WHO raises cancer alarm---but says fight is not lost
MANILA, 2 February 2010—The World Health Organization (WHO) today warned that without urgent action, global cancer deaths will dramatically increase from 7.6 million this year to 17 million by 2030.
Cancer is a major killer in both developed and developing countries, and accounts for one in eight deaths worldwide—more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. And yet many of these deaths can be avoided, WHO said.
More than 30% of all cancers can be prevented through simple measures such as no tobacco use, a healthy diet and exercise, limiting alcohol consumption, and protection against cancer-causing infections. Some cancers can be detected early, treated and cured.
On 4 February each year, World Cancer Day is observed to raise people's awareness of cancer and how to prevent, detect and treat the disease. "Cancer can be prevented too" is this year's campaign slogan.
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Mongolia receives first supplies of pandemic influenza vaccine
ULAANBATAAR, Mongolia, 7 January 2010—Mongolia today became one of the first countries in the world to receive donated pandemic influenza H1N1 vaccine from the World Health Organization (WHO). Azerbaijan was also scheduled to receive its first supplies.
In a ceremony Thursday in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbataar, Minister of Health Dr. S. Lambaa officially took delivery of an initial batch of 100,000 doses of the vaccine from WHO officer-in-charge Dr Salik Govind.
The doses, which will be enough to cover approximately 4% of the country's population, will be made available initially to health care workers. Other priority groups in the first phase will be pregnant women and patients with underlying medical conditions, as well as essential service staff. Further WHO deliveries phased over time are designed to provide Mongolia with a total of 270 000 doses—enough for about 10% of the population. Among those targeted for inoculation once these supplies are received are children aged 1-5.
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Malaria progress report shows that funding is making an impact
Manila, 15 December 2009—Significant progress has been made in delivering life-saving malaria nets and treatments over the last few years, but the coverage of malaria programmes needs to be stepped up drastically in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a report released today in Geneva by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The World Malaria Report 2009 found that the increase in international funding commitments (US$ 1.7 billion in 2009 compared to US$ 730 million in 2006) had allowed a dramatic scale-up of malaria control interventions in several countries, along with measurable reductions in the malaria burden. However, the amounts available still fall short of the US$ 5 billion required annually to ensure high coverage and maximal impact worldwide.
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