Menstruation is not only an issue of health, hygiene and dignity, but also a matter of gender equality and human rights. 

The harmful impact of the tobacco industry on the environment is vast and growing adding unnecessary pressure to our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems. Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year and destroys our environment, further harming human health. This year’s campaign for World No Tobacco Day (31 May) aims to raise awareness on the environmental impact of tobacco – from cultivation, production, distribution and waste. It will give tobacco users one extra reason to quit.

Akib Dahir, 27, arrived at the Gabi’as displacement camp with her eight children, after losing 180 goats and 15 camels to the drought. Her husband spends hours in the baking heat on an increasingly desperate hunt for pasture and water to keep their few remaining animals alive. “We are trying to save all we have,” she said. “The animals are almost worthless in the market. We can’t even feed our children.” The last three rainy seasons failed one after the other, blighting the lives and livelihoods of nearly 8 million people across and pushing eastern and southern areas of the country to the brink of famine. More than 286,000 people have been forced from their homes in search of survival as crops, livestock, and the hope of putting food on the table are all wiped out.

Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury, which also results in stillbirth in 90 percent of cases. The encouraging news is that obstetric fistula is not only treatable but preventable. UNFPA leads efforts to End Fistula in more than 55 countries in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. This year’s International Day to End Obstetric Fistula highlights the need for investment towards quality healthcare to empower communities. Obstetric fistula is not only a development and public health issue, but also a human rights issue, granting the right to health and a life of dignity.

Skilled health professionals and timely, quality emergency obstetric care can help prevent the devastating childbirth injury of obstetric fistula. Find out more about it at endfistula.org

WHO highlights the increasing use of online marketing for alcohol and the need for more effective regulation - young people and heavy drinkers are increasingly targeted by advertising.

Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended. UNFPA presents how unintended pregnancies can contribute to the shame, stigma and misunderstandings that must be overcome to end this crisis.

With data from an IAEA database obtained through a nuclear technique, a study found the body will offset calories burned performing exercise — with age and weight, the ratio gets even worse.

Midwives everywhere step up for women and newborns. The University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan began working with UNFPA to adapt midwifery training programmes for local health personnel.

28 April 2022 - The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how effective dialogue between employers, workers and governments, is the best way to strengthen safety and health at work, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a new report published on Thursday. 

If You Could See Viruses is a video that illustrates how viruses are all about, and reminds us of the power of vaccines to help us live longer healthier lives so we can enjoy every moment, especially the joyful, glorious, unforgettable ones. #LongLifeForAll

Dr. Kate O’Brien, Immunization Director at the World Health Organization, takes us on a historical tour from the development of the first modern vaccine in the late 18th Century, to the new vaccines that are combatting today’s COVID pandemic. The United Nations, and its partners in the COVAX facility, are ensuring that vaccines reach every low-income country in the world.

World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Find out more about these life-saving medicines.

It’s early morning and mothers and their children are arriving at the Family and Child Support Centre for young children from vulnerable families. Waiting inside are social workers who are getting ready to welcome the children. The centre in Istaravshan is one of four converted residential childcare institutions, known as Baby Homes in Tajikistan. With UNICEF’s support, the spaces have been transformed into family centres where vulnerable children can access community and family-based support without being institutionalized.

Champion footballer Didier Drogba, the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health, joined senior leaders of WHO, the State of Qatar and FIFA in supporting the Healthy FIFA 2022 World Cup Qatar 2022™: Creating Legacy for Sport and Health. This unique global partnership protects and encourages health; and will take lessons learned from the first tournament in the Middle East and Arab world to share with future mega sporting events.