The World Health Organization is taking part in the Paris Olympics in multiple fields, supporting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and France to help make the world’s leading sport spectacle, which officially starts this Friday, healthy and safe for spectators and athletes alike.

Sixteen people from Gaza with complicated medical conditions will arrive in Spain today to receive care there, through an evacuation process involving the World Health Organization (WHO) and multiple partners. Fifteen of them are children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old. The mother of one of the children will also be treated in Spain. The patients had been in hospital in Egypt for the past several months, after evacuating from Gaza. They are a small portion of the thousands of other children and adults who need access to specialized medical care outside of Gaza. “These very sick children will be getting the care they need thanks to cooperation between several partners and countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We are immensely grateful for the support and facilitation provided by Egypt and Spain. We encourage other countries who have the capacity and medical facilities to welcome people who, through no fault of their own, are caught in the grips of this war.”Thirteen of the children have complex injuries, one has a chronic heart condition, and one is living with cancer. The children, who are accompanied by 25 family members and other caregivers, have been in Egypt since before 6 May, after which evacuations became almost impossible with the closure of the Rafah crossing. Only 23 people have been evacuated since then, via the Kerem Shalom crossing. Since October 2023, around 5000 people have been evacuated for treatment outside Gaza, with over 80% receiving care in Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Another 10 000 still need to be evacuated.“These children are just the tip of the iceberg. Thousands of people of all ages still remain in Gaza who need to be medically evacuated and are at risk of dying if they are unable to quickly access the advanced medical care they need,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “Patients who need evacuation outside of the Gaza Strip must be able to exit, preferably to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, but also to Egypt or Jordan and then onwards.”Today’s evacuation to Spain was supported through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in partnership with WHO. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund facilitated the patients’ documentation and evacuation approvals. The Government of Egypt supported their care while they were there, and Spain is providing similar support. The children will be treated at various hospitals across Spain.   WHO is encouraging other countries to follow this example.“We are truly thankful to Spain, a WHO/Europe Member State, for having responded so willingly to our request to accept several children from Gaza for critical treatment, a template for other countries to follow,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “Gracias, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Health Minister Monica Garcia, and all who have made this possible. Indeed, ‘to save one child, one life, is to save humankind’ is a concept recognizing the interconnectedness of all humanity.”WHO appeals for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors to ensure sustained, organized, safe and timely passage of patients via all possible routes, including Rafah and Kerem Shalom. Of utmost urgency is the restoration of medical evacuations from Gaza to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where hospitals are ready to receive patients. Patients must also be facilitated to be transferred to Egypt and Jordan, and from there to other countries when needed.“The solidarity of the host countries is a bright spot in a war that has had so many moments of tragedy,” said Dr Tedros. “The fact that severely ill people are receiving needed medical care should not be headline news, but routine global cooperation.”  WHO once again calls for the end of the war, as peace is ultimately the best path to health.

Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today by five United Nations specialized agencies.

Despite progress made in reducing HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths among children, a new report released today by the Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030 shows that an urgent scale up of HIV services in countries worst affected by the pandemic is required to end AIDS by 2030.

Joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, UNFPA Executive Director, Natalia Kanem, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk  “Following the vote today by the National Assembly of The Gambia, we commend the country’s decision to uphold the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), reaffirming its commitments to human rights, gender equality, and protecting the health and well-being of girls and women. “FGM involves cutting or removing some or all of the external female genitalia. Mostly carried out on infants and young girls, it can inflict severe immediate and long-term physical and psychological damage, including infection, later childbearing complications, and post-traumatic stress disorder.“The Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015 – a pivotal milestone in advancing gender equality – is the culmination of years of advocacy, community engagement, and education aimed at eradicating this harmful practice and meeting the Sustainable Development Goal targets (5.3). It is, therefore, crucial that these legal protections remain in place. “The decision to maintain the FGM ban aligns with The Gambia's international and regional commitments to prevent harmful practices against girls and women, consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Maputo Protocol protecting African women’s rights.“In addition to recognizing this critical decision by the national parliament, we commend the tireless efforts of survivors, activists, civil society organizations, and faith-based groups working to end FGM. Upholding the ban supports these grassroots initiatives, which are pivotal in ending all forms of violence, including harmful practices, against girls and women and delivering a safer and healthier future for girls and women in The Gambia and elsewhere.  “The fragility of progress to end FGM cannot be overstated. Assaults on women’s and girls’ rights in countries around the globe have meant that hard-won gains are in danger of being lost. In some countries, advancements have stalled or reversed due pushback against girls’ and women's rights, instability, and conflict, disrupting services and prevention programmes. “That is why legislative bans on FGM, while a crucial foundation for interventions, cannot alone end FGM. Today, more than 73 per cent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 in the country have already undergone this harmful practice, with many subjected to it before their fifth birthday.  “Recent months have emphasized the need for continued advocacy to advance gender equality, end violence against girls and women, and secure the gains made to accelerate progress to end FGM. It also underscores the importance of engaging with communities and grassroots organizations, working with traditional, political, and religious leaders, training health workers, and raising awareness effectively on the harms caused by the practice.  “Supporting survivors of FGM remains as urgent as ever. Many suffer from long-term physical and psychological harm that can result from the procedure, and need comprehensive medical and psychological care to heal from the scars inflicted by this harmful practice.   “We remain steadfast in our commitment to support the government, civil society, and communities in The Gambia in the fight against FGM. Together, we must not rest until we ensure that all girls and women can live free from violence and harmful practices and that their rights, bodily integrity, and dignity are upheld."   About UNICEF UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org  Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube    About UNFPA UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education. For more information about UNFPA and its work, visit: www.unfpa.org   About WHO Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the UN agency for health that connects nations, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. www.who.int       About UN Women UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information, visit www.unwomen.org. UN Women, 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, New York. Tel: +1 646 781-4400. Fax: +1 646 781-4496. For more information, visit www.unwomen.org.   About UN Human RightsThe Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights. We represent the world's commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.For more information, visit: www.ohchr.org