Dr Shin Young-soo: "Fighting NCDs requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach"
APIA, 15 September 2014 – Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific attended the Third International Conference on Small Islands Developing States in Apia, Samoa. Dr Shin encouraged the international community to reduce trade in unhealthy products.
WHO calls for coordinated action to reduce suicides worldwide
GENEVA, 4 September 2014 – More than 800 000 people die by suicide every year – around one person every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization’s first global report on suicide prevention, published today. Some 75% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. In the Western Pacific Region, the estimated suicide rate in low- and middle-income countries is lower than the global average of 11.4 deaths per 100 000 people in 2012.
Prevent and control noncommunicable diseases for healthy islands
APIA, 1 September 2014 - The Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) call on the international community to support SIDS by reducing trade in unhealthy products, encouraging healthy food and drink consumption, and ensuring the noncommunicable disease (NCD) goals and targets are central to the Post-2015 Development Agenda. This is “the Apia Challenge” presented as an outcome of NCD Side Event, at The Third International Conference on Small Islands Developing States.
Fiji’s schools teach healthy living
22 August 2014 -- Pupils at Khemendra Primary School in Fiji don’t just learn about healthy food, they help to grow their own. Each class is responsible for cultivating different types of fruit and vegetables in the school garden and greenhouse. Khemendra Primary is one of more than 84 schools participating in a national network, which receives resources from the Fijian Ministry of Health and WHO. Addressing the link between food supply and public health policies will be one of the topics at the Second International Conference on Nutrition in November.
Suicide prevention
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Fact sheet: Mental health Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health.
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Preventing suicide: A global imperative Every 40 seconds a person dies by suicide somewhere in the world.
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How can suicide be prevented? Know some of the answers to suicide prevention.
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Preventing Suicide: a resource series These series help specific social and professional groups that are relevant to the prevention of suicide.
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Responsible and deglamourized media reporting Is responsible and deglamourized media reporting effective in reducing deaths from suicide, suicide attempts and acts of self-harm?
WHO Highlights
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August 2014
Report on regulation of e-cigarettes
The report recommends that appropriate government bodies restrict e-cigarette advertising and that steps be taken to end use of e-cigarettes indoors in public and work places.
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August 2014
WHO-deployed health worker receiving care after testing positive for Ebola
GENEVA – WHO is working to ensure an international health worker who is deployed for the Organization in Sierra Leone and has contracted Ebola receives the best care possible including the option of medical evacuation to another care facility if necessary.
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August 2014
WHO Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
GENEVA - The first meeting of the Emergency Committee was convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) regarding the 2014 Ebola Virus Disease. Based on the advice of the Committee, the Director-General declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s advice and issued them as temporary recommendations under IHR (2005) to reduce the international spread of Ebola.