WHO & Regional Offices [to 19 Feb 2022]
https://www.who.int/
News [Selected]
18 February 2022
News release
WHO announces first technology recipients of mRNA vaccine hub with strong support from African and European partners
[See COVID above for detail]

17 February 2022
Statement
A € 500 million pledge under the WHO – EIB partnership, with the support of the EU, for health systems in Africa

17 February 2022
Departmental news
WHO announces the development of new guidance on offering long acting injectable cabotegravir as HIV prevention for people at substantial risk for HIV infection

15 February 2022
Departmental news
WHO collaborative registration procedure using stringent regulatory authorities’ medicine evaluation: reliance in action?
[See Featured Journal Content above for detail]

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region
17 February 2022 Malawi declares polio outbreak

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO launches 120th Anniversary campaign
Washington D.C. 17 February 2022 (PAHO) – Today, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) kicks off its anniversary campaign to celebrate 120 years of active work promoting health and wellbeing throughout the Americas, with a calendar of events set to catalyze dialogue around the region’s pressing health challenges. Founded in 1902 under the…
:: Reduced public health measures contributed to deadly COVID-19 surge in the Americas, PAHO Director says
Deaths rose to 202 people per hour in the Region, despite overall decline in cases. Washington D.C. February 16, 2022 (PAHO) – Complacency around mask wearing, travel, and indoor gatherings created a perfect opportunity for the new Omicron variant to spread rapidly throughout the region and increase deaths, alerted PAHO Director, Carissa F.…
:: PAHO delivers 100 million COVAX vaccine doses to Latin America and the Caribbean
Milestone reached today with delivery of 1.5 million total doses, donated by Spain to Ecuador   Washington D.C. 14 February 2022 (PAHO) – The number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine delivered by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to Latin America and the Caribbean reached 100 million today, thanks to the efforts of the organization’s…
:: 55% of children and adolescents with cancer recover in Latin America and the Caribbean
PAHO calls for improvements in survival rates. Washington, DC, February 15, 2022 (PAHO)- To mark the International Day against Childhood Cancer, celebrated today, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) calls for improvements in survival rates of children and adolescents with cancer, currently at 55% in Latin America and the Caribbean.…

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified

WHO European Region EURO
:: Preparing the next generation of laboratory leaders 16-02-2022
:: WHO launches fact sheet series on environmental health inequalities in Europe 16-02-2022
:: Risk remains high in eastern Europe and central Asia with arrival of COVID-19 Omicron variant 15-02-2022
:: New WHO report highlights scale of childhood cancer inequalities in the European Region 15-02-2022

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO validates the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Saudi Arabia 15 February 2022

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: 18 January 2022 WHO supports whole-of-UN response to volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga

 

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WHO Events
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/2
[Selected]
WHO Consultation on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines for Use in the 2022-23 Northern Hemisphere Influenza Season
21 – 24 February 2022

 

SAVE THE DATE – Developing a framework for evaluating new COVID-19 vaccines
23 February 2022 13:00 – 19:30 CET

 

EPI-WIN webinar: Update on COVID-19 vaccines & vaccine safety monitoring
23 February 2022 14:00 – 15:00 CET

 

COVID-19 Global Research and Innovation Forum: An invitation to the research community
24 – 25 February 2022

9th ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council meeting
28 February 2022 12:30 – 15:00 CET
Primary Objectives 
:: To take stock of progress to meet global COVID-19 targets for vaccines, tests, treatments and PPE
:: Share country experience, lessons learnt and progress in meeting global COVID-19 targets
:: Reinforce Facilitation Council commitment and political support for the ACT-Accelerator campaign

 

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New WHO Publications
https://www.who.int/publications/i
Selected Titles
18 February 2022
WHO Guidelines for malaria
Overview
The WHO Guidelines for malaria bring together the Organization’s most up-to-date recommendations for malaria in one user-friendly and easy-to-navigate online platform.
The WHO Guidelines for malaria  supersedes 2 previous WHO publications: the Guidelines for the treatment of malaria, third edition and the Guidelines for malaria vector control. Recommendations on malaria will continue to be reviewed and, where appropriate, updated based on the latest available evidence. Any updated recommendations will always display the date of the most recent revision in the MAGICapp platform. With each update, a new PDF version of the consolidated guidelines will also be available for download on the WHO website.
The third version of the Guidelines includes a new section on malaria vaccines and  replaces the versions published on 16 February 2021 and 13 July 2021.

17 February 2022
Contact tracing and quarantine in the context of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant: interim guidance
Overview
This interim guidance has been developed in the background of the present global surge of cases due to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and is meant to be read in conjunction with the current WHO guidance on contact tracing and quarantine. A consolidated contact tracing and quarantine guidance with updated evidence is currently under development, which, when ready, will replace both this CT Omicron interim guidance as well as the current contact tracing and quarantine guidance documents. This Omicron CT interim guidance should also be read in conjunction with the following WHO interim guidance documents…

17 February 2022
Antiretroviral medicines in low- and middle-income countries: forecasts of global and regional demand…

16 February 2022
HIV diagnostic tests in low- and middle-income countries: forecasts of global demand for 2021–2025

16 February 2022
Antiretroviral medicines in low- and middle-income countries: forecasts of global and regional demand…

15 February 2022
Questions and Answers: COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy

14 February 2022
Public health surveillance for COVID-19: interim guidance

14 February 2022
WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis