News for '-who-director-general'

Trump withdraws from WHO, Paris accord, again

Trump withdraws from WHO, Paris accord, again

Rediff.com21 Jan 2025

Notably Trump had withdrawn from the Paris Agreement immediately after his first inauguration in January 2017. Joe Biden reversed that decision later.

Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital cut off as tanks surround it, says WHO

Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital cut off as tanks surround it, says WHO

Rediff.com12 Nov 2023

This comes after it was reported that the hospital has been facing repeated attacks.

New COVID variant Eris spreading fast in UK: Report

New COVID variant Eris spreading fast in UK: Report

Rediff.com5 Aug 2023

The UK Health Security Agency said EG.5.1, which has been nicknamed Eris, makes up one in seven new COVID cases.

Hasina's daughter joins mother at G20, fuels political speculation

Hasina's daughter joins mother at G20, fuels political speculation

Rediff.com8 Sep 2023

This is possibly the first time Hasina's daughter will be by her mother's side during an official visit to close neighbour and ally India, and analysts believe this to be significant in many ways.

Covid-19 remains 'global health emergency': WHO

Covid-19 remains 'global health emergency': WHO

Rediff.com31 Jan 2023

The committee acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic may be approaching an "inflexion point".

WHO flags 4 Indian cough syrups after 66 kids die in Gambia

WHO flags 4 Indian cough syrups after 66 kids die in Gambia

Rediff.com6 Oct 2022

The World Health Organisation has issued an alert for four 'contaminated' medicines manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical company that have been 'potentially linked' with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children in The Gambia.

WHO declares monkeypox global health emergency

WHO declares monkeypox global health emergency

Rediff.com23 Jul 2022

More than 16,000 cases have now been reported from 75 countries and there had been five deaths so far as a result of the outbreak.

Modi will not accompany Boris Johnson on his first visit to Gujarat

Modi will not accompany Boris Johnson on his first visit to Gujarat

Rediff.com20 Apr 2022

This is also because Johnson's visit will follow at the end of Modi's three-day visit to Gujarat for inaugurating projects, reports Vinay Umarji.

Scientists believe Covid nearing its end, but also advise caution

Scientists believe Covid nearing its end, but also advise caution

Rediff.com23 Sep 2022

The pandemic will be over but Covid will be here to stay, the scientists said as Covid numbers begin to ebb in several parts of the world, including India.

Be prepared for fresh Covid waves, warns WHO's Soumya Swaminathan

Be prepared for fresh Covid waves, warns WHO's Soumya Swaminathan

Rediff.com15 Jul 2022

There is mounting evidence that suggests that Omicron subvariants -BA.4 and BA.5 - are infecting people who have been vaccinated.

'We can't expect the virus to disappear'

'We can't expect the virus to disappear'

Rediff.com22 Aug 2022

'Since the Covid virus has a tendency to mutate, we can continue to expect new variants of the virus to emerge and keep circulating and recirculating in the communities.'

New Covid strain named 'Omicron', listed as 'Variant of Concern'

New Covid strain named 'Omicron', listed as 'Variant of Concern'

Rediff.com27 Nov 2021

The WHO has countries to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, submit complete genome sequences and associated metadata to a publicly available database.

Countries must vaccinate 10% of people by Sept: WHO chief

Countries must vaccinate 10% of people by Sept: WHO chief

Rediff.com1 Jul 2021

Voicing concern over many countries failing to vaccinate their people, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday called for vaccinating at least 10 per cent of the population of every country by September as he described vaccination as the best way to control the pandemic and reboot the global economy.

Omicron may be dominant strain globally in 2022, claim Singapore experts

Omicron may be dominant strain globally in 2022, claim Singapore experts

Rediff.com24 Dec 2021

The new and highly transmissible Omicron variant of the deadly coronavirus has increased immune escape compared with the Delta variant and appears likely to become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 strain globally in 2022, according to Singapore-based experts.

