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World Health Organization (WHO)

World Health Organization (WHO)
The latest news, analysis and opinion on World Health Organization (WHO). In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Ambulances wait in line at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian Gaza Strip on Monday. Photo: AFP
Israel-Gaza war

Gaza’s Rafah crossing sees ‘limited’ reopening amid truce, but challenges remain

Restoring the Rafah-Egypt crossing is a vital milestone for the peace process, concluding the long closure enforced by the Israeli military.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | Hong Kong right to remain vigilant against Nipah virus spread

India

Nipah cases in India raise regional anxiety but experts say escalation unlikely

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

‘Don’t blindly follow’ US changes to infant vaccines, Hong Kong parents told

Warning comes after US health authorities scaled back routine child vaccine recommendations, leaving key shots to parental choice.

Hong Kong health authorities have warned parents not to “blindly follow” overseas changes to childhood immunisation schedules. Photo: Getty Images
Israel-Gaza war

Unicef delivers school kits to Gaza after 2.5-year Israel blockade

Thousands of school kits reach Gaza as Unicef confirms Israel lifts blockade that left children learning without pencils or books.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Explainer | Worth the weight? What Hongkongers should know about slimming injections

Department of Health says prescription-only injections can only be sold in pharmacies under supervision of registered pharmacists.

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United States

US walks away from WHO, leaving unpaid tab of US$260 million

Without its top donor, the UN health agency’s work to contain diseases like HIV, polio and Ebola is at risk.

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The World Health Organization logo is seen outside the agency’s headquarters in Geneva in December 2021. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

Letters | Trump’s multilateral retreat gives China mixed opportunities

Readers discuss the US’ pull-out from 66 international organisations, Trumponomics, and Hong Kong’s appeal as a financial centre.

Donald Trump

Trump pulls US out of dozens of international organisations, UN agencies

Many are groups and treaties the US president’s team has categorised as catering to diversity and ‘woke’ initiatives, such as climate talks.

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Israel

UN accuses Israel of subjecting Palestinians in West Bank to ‘apartheid’

For first time, UN rights chief labels situation in occupied Palestinian territories ‘apartheid’, a term previously used only by UN experts.

Israeli security forces check Palestinians’ IDs as they line up to return to Jenin through a gap in a security fence in September 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | Hong Kong, WHO must overcome hepatitis threat together

The city is doing its part to aid the global health body’s efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a threat to public health by 2030.

People walk through Central on December 19. A government health survey for 2020-22 showed 410,000 people in the city were living with hepatitis B. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hongkongers urged to get flu shots as city braces for winter virus wave

Centre for Health Protection’s appeal coincides with infectious disease expert’s concerns over low vaccination rates in the community.

Israel-Gaza war

Israel to ban several aid groups from Gaza in 2026 over vetting rules

Israel says suspensions are meant to prevent Hamas from exploiting aid, but humanitarian groups say it will harm civilians.

China-Africa relations

Washington lines up health deals as US and China vie for access to Africa

Signatories must guarantee that genetic sequence data and samples from potential outbreaks are shared with the US within 5 days of detection.

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Under the “America First Global Health Strategy”, many African countries have signed bilateral agreements to receive health financing in exchange for access to biological data and pathogen specimens. Photo: AFP
United Nations

‘World stands at a crossroads’: UN chief issues grim New Year message

Antonio Guterres laments US$2.7 trillion global arms race and urges leaders to choose ‘people and planet over pain’ in 2026.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Explainer | As ‘super flu’ spreads worldwide, how can Hongkongers protect against it?

Researchers find 82.8 per cent of flu specimens collected from Queen Mary Hospital between December 6 and 11 were subclade K.

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Israel-Gaza war

UN declares Gaza famine over, but ‘situation remains critical’

Meanwhile, Oxfam says hunger in Gaza remains ‘appalling and preventable’, accusing Israel of blocking aid from humanitarian agencies.

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Diplomacy

Outside In | Six years on, are we better prepared for the next pandemic?

Preparedness plans remain a work in progress while health budgets have been sliced by urgent demands and US withdrawal weakens global coordination.

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A woman walks past the National Covid Memorial Wall in London, Britain, on November 20. Photo: EPA
Israel-Gaza war

‘My future is paralysed’: Gaza amputees desperate to walk again

The World Health Organization estimates there are some 5,000 to 6,000 amputees from the Israel-Gaza war, 25 per cent of them children.

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Britain

UK ‘super flu’ crisis and doctors’ strike spark ‘worst-case’ Christmas fears

Flu cases hit record highs with a 55 per cent weekly jump as the NHS faces a planned doctors’ strike next week.

Vietnam

‘I have to wear a mask all the time’: Hanoi’s smog hits crisis levels

On Thursday, Hanoi was the world’s fourth most-polluted city, with officials citing vehicles, industry, and crop burning for the poor air quality.

People wearing face masks in Hanoi, Vietnam on December 4. Vietnam’s capital is advising residents to limit outdoor activities on poor air quality days. Photo: Xinhua
Britain

New mpox strain found in UK after travel to Asia

New recombinant mpox strain raises concerns over global spread and viral evolution.

A colorised electron micrograph shows green mpox particles within a pink and purple infected cell cultured in a lab. Photo: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/AFP
Africa

63 children among 114 dead in strikes on Sudan kindergarten, hospital: WHO

Reports paramedics were also targeted during rescue efforts, as WHO director general condemns attack.

India

New Delhi’s smog surge linked to 200,000 respiratory cases

Acrid smog chokes Delhi’s skyline each winter, when cool air traps a deadly mix of pollutants from crop burning, factories, and traffic.

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Thailand

Thais in good spirits after government lifts ban on afternoon alcohol sales

The eased rules permit alcohol sales from 11am to midnight during the six-month trial period.

A customer shops for alcoholic beverages at a grocery store in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE
Environment

No more mercury in your mouth: toxic metal’s use as tooth filling to end by 2034

The move is a win for human health: the WHO lists mercury as one of the top 10 chemical elements of major public health concern.

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A man in Bolivia shows off his gold decorated teeth. Photo: AFP
Earthquakes

International condolences pour in after deadly Afghanistan earthquake

A powerful 6.3 earthquake hit northern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least 20 and injuring hundreds.

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Africa

Sudan war sparks global alarm after hundreds killed at hospital

The Rapid Support Forces have been accused of mass executions and other atrocities after capturing the provincial capital of North Darfur state.

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