Newsletter, June 2017
Contents:
News
A Healthier and Safer World: An Interview with Dr. David Nabarro
Huffington Post: "Imagine a safer and healthier world. A place where diseases did not fester for months or years until public outcry demanded action. A world without pandemics, and one with thriving, healthy children. And, a time when we take a global view of health rather than hoping that political borders were enough to protect us. In the reality of today’s world, everyone’s health is intertwined.
ISO Standard to Disaster-Proof Cities Announced at UN Conference
13 March 2015, SENDAI – The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today agreed to help pioneer a new ISO Standard in 45 cities already recognized for their commitment to keeping their citizens safe from a range of natural hazards including floods, storms and earthquakes.
The new ISO standard for resilient and sustainable cities – ISO 37120 – is based on 100 indicators which steer and measure the performance of city services and quality of life. It is being implemented by the Toronto-based World Council on City Data (WCCD).
UN Secretary-General: World threatened by dangerous and unacceptable levels of risk from disasters
04 March 2015, NEW YORK – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today warned that “growing global inequality, increasing exposure to natural hazards, rapid urbanization and the overconsumption of energy and natural resources threaten to drive risk to dangerous and unpredictable levels with systemic global impacts.”
INTERVIEW: UN System Coordinator on Ebola dispels myths, pledges support for West Africa’s efforts to halt outbreak
Senior UN System Coordinator for Ebola Virus Disease, David Nabarro, talks with UN News Centre about efforts to contain unprecedented outbreak in West Africa. UN Photo/Mark Garten
20 August 2014 – As the World Health Organization (WHO) ramps up its response to the unprecedented outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa, the wider United Nations, led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has launched a system-wide coordination initiative to assist Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone in their efforts to halt the spread of the virus, which has left more than 1,000 people dead and is now affecting more than 1 million people throughout the region.
Press Release - African Livestock Futures: Realizing the potential of livestock for food security, poverty reduction and the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa
4 Aug 2014 - New research, the African Livestock Futures Study investigating plausible trajectories for African livestock up to 2050, indicates potential for growth in livestock production and demand in Africa, contributing greatly to wealth, employment, economic growth as well as to the resilience and productivity of producers’ livelihoods, and to the food security, nutrition and sustainable development of all.
The Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
The Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will be held from 14 to 18 March 2015 in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Several thousand participants are expected, including at related events linked to the World Conference under the umbrella of building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters.
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease Outbreak News
6 May 2014
Guinea
As of 18:00 on 3 May 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 231 clinical cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 155 deaths. There has been no change in the number of cases confirmed by ebolavirus PCR (127 cases) since the last update of 2 May 2014, but 1 additional death has been reported among confirmed cases (82 deaths).
Predicting climate-change-related disease in Africa
It is common knowledge that climate change particularly affects developing countries, but its effects on health are still very hard to predict. In a joint effort to bridge this gap, the QWECI project set out to assist medical practitioners and public health decision-makers in allocating resources and implementing preventative measures ahead of disease epidemics.
Climate change as a matter of public health
For a long time people perceived climate change as an environmental issue–the concern of environmentalists, the concern of a few. It was reframed as a justice issue at the turn of the 21st century, when it became clear that those most likely to suffer the consequences of climate change were primarily those who had least contributed to its cause. Africa in particular has contributed little to the climate change crisis and yet is considered to be one of the regions most vulnerable to its effects.