India's Covid situation hugely concerning: WHO Chief

India's Covid situation hugely concerning: WHO Chief

Rediff.com14 May 2021

India's COVID-19 situation remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, warning that the pandemic's second year will be 'far more deadly' than the first for the world.

Made-in-India Covaxin gets WHO's emergency use licence

Made-in-India Covaxin gets WHO's emergency use licence

Rediff.com3 Nov 2021

Covaxin was found to have 78 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low- and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements, said the global health body.

China, Russia and Pak envoys meet Taliban officials on govt formation

China, Russia and Pak envoys meet Taliban officials on govt formation

Rediff.com22 Sep 2021

Special envoys of China, Russia and Pakistan have met the top officials of the Taliban's interim government as well as Afghan leaders Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul and discussed the formation of an inclusive government, combating terrorism and humanitarian situation, a top Chinese official said on Wednesday.

Huge 'tsunami' of Covid cases overwhelming global health systems: WHO

Huge 'tsunami' of Covid cases overwhelming global health systems: WHO

Rediff.com7 Jan 2022

The number of new COVID-19 cases increased exponentially by 71 per cent globally during the week December 27-January 2 as compared to the previous week, while the number of new deaths decreased by 10 per cent, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday, as the new Omicron variant led the spike.

Report indicates Wuhan scientists got sick with Covid before outbreak

Report indicates Wuhan scientists got sick with Covid before outbreak

Rediff.com24 May 2021

Three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019, weeks before Beijing disclosed the COVID-19 pandemic, a United States media report said, citing a previously undisclosed American intelligence document that could add weight to growing calls for a full scale probe of whether the coronavirus may have escaped from China's top bio lab.

WHO team to visit China next week to probe origins of COVID-19

WHO team to visit China next week to probe origins of COVID-19

Rediff.com4 Jul 2020

The visit will take place more than six months after the WHO's country office in China picked up a statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on cases of 'viral pneumonia'.

Not yet clear if Omicron more transmissible: WHO

Not yet clear if Omicron more transmissible: WHO

Rediff.com29 Nov 2021

The World Health Organisation has said it is 'not yet clear' whether the newly-detected coronavirus variant Omicron is more transmissible or causes more severe disease compared to other variants, including the highly-transmissible and globally prevalent Delta variant.

COVID-19 pandemic a long way from over: WHO chief

COVID-19 pandemic a long way from over: WHO chief

Rediff.com13 Apr 2021

He voiced concern that confusion, complacency and inconsistency in public health measures and their application are driving transmission and costing lives. Cautioning that the disease is not flu, he said young, healthy people have died from the coronavirus.

Expert warns of more virulent coronavirus after milder Omicron

Expert warns of more virulent coronavirus after milder Omicron

Rediff.com7 Jan 2022

The reduced severity of Omicron is good news for now, but it is the result of an "evolutionary mistake" as Covid-19 is transmitting very efficiently and there is no reason for it to become milder, indicating that the next variant could be more virulent, a leading Indian-origin scientist from the University of Cambridge has warned.

G7 leaders discuss Wuhan lab leak theory behind Covid

G7 leaders discuss Wuhan lab leak theory behind Covid

Rediff.com13 Jun 2021

World leaders gathered at the G7 Summit in Cornwall discussed the possibility that a laboratory leak in central China's Wuhan city may have a connection with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief saying all hypotheses behind the origins of the deadly disease remain in play.

Trust Indian industry: WHO on delay in Covaxin nod

Trust Indian industry: WHO on delay in Covaxin nod

Rediff.com29 Oct 2021

A technical advisory group of the UN health agency which met on Tuesday has sought "additional clarifications" from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of the vaccine.

Real Covid deaths could be 2 times higher than official stats: WHO

Real Covid deaths could be 2 times higher than official stats: WHO

Rediff.com21 May 2021

"Excess deaths" captures not only confirmed deaths, but also COVID-19 deaths that were not correctly diagnosed and reported as well as deaths attributable to the overall crisis conditions.

