BioSpectrum India Magazine November issue BioSpectrum India Magazine | Page 20

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WHO NEWS l
BioSpectrum
WHO to work more towards
non-communicable diseases
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General
of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently
announced the establishment of a new High-
level global Commission on Non-communicable
Diseases (NCDs). The announcement came at the
64th Session of WHO’s Regional Committee for the
Eastern Mediterranean being held in Islamabad.
The commission’s aim is to identify innovative
ways to curb the world’s biggest causes of death
and extend life expectancy
for millions of people. The
commission will support
ongoing political efforts
to accelerate action on
cardiovascular
disease,
cancers,
diabetes
and
respiratory disease, as well
as reducing suffering from
mental health issues and
the impacts of violence and
injuries.
The High-level global Commission will be
chaired by Dr Sania Nishtar, a prominent global
advocate for action against NCDs, former Federal
Minister of the government of Pakistan and civil
society leader. Dr Nishtar has also previously
served as co-chair of the WHO Commission on
Ending Childhood Obesity.
In 2015, world leaders committed to reduce
premature deaths from NCDs by one third by 2030
as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Recent WHO reports indicate that the world will
struggle to meet that target.
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November 2017
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www.biospectrumindia.com
WHO delivers million
antibiotics for
fighting
Madagascar
plague
WHO has delivered nearly 1.2 million doses of antibiotics
and released $1.5 million dollars in emergency funds to
fight plague in Madagascar. WHO has delivered 11,90,000
doses of antibiotics to the Ministry of Health and partners
this week, and a further supply of 244,000 doses is
expected in the days ahead. The different types of drugs
will be used for both curative and prophylactic care. These
are enough to treat up to 5000 patients and protect up to
100,000 people who may be exposed to the disease. The
medicines are being distributed to health facilities and
mobile health clinics across the country with the support
of the Ministry of Health and partners.
WHO is also filling critical shortages in disinfection
materials and personal protective equipment for health
professionals and safe burials. WHO and the Ministry of
Health are training local health workers on how to identify
and care for patients, and how to trace people who have
had close contact with symptomatic patients so that they
may be given protective treatment. WHO has rapidly
released $1.5 million from it emergency funds to allow for
immediate support to the country until more substantial
funds are received. WHO is appealing for $5.5 million to
effectively respond to the outbreak and save lives.
WHO releases guidelines for managing obesity in children
With increasing evidence that childhood obesity is a
global epidemic affecting even the poorer nations, the
World Health Organization (WHO) has released new
guidelines on how trained professionals can better
identify youngsters in need of help.
India has the second highest number of obese
children in the world after China, according to a study
published in The New England Journal of Medicine
in June this year. Doctors say identification of obesity
in children is the main issue as often parents think a
chubby child is a healthy child.
The WHO guidelines titled “Assessing and
managing children at primary healthcare facilities
to prevent overweight and obesity in the context of
the double burden of malnutrition” provides updates
for the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness
(IMCI). The guideline includes counselling, dieting
and assessment of eating habits along with the usual
weight and height measurements.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is
disseminating the WHO guideline to all its members.
The prevalence of obesity in children reflects changing
patterns towards unhealthy diets and physical
inactivity. A study published in Paediatric Obesity says
India will have over 17 million children with excess
weight by 2025. Urbanisation, increased income,
availability of fast foods, educational demands,
television viewing and gaming have led to a rise in the
consumption of foods high in fats, sugar and salt and
low physical activity.