The interconnectedness of healthcare waste management, climate change, and environmental degradation highlights the need for sustainable practices and technologies to protect both human health and the environment.
Health
is held in the first week of August every year, supported by , , institutions and civil society partners. The theme for 2024 is “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all”. The campaign celebrates breastfeeding mothers in all their diversity, while showcasing the ways families, societies, communities and health workers can support breastfeeding activities. Women everywhere have the right to respectful breastfeeding counselling from trained health care providers, as well as laws and policies like maternity leave and provisions like paid time off when they go back to work.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, caused by either a viral infection or non-infectious agents (such as drugs, toxins, alcohol). Deaths from viral hepatitis-related causes are increasing. , observed on 28 July, raises awareness of viral hepatitis, which causes severe liver disease and cancer. With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, we must accelerate action on better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve health outcomes, so we can meet our 2030 targets to achieve a hepatitis-free world.
Claudelina Ortellado Portillo gave birth for the first time at age 39 in the Katuete Public Health Centre in Paraguay. Ms. Ortellado told , she credits the psychological support she received during the pre and postnatal periods in helping her navigate the emotional tides of pregnancy. Childbirth can take a heavy emotional and physical toll and requires respectful, responsive care – an approach that emphasizes women's dignity, their emotional state, beliefs, consent and autonomy. Respectful maternity care also means discouraging over-medicalization and protecting women from obstetric abuse and violence. Women must be assured the right to their chosen birth plan and able to access all available information in order to participate fully in decision making over their own labour process – including choices, such as the position to give birth in.
A new warns that critical decisions made this year will determine if the world meets its 2030 goal to end AIDS as a public health threat, highlighting a severe funding shortfall and rising infections that threaten progress.
Global childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published by the World Health Organization () and . The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage – which provide the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases – underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and system-strengthening efforts. More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases.
An updated version of the , helps combat UV-related health issues by providing personalized sun protection advice and UV level tracking for up to 10 locations, promoting preventive measures against excessive UV exposure.
New data show that nearly one third (31%) of adults worldwide, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. The findings point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022. If the trend continues, levels of inactivity are projected to further rise to 35% by 2030. In light of these findings, is calling on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport.
marks 20 years of celebrating and thanking voluntary donors worldwide while advocating for universal access to safe blood transfusion.
Physical activity is linked to better mental health, improved quality of life, and overall well-being. Yoga, a 5000-year-old tradition, is a valuable practice for individuals of all ages to incorporate physical activity into their lives and achieve the level necessary to support good health. In 2024, the UN commemorates the 10th International Day of Yoga (21 June) under the theme “Yoga for Self and Society”. The global celebration aims to foster unity and harmony, transcending borders and cultures, and guiding us toward a peaceful and healthy world.
Menstrual health and hygiene are vital to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls. However, hundreds of millions of individuals lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual health. Under the theme "Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld," this year's (28 May) urges the international community to prioritize menstrual health in both global and national health and development policies with investment reflecting the important role it plays in human rights, public health, gender equality and sustainable development.
See how UNFPA—the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency—is taking action to make motherhood safer at the International Medical Corps (IMC) field hospital in Gaza as the military assault on Rafah leads to more trauma and death:
Vaccines have saved six lives a minute. Every minute, for five decades. Speak up and tell leaders it’s time for immunization for all.
The (13 May) urges collective efforts to preserve plant health and ensure food safety and safe trade for sustainable economies. Each year, millions of containers carry plant products and wood packaging materials between countries, facilitating pest transmission. Invasive pests cause global economic losses of around USD 220 billion annually. To protect global plant health, adherence to the , and innovations like , improve trade efficiency and security.
Students at Senkadagala School in Sri Lanka cultivate fruits and vegetables in their school garden to prepare meals. The garden also yields plants that are sold to promote an entrepreneurial mindset. The programme is part of the Entrepreneurial School Garden initiative implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () to promote healthy eating habits and nutrition. The students learn about their ecosystem and use modern agricultural methods to control weed growth and insect infestation and maximize productivity.