No images? Click here Friday 07.23.21 | Issue 120 © WHO / Blink Media - Nada Harib Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) updates Virtual press briefings with simultaneous translation in all UN languages with the participation of the WHO Director-General are planned for this week. Media advisories with Zoom links/dial-in details will be emailed in advance. For the latest news from WHO on COVID-19 and other breaking health stories, read WHO's news updates. Sunday, 25 July World Drowning Prevention Day 2021 World Drowning Prevention Day, declared through the April 2021 UN General Assembly resolution A/75/L.76 “Global drowning prevention”, happens Sunday. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer life-saving solutions to prevent it. An estimated 235,600 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected. Tuesday, 27 July VPC on new WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic A virtual press conference on the new WHO Report on the global tobacco epidemic will be held Tuesday at 15:00 CEST. This is the eighth in the series of MPOWER reports, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Embargoed materials available upon request to jinn@who.int. Join via Zoom. Passcode: mPOWER8 Updated laboratory manual for human semen WHO will launch the sixth edition of the WHO Manual for the Laboratory Examination and Processing of Human Semen next Tuesday from 14:00-15:30 CEST. The manual has been regularly revised since first publication in 1980, as new techniques are validated and made available for clinical and research purposes. The sixth edition is expected to help scientists, technicians, laboratory experts and healthcare workers worldwide to safeguard the quality of research and clinical use of human semen in laboratory settings, ultimately improving sexual and reproductive health. Register here for the launch. An embargoed copy of the manual may be requested. Wednesday, 28 July World Hepatitis Day World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and liver cancer.. Of the five types (A, B, C, D, E), hepatitis B and C are the most deadly, causing 1.1 million deaths around each year. This year’s theme is “Hepatitis Can’t Wait”, conveying the urgency of efforts needed to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. WHO will host a virtual event to commemorate the day, with the participation of senior WHO officials, ministers of health, global and regional partner organizations and communities affected by hepatitis, Register here. Password: WhepD@y21 Global, national and local reflections on World Drowning Prevention Day 2021 To mark World Drowning Prevention Day (25 July), WHO and partners will hold a virtual event on Wednesday from 12:30–14:00 CEST to highlight celebrations around the world, explore priority actions in the field and generate momentum for drowning prevention to save lives. Register here in advance. Once registered, you will receive an email confirmation and link to join the event. Receive the latest COVID-19 content, guidance and must-know information from WHO. Sign up for a weekly digital update. Check out the WHO series, Science in 5. WHO Media contacts: You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list. |