Statement by WHO Regional Director Hanan Balkhy on her visit to Lebanon 23 to 25 July 2025

Naloxone (also known as Narcan, the commonly used drug to treat narcotic overdoses) has greater binding to opioid receptors in women's brains than in men's brains, according to new research published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Oral immunotherapy helps many children with peanut allergy—but for some, it can also trigger severe allergic reactions. In the journal Allergy, a team led by Young-Ae Lee explains what might be behind these differences and how treatment could become more personalized.

Despite unclear evidence and contrary to national and international guidelines, the practice of fundal pressure continues to be used in many maternity clinics.

More than 11,000 additional women opted for the most effective form of birth control—long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)—within just 15 months of B.C. making prescription contraception free.

For patients with a cancer diagnosis, early specialty palliative care is considered the standard of care. However, many patients with advanced cancer do not consistently receive specialty palliative care, especially during the early stages of their illness.

Eating disorders affect more than 5% of young people, and they have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.

The largest genetic analysis of stuttering has demonstrated a clear genetic basis for the speech disorder, highlighting neurological pathways of risk. The study, published July 28 in the journal Nature Genetics, used data representing more than 1 million individuals who had their DNA analyzed by the company 23andMe Inc.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have illuminated a complete sensory pathway showing how the skin communicates the temperature of its surroundings to the brain.

World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver, mostly caused by a viral infection that progresses to severe liver disease and liver cancer. Hepatitis is a major public health problem across the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region, affecting 27 million people and leading to an estimated 97 000 preventable deaths each year.   On World Hepatitis Day 2025, WHO is urging communities, policy-makers and health authorities to commit to coordinated action to eliminate hepatitis. Under the theme Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down, this year’s campaign calls for urgent action to (a) dismantle the financial, social and systemic barriers – including stigma – that stand in the way of eliminating hepatitis and preventing liver cancer, and (b) scale up and integrate hepatitis services – vaccination, safe injection practices, harm reduction and, most importantly, testing and treatment – into national health systems.  There has been significant progress in the Region. In 2023, Egypt became the first country globally to achieve gold tier status on the path towards elimination of hepatitis C, as per WHO criteria. Through the 100 Million Seha presidential initiative, more than 60 million people were screened for hepatitis and over 4.3 million received free treatment. These efforts account for 70% of hepatitis C treatment in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and 35% of the global total, and have resulted in a 35% drop in hepatitis-related deaths since 2018. In December 2024, Egypt became Read more...

Canada can be a leader in health innovation if it supports solutions that are developed within the health care environment, argues Dr. Muhammad Mamdani in a commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

With a rapidly changing political landscape in the United States, Canada must move quickly to safeguard valuable Canadian health data, argue the authors of a commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Can real-time virtual services enhance health care for rural communities? An article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal describes how a real-time virtual support (RTVS) network in British Columbia is providing and supporting care for rural, remote, and First Nations communities across the province.

People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

More and more research suggests that the copper in your diet could play a bigger role in brain health than we once believed. A recent study found that older Americans who ate more copper-rich foods did better on memory and concentration tests.

Ghana has recorded its first death from Mpox, health authorities confirmed Sunday, amid a sharp rise in new infections in the West African country.

Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva, 27 July 2025 Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July. Of 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 occurred in July including 24 children under five, a child over five, and 38 adults. Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting. The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives. Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, as reported by Nutrition Cluster partners. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM), which measures the percentage of children aged 6–59 months suffering from acute malnutrition, has tripled since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Gaza Strip. In Khan Younis and the Middle Area, rates have doubled in less than one month. These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities. So far in July, over 5000 children under five have already been admitted for outpatient treatment of malnutrition in just the first two weeks, 18% of them with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), the most life-threatening form. This continues a significant rising trend since May, with 6500 children admitted for treatment in June, which is Read more...

A researcher at Heriot-Watt University is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to give patients living in remote parts access to timely and potentially lifesaving medical diagnoses.

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope—and hype—in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.