Health | WPN World People News

Improving primary care systems and co-ordination between health services would help Norway meet the changing needs of its healthcare system, as the population ages and hospital stays become shorter, according to a new OECD report.

Dr Christine Kaseba-Sata, First Lady of Zambia (WHO Goodwill Ambassador against gender-based violence) and Melinda Gates, co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation addressed delegates at the World Health Assembly.

High cholesterol levels may impair fertility in couples trying to achieve a pregnancy, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, the University at Buffalo (New York), and Emory University in Atlanta.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have uncovered a molecule in an animal model that acts as a key player in establishing the organization of the auditory system. The molecule, a protein known as Bmp7, is produced during embryonic development and acts to help sensory cells find their ultimate position on the tonotopic map, which is the fundamental principle of organization in the auditory system.

A ground-breaking series of papers released by The Lancet at UNICEF Headquarters shows that the majority of the almost 3 million children who die before they turn one month old could be saved if they received quality care around the time of birth – with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and under-served.

WHO’s annual assembly opens in Geneva, as a new global survey reveals that WHO is one of the world’s 2 most highly rated international organizations. Approximately two-thirds (72%) of the public surveyed by Gallup say they have a good opinion of WHO and its close partner, UNICEF.

A drug used to treat patients with mild to moderate lung damage from the disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is no better than placebo for preserving lung function, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

The caseload of cholera is rapidly increasing in South Sudan and the deadly, highly contagious disease appears to be spreading, UNICEF said.