WHO has issued 🆕 tools to help countries respond to unusual cases of severe acute #hepatitis (liver inflammation) in children, incl. how to find & report cases.
The detection of cases across 5 WHO Regions is unusual & warrants detailed investigation.
As of 22 June 2022, 33 countries have reported 920 probable cases:
🔸cause remains unknown & it is being investigated
🔸actual number of cases may be underestimated due to limited surveillance in some places
🔸case count likely to ↗️ as more info & verified data become available
While a few cases of acute #hepatitis in children of unknown cause are reported, every year, some countries indicated that this year this number has been unusually high.
A range of investigations of the possible cause or causes is underway including detailed epidemiological investigations to identify common exposures, risk factors or links between cases. Investigations are also underway to assess where the number of cases is above usual levels.
WHO strongly encourages Member States to report cases of severe acute #hepatitis of unknown cause in children matching WHO’s case definition.
The analysis of 🌐 data helps improve the response & further develop guidance by providing 🔑 clues into the disease:
🔹cause
🔹clinical characterisation
🔹natural history
🔹severity
WHO has developed a case report form to make data gathering easier:
🔎 bit.ly/3OG2a4F
WHO also strongly encourages countries to use this case report form so that we can have a standardized approach to understanding these #hepatitis cases.
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.