Outbreaks underline critical need to ramp up health systems: Tedros — Global Issues

Outbreaks underline critical need to ramp up health systems: Tedros — Global Issues

The call comes against a backdrop of Marburg and mpox outbreaks, the more than 10,000 COVID-19 deaths still being reported weekly, and the ongoing emergency response to the deadly earthquake in Syria and Türkiye, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Together, these current conditions point to the critical need for…

Equality drive launched by African women leaders at landmark conference — Global Issues

Equality drive launched by African women leaders at landmark conference — Global Issues

Almost 400 women leaders from 15 African countries joined the UN-backed three-day conference, which opened on Monday, including former and current presidents. The goal is to advance progress, tackle pressing concerns and find sustainable solutions to issues affecting women and girls in South Sudan and across Africa. The conference’s theme…

Downward slide in global food prices continues: FAO — Global Issues

Downward slide in global food prices continues: FAO — Global Issues

Price indices for vegetable oils, dairy and sugar drove the January decline, the UN food agency said, issuing two new reports on food production expectations. The FAO food price indexfell 17.9 per cent below its all-time peak, reached in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The downward pricing…

Peacebuilding must be rooted in ‘bedrock of inclusive, sustainable development’ — Global Issues

Peacebuilding must be rooted in ‘bedrock of inclusive, sustainable development’ — Global Issues

“People’s sense of safety and security is at a low in almost every country, with six in seven worldwide, plagued by feelings of insecurity”, she stated. The world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War she said, with a quarter of humanity live in…

Economic slowdown may force workers into ‘lower quality’ jobs — Global Issues

Economic slowdown may force workers into ‘lower quality’ jobs — Global Issues

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), global employment is set to grow by just one per cent in 2023, which is less than half last year’s level. The number of people unemployed around the world is also expected to rise slightly, to 208 million. This corresponds to a global…

Water’s a ‘dealmaker’ for multilateral cooperation and the SDGs — Global Issues

Water’s a ‘dealmaker’ for multilateral cooperation and the SDGs — Global Issues

The upcoming summit “will be an occasion to unite the global community to take action and address the broad challenges surrounding water,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Secretary-General of the UN 2023 Water Conference, during a press conference at UN Headquarters. He noted that the Conference, taking…

UN report calls for re-thinking social protection as the world ages — Global Issues

UN report calls for re-thinking social protection as the world ages — Global Issues

The World Social Report 2023 calls for concrete measures to support the greying global population, amidst escalating pension and healthcare costs.  Population ageing is a defining global trend of our time, according to the study, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).   Countries can reap…

Food prices decline in December following ‘two very volatile years’: FAO — Global Issues

Food prices decline in December following ‘two very volatile years’: FAO — Global Issues

The UN agency has published its latest Food Price Index (FFPI) which tracks the monthly international prices of cereals, vegetable oil, dairy, meat and sugar.  The FFPI averaged 132.4 points last month, which is one per cent lower than the previous December.    However, it averaged 143.7 points last year…

Arab region registers world’s highest unemployment rate, UN survey finds — Global Issues

Arab region registers world’s highest unemployment rate, UN survey finds — Global Issues

However, the Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region, published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) projects post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts to prompt a very slight decrease next year – to 11.7 per cent. Mounting poverty Meanwhile, poverty measured against national lines…