Dhaka, May 7 (IANS) As Bangladesh grapples with a worsening measles outbreak, the laboratory at the Institute of Public Health in Mohakhali, the country’s sole facility for measles testing, is facing a critical shortage of testing kits amid delays in urgent procurement measures, according to a local media report. Reports suggest that if fresh supplies fail to arrive in time, all measles sample testing nationwide may cease after May 11, hampering efforts to determine the actual number of cases….
Latest World Health Organisation News & Updates
Kabul, May 6 (IANS) A mother dies from preventable complications every hour in Afghanistan, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, showcasing a health system still struggling to protect women during pregnancy and childbirth, local media reported on Wednesday. In a statement issued on International Day of the Midwife, the WHO said the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan remains among the highest across the world, at 521 deaths per 100,000 live births, even as access to basic care has improv…
Dhaka, May 2 (IANS) Four more children have died with symptoms of measles in Bangladesh, raising the death toll to 280 since March 15, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has announced, as the country continues to grapple with the disease. Citing the data from DGHS, the local media reported that 170 new suspected measles cases were identified in a span of 24 hours until Friday, taking the total of suspected cases to 38,301 people.The DGHS recorded 115 new confirmed measles cases du…
Islamabad, May 1 (IANS) Pakistan is the single largest contributor to the global number of people living with hepatitis C, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Hepatitis Report 2026 has revealed. In addition, Pakistan has been named among the 10 nations which have most hepatitis C related deaths worldwide, sparking concerns over unsafe injections, reusable syringes and weak infection prevention measures in the country, local media reported. According to the WHO report, hepatitis B and C ar…
Islamabad, May 1 (IANS) Two new polio cases have been reported from Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, bringing the total number of reported cases in the country since the start of this year to three, local media reported on Friday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, told leading Pakistani daily Dawn that two new cases of wild poliovirus – one in Bannu and another in North Waziristan – were confirmed by the National Emergency Op…
Gandhinagar, April 25 (IANS) Gujarat has recorded a decline of around 92 per cent in malaria cases over the past 10 years, the state Health Department said on Saturday, highlighting sustained surveillance and prevention efforts as World Malaria Day was observed. Observed annually on April 25 by the World Health Organisation, the day aims to raise awareness about malaria control and ensure active community participation.This year’s theme, “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must”, focuses …
Islamabad, April 15 (IANS) Two patients have tested positive for mpox in Pakistan’s Sindh province, increasing the provincial tally to 25 in 2026, local media reported on Wednesday. So far, 122 suspected cases of mpox have been reported in Sindh in 2026. Among them, 25 patients have tested positive for mpox while nine patients have died, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.Currently, Khairpur is the hotspot for mpox in Sindh with 18 confirmed cases, followed by four cases in Karachi and three…
Dhaka, April 8 (IANS) With Bangladesh’s measles outbreak having claimed over 128 lives already since March 15, including mostly children, Awami League leader Mohammad Ali Arafat on Wednesday accused the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of cancelling several public welfare initiatives introduced by the Sheikh Hasina-led government, including the national immunisation programme. The former Bangladesh Minister stressed that the previous interim government must be held responsible for le…
Puri, April 7 (IANS) Marking World Health Day, renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik on Tuesday created a striking sand sculpture at Puri Beach in Odisha, saluting frontline workers and spreading the message, “Together for Health, Stand with Science”. The elaborate sculpture, standing approximately six feet tall, was crafted using several tonnes of sand and showcased Pattnaik’s signature style of blending art with social messaging. Assisted by students from his sand…
Islamabad, April 6 (IANS) Recent reports have indicated that Pakistan has 84,421 registered HIV/AIDS patients, with Punjab province recording the most number of cases, followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Healthcare authorities in Pakistan must create a coherent and sustained plan to combat HIV, a report has cautioned. Transmission can occur through unsafe practices like barber services, dental procedures and related factors. According to the Wo…