About: WHO
MEPs call to raise awareness on benefits of vaccines
The European Parliament’s Environment Committee called on member states to tighten their law against anti-vaccination movements and better inform their citizens about its myths and benefits. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.
Air pollution legal action decision due in mid-March
The European Commission will decide next month whether to launch legal cases against nine member states that are accused of breaking air pollution action, after additional information was submitted at the eleventh hour.
Health leadership in a multipolar world: A view from Europe
Europe is still the most powerful international player in global health. But in an increasingly multipolar world, where differences between the developing and developed health worlds are dissolving, the way we look at global health is outdated, writes Johanna Ralston.
Green MEP: EFSA should release full glyphosate studies
Studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) about the risks of the glyphosate pesticide have different conclusions. Belgian MEP Bart Staes told EURACTIV Germany that EFSA needs to make its findings public so they can be scrutinised.
Industry involvement in EU tobacco tracking system divides stakeholders
The involvement of the tobacco industry in an EU-wide track and trace system to tackle smuggling has divided relevant stakeholders.
Make a sound investment: Prevent and treat hearing loss
Around 52 million EU citizens have self-reported hearing loss. The cost of not treating hearing loss is estimated at some €178 billion every year, write Lidia Best, Mark Laureyns and Soren Hougaard.
Andriukaitis: E-health can empower patients to manage diabetes
The right eHealth tools will help healthcare systems adjust to the alarming rise of diabetes and patients to effectively monitor the development of their disease, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Medical community alarmed by global rise in diabetes cases
The rise of diabetes is causing avoidable deaths and imposing substantial costs on ailing healthcare systems. Alarmed, lawmakers are attempting to improve prevention and get the emerging pandemic under control.
Study: One in seven with HIV in Europe unaware of infection
One in seven people with HIV in Europe is unaware of their infection, the EU and World Health Organization reported Tuesday (29 November) as 2015 marked another record year for new HIV cases in the region.
Rising dementia numbers in EU causes alarm
The European Union is stepping up efforts to combat dementia, but is being urged to do more, as 18.7 million EU citizens are expected to suffer from the illness by 2050.
WHO denies members failing to pay UN tobacco agency
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is fuming over an NGO report which claims that members do not pay their contributions to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the UN’s tobacco agency.
WHO declares Zika virus global emergency, EU says risk in Europe low
The World Health Organization yesterday (1 February) declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus an international public health emergency due to its link to thousands of birth defects in Brazil.
Ebola epidemic reveals gaps in research into diseases of poverty
The Vaccine Alliance has announced that it will fund research into an Ebola vaccine. Without public funding, laboratories often ignore illnesses that affect the poorest patients. EURACTIV France reports.
EU food safety watchdog hits back at scientists in glyphosate spat
The head of Europe's food safety watchdog has written to a group of nearly 100 senior scientists strongly rejecting their criticisms in an ongoing row about the safety of weed-killer ingredient glyphosate.
Experts disagree about ‘probably carcinogenic’ processed meat
The WHO now considers the consumption of processed and red meat to be as dangerous as smoking or drinking alcohol. EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel reports.
Nobel awards discoveries in fighting malaria and roundworm
Three scientists from Japan, China and Ireland whose discoveries led to the development of potent new drugs against parasitic diseases including malaria and elephantiasis won the Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday (5 October).
Air quality at a crossroads
Improving the EU’s poor air quality requires stricter regulation and significant investment. But the long term health benefits must outweigh financial concerns, argues Bert Brunekreef.
Alcohol, tobacco and obesity undermine the progress of European health policies
A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that Europe is still the world leader in alcohol and tobacco consumption. For the first time, the life expectancy of the current generation could be shorter than their parents. EURACTIV France reports.
UN backs tobacco tax to finance sustainable development
The Addis Ababa action plan recommends raising taxes on tobacco to finance sustainable development. In the Philippines, a 340% tobacco tax hike helped fund a universal health insurance programme. EURACTIV France reports.
Billions lack toilets, says World Health Organisation report
Toilets are taken for granted in the industrialised West, but are a luxury for a third of the world’s people, according to a report by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
WHO re-classifies Agent Orange herbicide as ‘carcinogenic’
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified the common herbicide 2.4-Dichlorophenoxyacet acid as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". EURACTIV France reports.
Physical activity seeking wider policy recognition
SPECIAL REPORT / While the economic benefits of physical activity are widely documented, policymakers still struggle to translate scientific evidence into policy, health experts say.
Parliament votes for tougher regulation of antibiotics
MEPs have adopted a resolution to tackle the increase of drug-resistant diseases, which kill 25,000 EU citizens each year. EURACTIV France reports.