focused on saving lives and strengthening national health systems, even in the most fragile contexts.

Making an urgent call for greater funding, training, and advocacy for midwifery, UNFPA stressed that universal midwife-led health coverage could avert two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, reduce healthcare costs, and lead to more productive workforces. 

More than 30-year difference in life expectancy highlights health inequities

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The study by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that they can be responsible for a dramatic reduction in life expectancy in both rich and poor countries alike.

For example, people living in the country with the highest life expectancy will on average live 33 years longer than those born in the country with the lowest life expectancy.

An unequal world

“Our world is an unequal one. Where we are born, grow, live, work and age significantly influences our health and well-being,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Inequities in health are closely linked to degrees of social disadvantage and levels of discrimination.

“Health follows a social gradient whereby the more deprived the area in which people live, the lower their incomes are,” WHO said.

Inequities are especially exacerbated in populations that face discrimination and marginalization, such as Indigenous Peoples, who have lower life expectancies than their non-Indigenous counterparts.  

This is the case in both high and low-income countries.

Key targets at risk

The study is the first to be published since 2008 when the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health released its final report laying out targets for 2040 for reducing gaps between and within countries in life expectancy, childhood and maternal mortality. 

It shows that these targets are likely to be missed, and despite a scarcity of data there is sufficient evidence to show that health inequities are often widening.

For example, children born in poorer countries are 13 times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than in wealthier countries. 

Moreover, modelling shows that the lives of nearly two million children annually could be saved by closing the gap and enhancing equity between the poorest and wealthiest sectors of the population within low- and-middle-income countries.

Additionally, although maternal mortality declined by 40 per cent between the years 2000 and 2023, the majority of deaths, 94 per cent, still occur in low and lower-middle-income countries.

Appeal for action

WHO is calling for collective action to address economic inequality and invest in social infrastructure and universal public services.

The agency also recommends other steps, including overcoming structural discrimination and the determinants and impacts of conflicts, emergencies and forced migration. 

FAO calls for action amid foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks

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FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and various wild species. 

Europe is currently facing its worst outbreak so far this century at the same time as an exotic viral strain has been introduced in Iraq and other countries in the Near East.

Concern for potential spread

“FAO is recommending urgent biosecurity measures and enhanced surveillance following the recent detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) serotype SAT1 in Iraq and Bahrain,” the agency said in an alert.

“This serotype is exotic to the Near East and West Eurasia regions,” the agency continued – meaning the strain is not normally found there – which raises “serious concerns” about its potential spread.

FMD is typically characterized by fever and blisters in the mouth and on the feet of affected livestock, accompanied by lameness. Although few adult animals succumb to disease, young ones may die from sudden heart failure. 

The virus spreads rapidly and can affect large numbers of animals, especially in countries or regions that are usually free of the disease or do not regularly use vaccination.

Although FMD is not a public health threat, it severely impacts animal health and welfare, food security and incomes by reducing agricultural productivity, including through decreased milk and meat yields.

The economic impact is also substantial, with global direct production losses and vaccination costs in endemic regions estimated to be $21 billion annually. FAO noted that the true economic burden is likely much higher when disruptions to both international and local trade are taken into consideration. 

A major outbreak in the United Kingdom in 2001 led to the culling of more than six million animals and cost the economy billions, devastating the livestock industry and tourism. A series of new measures in response have reportedly reduced the risk and improved resilience, including local and national contingency plans for outbreaks.

Outbreaks and response

The FMD virus was recently detected in parts of Europe normally free of the disease and the continent is now experiencing its worst outbreak since 2001.  

Germany detected an outbreak this past January but has since been declared FMD-free, however subsequent outbreaks in Hungary and Slovakia have persisted.

In response, the UK recently announced that it has banned imports of meat or dairy products from European countries where the virus has been detected, as well as Austria due to the outbreak in neighbouring Hungary. 

FMD is endemic in the Near East, but the recent upsurge is due to an exotic serotype likely introduced from East Africa.  Cases have been reported in Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait, although other countries are at high risk.

