Today is #WorldPrematurityDay.
1 in 10 babies around the world are born #preterm - before 37 weeks of pregnancy – causing around 1 million deaths. Survivors can face lifelong disability and ill health bit.ly/3CpTJDO
#Preterm births are rising globally and complications from prematurity are now the leading cause of death for children under 5.
3 in 4 of these deaths could be prevented with the right care during and after pregnancy and childbirth bit.ly/3CpTJDO #WorldPrematurityDay
Most #preterm babies can be saved through feasible, cost-effective measures incl.:
💕 Essential care during childbirth & in the postnatal period
💕 Provision of antenatal steroids
💕 Kangaroo mother care
💕 Antibiotics to treat infections #WorldPrematurityDay
Among infants born #preterm or at low birthweight, kangaroo mother care has been shown to:
💕 Reduce infant deaths by as much as 40%
💕 Reduce hypothermia by more than 70%
💕 Reduce severe infections by 65%
Holding a #preterm baby skin-to-skin and exclusive breastfeeding meets their needs for:
💕 warmth
💕 nutrition
💕 stimulation
💕 safety
💕 love
💕 helps them develop bit.ly/3kH6Yua#WorldPrematurityDay
When started at the soonest possible time – immediately after birth – evidence shows that kangaroo mother care can save even more lives, improve health outcomes for babies and bolster the emotional wellbeing of their families bit.ly/3wKGz2b #WorldPrematurityDay
Partners & other family members can help provide kangaroo care to babies born early or small – which is especially important when the mother is unwell or in recovery bit.ly/3wKGz2b #WorldPrematurityDay
To support good health before & throughout pregnancy and reduce risks of #preterm births, WHO recommends measures such as:
🤗 Counselling on healthy diet and optimal nutrition
🤗 Preventing tobacco and substance use
🤗 Quality & respectful antenatal care #WorldPrematurityDay
When parents are allowed to stay with their newborns, it promotes early & effective breastfeeding, including for low birthweight and #preterm babies.
Separating parents & babies immediately after childbirth should be discouraged. #WorldPrematurityDay
Having #COVID19 should NOT prevent you from having close contact with your baby.
Early and exclusive breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact are critical for a #preterm baby’s health bit.ly/3cycZ7y #WorldPrematurityDay
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LIVE: @DrTedros' briefing on the health situation in #Gaza to the @UN Security Council twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Let me be clear from the outset that I fully understand the anger, grief and fear of the Israeli people following the horrific, barbaric and unjustifiable attacks by Hamas and other armed groups on Israeli civilians on the 7th of October.
The killing of 1,400 people, and injuries to more than 7,200 others, is bad enough. For the survivors and families of victims, the mental health consequences will endure for a long time to come.
WHO is gravely concerned for the health and well-being of Israeli hostages in Gaza, many of whom are older people, children and those with urgent medical needs"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros @UN "Two weeks ago, I spoke with families of hostages, and I will meet them in Geneva next week. I feel their heartache and fear"-@DrTedros
Media briefing on the health situation in Gaza and Israel, and other global health issues with @DrTedros twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"We are running out of words to describe the horror unfolding in Gaza.
Since Hamas’s horrific attacks on Israel on the 7th of October, more than 10,000 people have been killed, including over 8,500 in Gaza and 1400 in Israel. In both Israel and Gaza, 70% of those killed are women and children"-@DrTedros
"More than 21,000 are injured and more than 1.4 million people in Gaza have been displaced.
The situation on the ground, in Gaza, is indescribable.
Hospitals crammed with the injured, lying in corridors;
Morgues overflowing;
Doctors performing surgery without anaesthesia;
Thousands of people seeking shelter from the bombardment;
Families crammed into overcrowded schools, desperate for food and water;
Toilets overflowing and the risk of disease outbreaks spreading;
And everywhere, fear, death, destruction, loss"-@DrTedros
#TraditionalMedicine has been at the frontiers of medicine & science laying the foundation for conventional medical texts.
#DYK: Nearly 40% of pharmaceutical products have a natural product base, incl.:
💊aspirin
💊artemisinin
💊contraceptive pills
💊childhood cancer treatments
In 1969, Tu Youyou was tasked to search for antimalarial drugs. She turned to ancient Chinese #TraditionalMedicine books & discovered artemisinin. In 2015, Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work on #malaria, which has saved millions of lives.
https://t.co/hqqn1D2idWbit.ly/47s1wlj
Derived from wild Mexican yam, norethindrone is one of the first active ingredients in birth control pills.
When Dr Luis Miramontes stabilised the synthetic hormone, norethindrone, he was unaware of his major contribution to women’s health and history.
📌 https://t.co/MbSbU8fHnfbit.ly/47s1wlj
Studies worldwide have shown that it protects the health of young people. It also helps… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
FACT: Comprehensive sexuality education is associated with later sexual activity and reduced risk-taking.
Evidence shows that young people are more likely to delay having sex – and if they do have sex, practice safer sex - when they are better informed about sexual health and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
FACT: Talking about sexuality does not necessarily mean talking about having sex.
For younger age-groups, sexuality education helps children:
💟 Learn about their bodies
💟 Recognize their feelings and emotions
💟 Identify different types of relationships, such as families &… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
🔥 🚒 #ClimateChange makes it more likely for droughts & wildfires to happen. Wildfires contributes to increased air pollution & can cause death & injury from suffocation, burns & smoke inhalation.
🔥💨 Burning fossil fuels drives #ClimateChange and causes air pollution that leads to lung cancer, stroke and heart disease. #AirPollution causes 1⃣3⃣ deaths per minute worldwide.
In adults, ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of premature death attributable to outdoor #AirPollution. Other effects include #diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions.