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Friday 12.05.2023 | Issue 203
15-21 May
7th United Nations Global Road Safety Week
For this 7th edition of the Global Road Safety Week, WHO is calling on governments to increase investments in walking, cycling and public transport, those modes of transport which are inherently healthy and sustainable. A prerequisite for shifting to these modes is to ensure roads are safe for all who use them.
On 15 May at 14:00 CEST, WHO and The Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety will host a 30-minute live chat on Instagram, with Etienne Krug, WHO Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health, and Sana Khasawneh, Advocacy and Campaigns Manager, Youth for Road Safety (YOURS).
Monday, 15 May
WHO releases new guideline on use of non-sugar sweeteners
On Monday, WHO will release a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The guideline on NSS is part of a suite of existing and forthcoming guidelines on healthy diets that aim to establish lifelong healthy eating habits, improve dietary quality, and decrease the risk of NCDs worldwide.
The guideline will be available here from 09:00 CEST on 15 May 2023.
Interviews are available on request.
Tuesday, 16 May
Changemakers speaking out to end violence against children
As decision makers are getting ready for the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly, children speak out on what the health sector should do to end violence against children.
Register here to join Changemakers on Tuesday, 16 May 2023 at 14:00 CEST to hear about:
- what WHO is doing to strengthen the health sector capacity to prevent and respond to violence against children;
- best practices of Member States highlighting progress and solutions that work; and
- children‘s first-hand experience and recommendations to the health sector on solutions to end violence against children.
Violence against children is a prevalent human rights violation that affects the health, well-being, and life opportunities of children everywhere. Violence is preventable and the health sector has an essential role to play in preventing, detecting and addressing violence against children, particularly in the most vulnerable communities. Children’s lived experience is invaluable to finding solutions that work. For more information, click here.
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence for health
Also on Tuesday, WHO will issue a statement calling for significant precaution to be exercised in using artificial intelligence (AI) generated large language model tools (LLMs) for health information. Rapid diffusion of LLMs, which include some of the most rapidly expanding platforms such as ChatGPT, GPT-3, among others, and their use for healthcare related purposes, is generating significant excitement for its potential to support people’s health needs.
However, there are concerns, that should be assessed, which call for rigorous oversight to be put in place for the technologies to be used in safe, effective and ethical ways that protect and improve people's health. More information here.
Wednesday, 17 May
High-level resource mobilization conference to eliminate viral hepatitis
WHO will be participating in the inaugural high-level Global Hepatitis Resource Mobilization Conference taking place in Geneva on 17 May. Organized by The Hepatitis Fund and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) the event is a global call to action to boost financial and political commitment towards the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. More information on the Conference is available here.
Thursday, 18 May
Access to Morphine Report
This report, to be published on Thursday, will highlight the inequity in access to morphine across the world.
Pain is a major global health problem. Each year the global population lives between 6-21 billion days in physical pain and psychological, serious health-related suffering. Morphine is a low-cost fast-acting essential medicine for managing moderate to severe pain. Despite inclusion on the WHO Essential Medicines List in 1977, the difference in access from low income countries to high income countries is stark and does not correspond to medical needs in the countries.
This report is an in depth review of the global distribution of morphine for medical use, explains why people do not have safe access to morphine when there is a clear medical need and offers improvements to improve safe access to morphine for medical use.
Friday, 19 May
Launch of the World Health Statistics Report 2023
WHO will release the 2023 edition of its annual World Health Statistics report– the latest comprehensive set of statistics on progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Updated data on COVID-19 excess deaths, burden of noncommunicable diseases will be released. The annual report includes a section on climate change and health for the first time. More information, including the actual report will be posted here, and more information will be sent in due course.
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