Many strains of the FMD virus continue to circulate in different parts of the world, and the recent outbreaks in both Europe and the Near East highlight the ongoing risk the disease poses to livelihoods, food security and safe trade, said FAO.

Raising awareness

While all governments are urged to be vigilant, the agency said affected and high-risk countries should consider awareness-raising measures among farmers and communities to protect livestock. 

Other recommendations include biosecurity measures such as separating sick animals from other livestock and having them examined by professionals, alongside checking vaccination records and verifying FMD contingency plans.

FAO said that by implementing these measures, countries can significantly reduce risks. 

 

Anthrax outbreak compounds security crisis in eastern DR Congo

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And with nearly seven million people forcibly displaced by violence since advances by M23 rebels earlier this year, the DRC is facing one of the world’s most complex displacement crises, according to the UN migration agency (IOM).

Living in overcrowded and under-resourced camps, displaced populations are increasingly vulnerable to both disease and attack.

Since January 2025 alone, over 660,000 people have been forced to flee the Goma region after Government forces lost control of the key city along with Bukavu to the south.

Tipping point

The scale of the humanitarian needs in the country has reached a tipping point, according to IOM, with outbreaks of mpox and anthrax underway in the east.

While both mpox and anthrax typically affect livestock and other animals, food insecurity resulting from the ongoing conflict, paired with unsanitary living conditions in displacement camps, puts humans at greater risk of transmission.

Dangerous infections

Both the potentially deadly infections can be contracted through contact with infected or contaminated animals. Although anthrax is not generally contagious, mpox is, the World Health Organization (WHO) underlines.

Mpox is typically accompanied by fever and rash and rarely requires hospitalisation, while all human cases of anthrax do, the UN health agency added.

Since 22 March, following the deaths of dozens of buffalo and hippopotamuses in Virunga National Park from anthrax poisoning, 16 suspected human cases of anthrax have been reported, including one confirmed case. One person has died so far.

Outbreak response

WHO is conducting assessments in the eastern part of the DRC to determine the risk of the anthrax infection spreading further across the region.

As both mpox and anthrax are treatable with antibiotics, and preventable through vaccination, WHO and its partners are working to prevent future outbreaks by adopting a unified approach, prioritising human, animal and environmental safety.

Awareness campaigns and efforts to vaccinate livestock against anthrax are now underway.

First Person: Myanmar aid workers brave conflict and harsh conditions to bring aid to earthquake victims

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Thein Zaw Win, Communications and Advocacy Analyst in the Yangon Office of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) saw the devastating consequences of the quake during a week-long visit to the Mandalay region, one of the regions most severely affected by the disaster.

Thein Zaw Win, Communications and Advocacy Analy​st at UNFPA’s Yangon Office, speaks with​ a woman impacted by the recent earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar.

“I was in Yangon when the earthquake struck. In the aftermath, news reports gradually began indicating that many cities had suffered significant casualties. Buildings, roads, homes, schools, and hospitals were reduced to rubble and people were trapped beneath the debris.

Communication systems were down, so I decided to travel to the affected areas and support the relief efforts.

Women and girls needed lifesaving support, including sexual and reproductive health services and maternal care, dignity kits, hygiene items, and other essential supplies as soon as possible.

Within 72 hours, the UNFPA country office had deployed a Rapid Response Team to deliver essential services to the affected population, working with partners on the ground.

The journey from Yangon to Mandalay usually takes about eight hours, but we struggled to get through, due to damaged roads and collapsed bridges. We had to find alternate routes and, at times, even navigate through the rugged fields beside the main road.

Now that the rainy season has started, the roads are even worse, and travelling has become increasingly difficult. It took us more than 10 hours to reach Mandalay.

A woman affected by earthquake receives relief items including UNFPA’s dignity kits during UN joint distribution in Sagaing, Myanmar.

In some areas of the city, debris blocked the roads. Tower blocks had collapsed and many areas had been reduced to complete rubble. Desperate families sought refuge in temporary shelters, on the streets, or in front of their damaged homes.

