Find out more in
Health
Global Issues
This (14 November) join the call to reach the more than 40% of people living with diabetes who remain undiagnosed. Learn to recognize the symptoms, including increased thirst, frequent urination, tiredness and blurred vision, and seek medical advice if you notice them. Together, let’s challenge stigma and ensure that everyone has access to affordable treatment, quality care and ongoing support. Start the conversation today and help build a healthier future for people living with diabetes.
For families in Guatemala, the race against time begins with an empty plate. The country's worst El Niño-induced drought in a decade has devastated crops, deepened hunger and claimed the lives of 32 children. As food reserves dwindle, ĢƵ-supported humanitarian teams are reaching remote communities with nutrition screenings, medical care, cash assistance and safe drinking water. Through the Guatemala Humanitarian Fund, aid has already reached 406,000 people, offering a lifeline to families facing malnutrition, disease and an uncertain future.
Climate change may accelerate antimicrobial resistance by helping drug-resistant microbes emerge, spread and multiply, increasing global health risks and threatening effective infection treatments.
Established by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Day of Care and Support is observed annually on 29 October. This year’s theme, “,” focuses on care workers and the importance of decent work. It highlights the need to address persistent gaps in labour rights, working conditions, social protection, occupational safety and health, skills development, wages, and the voice and representation of paid care workers.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an innovative medical unit is transforming Ebola treatment, making care safer, more humane and less isolating. Known as the CUBE, this transparent, self-contained structure allows health workers to monitor and treat patients while reducing the risk of infection. Unlike traditional isolation wards, it also enables patients to see and communicate with their loved ones throughout treatment. In a region where Ebola outbreaks have brought fear, suffering and mistrust, the offers more than medical care. It helps restore dignity, rebuild trust and bring hope to families facing a deadly disease.
For pregnant women, newborns and children, rising temperatures pose growing health risks long before a heatwave makes headlines. Extreme heat is linked to a 26 per cent increase in the odds of preterm birth, while an estimated 1.5 billion children worldwide face increasingly severe heatwaves. To address these threats, WHO and ĢƵ partners have launched a to help countries monitor heat-related health risks, strengthen early warnings and prepare health services. The goal is to turn better data into timely action, protecting vulnerable families as the planet warms.
Cervical cancer is preventable and curable when detected early, yet it claimed nearly 350,000 women’s lives worldwide in 2022, with 94% of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The ’s 90–70–90 aims to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem through HPV vaccination, regular screening, and effective treatment by 2030.
From sporting events to religious festivals, extreme heat can turn a day in the crowd into a health emergency. New World Health Organization (WHO) guidance shows that most heat-related illnesses at mass gatherings can be prevented or treated on site with timely planning. Well-organized medical teams can treat more than 90% of patients at venues, easing pressure on hospitals and ambulances. Safe drinking water, cooling areas, adjusted schedules and clear public information all help protect attendees, volunteers and workers. WHO urges governments and organizers to make heat safety part of every stage of event planning.
Viruses, like COVID-19, do not respect borders. That makes surveillance, data sharing, research, vaccines, diagnostics and treatments international concerns. The need is even greater amidst growing threats on global stability and security from emerging infectious diseases to climate-related crises and conflicts. On 25 September, the United Nations General Assembly convenes a one-day high-level meeting aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
After 19 years underground, Kazakh miner Ivan Katolik stresses vigilance, mentorship and worker-led safety to prevent accidents in dangerous mines.
Sexual and reproductive health is the foundation of health and well-being. It influences how we grow, how we form relationships, how we make decisions about our bodies and futures, and how we support the people around us. Throughout our lives, sexual and reproductive health shapes our experiences, opportunities and quality of life. (1-30 September) is an opportunity to take a deeper look at an area of health that affects everyone. #StandWithScience
For Indigenous midwives in Guatemala, bringing new life into the world is more than a profession—it is a calling rooted in ancestral knowledge passed down through generations. The women featured have spent decades accompanying mothers through pregnancy and childbirth, often serving communities where formal healthcare remains difficult to access. Their stories reveal the trust, experience and cultural knowledge behind their work, as well as their long struggle for recognition and respect. As Guatemala creates more space for Indigenous health systems, these midwives are helping ensure that traditions that have cared for women and families for generations can continue into the future.
Technology can extend specialist care to underserved communities while strengthening health systems and supporting economic opportunities through workforce and infrastructure investments.
The 2026 theme for the is "Breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life: strengthen what works," focuses on tracking progress, evaluating impact, and scaling proven approaches that improve breastfeeding outcomes. It calls on governments, health systems, workplaces, communities, civil society organizations, and families to build on successful experiences and strengthen the "Warm Chain of Support" for breastfeeding. The interventions are proven. The economic returns are exceptional. The remaining challenge is not knowing what works – it is investing at sufficient scale.