.@DrTedros and @WHOEMRO's Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari concluded their visit to Kabul. #Afghanistan’s health system is on the brink of collapse. Unless urgent action is taken, the country faces an imminent humanitarian catastrophe 👉 bit.ly/3nUKLee#StayAndDeliver
@DrTedros@WHOEMRO@WHOAfghanistan@UN_News_Centre@UNNewsArabic Cuts in donor support to #Afghanistan’s health project Sehetmandi have left thousands of health facilities without funding for medical supplies & salaries for health staff. With reduced operations, health providers are forced to make hard decisions on who to save & who to let die
@DrTedros@WHOEMRO@WHOAfghanistan@UN_News_Centre@UNNewsArabic Only 17% of all Sehatmandi health facilities in #Afghanistan are fully functional. This breakdown in health services is having a rippling effect on the availability of basic & essential health care, emergency response, polio eradication, & #COVID19 vaccination efforts.
@DrTedros@WHOEMRO@WHOAfghanistan@UN_News_Centre@UNNewsArabic 9 of 37 #COVID19 🏥 have already closed & all aspects of the response have dropped, incl surveillance, testing & vaccination. Swift action is needed to work towards reaching the national goal of vaccinating at least 20% of the population by the end of 2021 bit.ly/3nUKLee
@DrTedros@WHOEMRO@WHOAfghanistan@UN_News_Centre@UNNewsArabic WHO particularly emphasizes the need for women to maintain access to education, health care, and to the health workforce. With fewer health facilities operational and less female health workers reporting to work, female patients are hesitant to seek care. bit.ly/3nUKLee
@DrTedros@WHOEMRO@WHOAfghanistan@UN_News_Centre@UNNewsArabic WHO is committed to: 1) working with partners to invest in the health education of girls & women, & continue training female health workers 2) support an extensive trauma programme that includes training, supplies and equipment for 130 hospitals and 67 blood banks #StayAndDeliver
The WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines provide clear evidence of the damage #AirPollution inflicts on health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend 🆕 air quality levels by reducing levels of 🔑 air pollutants.
"There is nothing more essential for life than air.
And yet because of #airpollution, the simple act of breathing contributes to 7 million deaths a year.
Almost everyone around the world is exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution"-@DrTedros
"Inhaling dirty air increases the risk of:
-respiratory diseases like pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
-severe #COVID19.
It’s also a major cause of other noncommunicable diseases like ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and cancers"-@DrTedros#AirPollution
A timely and accurate diagnosis is 🗝️ to providing better care for people with #dementia. Yet, many people around the world don't have access to diagnostic services.
👥 Carers of people with #dementia also need support.
WHO's iSupport for dementia is a free skills and knowledge training that teaches family members and friends how to better support someone with dementia.
Oral diseases - incl. dental caries, gum disease and oral cancer - affect an estimated 3.5 billion people globally.
They affect health, well-being and quality of life, especially where resources for prevention, diagnosis and treatment are limited.
Untreated dental caries in both primary (milk) and permanent teeth is the most common oral health condition. Reducing the amount of sugar we consume and regular toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste prevent dental caries bit.ly/3knxQzh
Severe gum disease is widespread and is a major cause of tooth loss. It is characterized by bleeding or swollen gums pain and sometimes bad breath.
The main causes are poor oral hygiene and tobacco use bit.ly/3knxQzh
"As you know, WHO’s global targets are to support every country to vaccinate at least 40% of its population by the end of this year, and 70% of the world’s population by the middle of next year"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity
@DrTedros "So far just 2 countries in Africa have reached the 40% target, the lowest of any region. That’s not because African countries don’t have the capacity or experience to roll out #COVID19 vaccines. It’s because they've been left behind by the rest of the 🌍"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity
@DrTedros "Access to essential health services for millions of people in #Afghanistan – especially women and girls – is likely to reduce sharply because of a pause in donor funding to the country’s largest health project, Sehatmandi"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "This project is the backbone of #Afghanistan’s health system, supporting more than 2,300 health facilities. This pause in funding could result in a worst-case scenario of more than 90% of these clinics and hospitals shutting their doors"-@DrTedros