Tremors continued for several days. Frequent power outages during the night mean that some affected areas were plunged into darkness, making it unsafe to go anywhere. Reaching those affected and delivering aid under these conditions remains a considerable challenge.

My responsibility is to engage with communities affected by the disaster, and share their stories to a broader audience. It is also vital to raise awareness of the realities and needs on the ground so that we can secure support for emergency assistance. This is my mission.

I met a woman in Mandalay who visited our mobile clinic. She had lived in the city all her life but had never seen such devastation. Everything collapsed in a matter of seconds. She was deeply worried about the damage to healthcare facilities, as well as her ability to access medical care.

© UNOCHA/Myaa Aung Thein Kyaw

A woman in Mandalay, Myanmar, looks on at the devastation caused by the earthquake.

Amidst this crisis, the UNFPA team has provided services ranging from hygiene supplies, protection from gender-based violence, and mental health support for women and girls. They also support maternal and newborn care services. I saw for myself the unwavering resilience of humanitarian workers, and the way that UN agencies, civil society organizations, and NGOs work together.

Myanmar was already suffering from political instability and now it has been further devastated by this destructive earthquake. It is extremely difficult to deliver aid to communities in Sagaing and Mandalay, where armed conflict is ongoing.

In the present context, with monsoon conditions imminent, people are terrified of what this season may bring.

The country is also experiencing the impact of the decline in global aid funding.

UNFPA, like other UN agencies and humanitarian organizations, is dealing with constraints on resources, and we have issued an appeal for emergency assistance to support populations in critical need.

The suffering of women and children affected by the earthquake is profoundly distressing, and we need all of our strength and resilience to help them.

It is a heartbreaking experience to witness the despair in people’s eyes and to listen to their stories of loss, but we are trying to give them the dignity and hope they rightfully deserve in these difficult times.”

Plague of rats and insects provide latest challenge for war-shattered Gazans

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One displaced woman told UN News’s correspondent in Gaza: “In all camps, we suffer from biting insects, especially fleas,” adding that “our children suffer from severe pain due to itching and stinging.

“We tried to treat it in simple ways, but the right medicines are not available at the medical centre.”

While biting insects found in Gaza are not immediately life-threatening, the presence of rodents, including rats, can increase the risk of the spread of infectious diseases which the health system in Gaza may be unable to treat.

Inadequate sanitation

The lack of adequate sanitation, including limited access to clean toilets, general overcrowding as people try to find places to live amongst the rubble of Gaza – and the challenges of removing rubbish from the streets – have amplified the threat posed by rats.

Teams from UNRWA, the UN agency which supports the people of Gaza, have initiated intensive clean-up operations as well as environmental and health awareness campaigns. The number of dermatology consultations in health facilities has also increased.

UNRWA workers are actively moving through tents for displaced people in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip spraying pesticides to counter the spread of insects, fleas and rodents.

Uncollected trash in Gaza is encouraging rats.

UNRWA teams have worked in approximately 50 displacement sites in the Mawasi area of ​​Khan Younis.

They have focused on locations where there is overcrowding, improper waste disposal, the presence of livestock and the lack of hygiene materials.

“Because of the intense heat and sleeping on the sand, we were exposed to biting insects, rodents, and mosquitoes,” said one resident as he watched an UNRWA environmental health officer spraying insecticides around temporary shelters.

A doctor from UNRWA’s Environmental Health team explains to mothers how to treat insect bites.

Educational Sessions

In a nearby tent, a group of women gathered around awareness-raising instructors from the agency’s Environmental Health Office for an educational session on how to guard against insects and rodents.

The meetings target women, girls and adolescents to familiarize them with how to face this health challenge.

Meanwhile, Gaza continues to struggle since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel precipitated the shattering conflict.

No humanitarian aid or supplies have entered the Gaza Strip since 2 March 2025, due to Israel’s total blockade.

UNRWA says vital humanitarian supplies, including food, fuel, medical aid and vaccines for children, are almost exhausted.

The agency warned that pesticide stocks are expected to run out within days in southern Gaza, while they have already run out in the central areas and north of the Strip.