Interior Minister Didier Burkhalter has called for the World Health Organization (WHO) to be reformed.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
In his opening address at the 64th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Burkhalter said he wanted to see greater cooperation between sectors at the United Nations health body and new mechanisms to enable this.
He also stressed the importance of working to prevent non-transmissible diseases, deaths from which, he warned, were set to rise by 15 per cent globally between 2010 and 2020.
“We cannot just sit back and watch the significant increase in obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases without acting to improve prevention and health systems,” he told more than 1,500 delegates from 193 member states.
The Health Assembly on Monday began its annual review of the activities of the WHO. It will set new priorities for the future and will discuss specific health topics such as child health, chronic diseases, malaria and maternal health, as well as the programme budget, administration and management matters of the WHO.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Measles persists due to vaccination shortfall
This content was published on
As European Immunization Week draws to a close, president of the Federal Vaccination Commission, Claire-Anne Siegrist, tells swissinfo.ch insufficient vaccination rates are responsible for the rise. The Federal Health Office reports that 231 cases were declared in March and April, compared with just 59 cases in the 11 months from January through to November last…
This content was published on
Paul Herrling, the Swiss head of corporate research at pharmaceutical concern Novartis, was among 21 people approved this week to join a WHO expert group evaluating funding for projects into neglected tropical diseases – those illnesses affecting the poorest populations. He is the only expert in the group who is also an executive in the…
This content was published on
Malaria accounts for one in five of all childhood deaths in Africa, according to the World Health Organisation. Most of the victims are children under five. For decades, scientists have been working on a vaccine against the tropical disease. Thanks to funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers seem to be closer than…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.