WHO chief lauds efforts to control COVID-19 in Mumbai's Dharavi

WHO chief lauds efforts to control COVID-19 in Mumbai's Dharavi

Rediff.com11 Jul 2020

Dharavi, which is located in India's commercial capital Mumbai, is spread over an area of 2.5 square kilometres and has a population of 650,000. People live in shanties and dilapidated buildings with narrow lanes and open sewers.

India's COVID-19 figures worrying: WHO chief scientist

India's COVID-19 figures worrying: WHO chief scientist

Rediff.com11 May 2021

Soumya Swaminathan called on governments to boost exercises on reporting actual numbers.

British intel report says Covid may have leaked from Chinese lab

British intel report says Covid may have leaked from Chinese lab

Rediff.com31 May 2021

British intelligence agencies now believe it is 'feasible' that the COVID-19 pandemic began with a coronavirus leak from a Chinese bio laboratory, a media report said here on Sunday, prompting Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi to demand that the World Health Organisation (WHO) must fully investigate the origins of the deadly virus.

Global Covid cases could exceed 200 million by next week: WHO

Global Covid cases could exceed 200 million by next week: WHO

Rediff.com5 Aug 2021

The global number of new cases has been increasing for more than a month, with over 4 million cases reported in the past week - July 26 to August 1, the update said.

WHO advising IOC, Tokyo, says decision on Olympics 'very soon'

WHO advising IOC, Tokyo, says decision on Olympics 'very soon'

Rediff.com23 Mar 2020

Head of WHO's emergency programme, Dr. Mike Ryan said the decision regarding future of the Tokyo Games will be made 'very soon'.

China thanks Modi for letter to XI on coronavirus assistance

China thanks Modi for letter to XI on coronavirus assistance

Rediff.com10 Feb 2020

'India's acts of goodwill fully demonstrate its friendship with China'

WHO stops trial of anti-malarial drug for COVID-19 treatment

WHO stops trial of anti-malarial drug for COVID-19 treatment

Rediff.com26 May 2020

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that in view of a paper published last week in the Lancet medical journal, that showed people taking hydroxychloroquine were at higher risk of death and heart problems than those that were not.

India should show the way: WHO on COVID-19 eradication

India should show the way: WHO on COVID-19 eradication

Rediff.com24 Mar 2020

The executive director of the WHO, Michael Ryan, said India, the world's second most populous country, has a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention.

Chhetri, Messi part of FIFA's campaign against COVID-19

Chhetri, Messi part of FIFA's campaign against COVID-19

Rediff.com23 Mar 2020

The 'Pass the message to kick out coronavirus' campaign calls for people around the world to follow five key steps to protect their health in line with WHO's guidelines.

China's coronavirus kills 1,113; cases jump to 44,000

China's coronavirus kills 1,113; cases jump to 44,000

Rediff.com12 Feb 2020

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland has reached 44,653 by the end of Tuesday and 1,113 people has died of the disease.

Trump threatens to pull out of WHO, calls it China's 'puppet'

Trump threatens to pull out of WHO, calls it China's 'puppet'

Rediff.com19 May 2020

'I think they have done a very sad job. The United States pays them USD 450 million a year. China pays them USD 38 million a year'

India has tremendous capacity in eradicating Covid: WHO

India has tremendous capacity in eradicating Covid: WHO

Rediff.com24 Mar 2020

The executive director of the World Health Organisation, Michael Ryan, said India, the world's second most populous country, has a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention.

'We were like ostriches burying their heads in the sand'

'We were like ostriches burying their heads in the sand'

Rediff.com11 Jun 2021

'We behaved as if this disease is not a problem for India.' 'We acted as if it would go away. But it didn't go away; it exploded.'

WHO to set up centre for traditional medicine in India

WHO to set up centre for traditional medicine in India

Rediff.com14 Nov 2020

Modi said Ayurveda is India's heritage whose expansion entails the welfare of humanity and all Indians will be happy to see that the country's traditional knowledge is making other countries prosperous.