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World Health Organization (WHO)

The Hong Kong government is considering cutting the liquor tax for drinks with an alcohol content above 30 per cent. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong must promote responsible drinking if it cuts liquor tax: lawmaker

While Simon Lee notes trade benefits, former assistant director of health Dr Regina Ching says relaxing liquor tax will be ‘regressive’ for city.

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China aid agency commits emergency medical supplies to Lebanon amid conflict

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Congo finally begins mpox vaccinations in a drive to slow outbreaks

WHO approves first mpox diagnostic test for emergency use

More than 800 people across Africa have died from mpox, with the head of Africa CDC saying the epidemic is ‘not under control’.

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A colourized transmission electron micrograph shows mpox virus particles (pink) found within an infected cell (yellow). Image: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases via Reuters

Rwanda reports 8 deaths linked to Ebola-like Marburg virus

The highly contagious virus is a deadly haemorrhagic fever with no authorised vaccine, fatal in up to 88 per cent of patients.

Opinion | Gaza polio case a wake-up call for the world

Creating conditions where routine health interventions cannot be delivered, as is the case in Gaza, risks disastrous consequences.

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‘Change is coming’: Malaysia pushes paid-for medical services, sparking concern

While the government argues it needs to generate income to meet future needs, critics warn of compromised care and a widening gap in service quality.

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A male patient with heart pain speaks to a specialist in hospital. Malaysia’s proposal to expand paid services in public hospitals has sparked fears of a two-tier system. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia reports new mpox case in man who had not travelled abroad

Last month, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.

129 dead in shocking Democratic Republic of Congo jailbreak

The incident, which involved gunfire lasting several hours, also saw injuries, rapes and damage to the prison.

As Gaza hostage deal nears completion, Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough

Biden’s comments come after the recovery of six hostages, including an American-Israeli, from a tunnel in Gaza.

Pressure is mounting on both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and US President Joe Biden to secure remaining captives’ release. Photo: AP

11 killed in Israeli strike on school, Gaza officials say

The UN says most of dead are women and children. The school, sheltering displaced people, had a Hamas police outpost, a Gaza official said.

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People carry the body of a victim recovered from the rubble following an Israeli strike which reportedly targeted a school in the Zeitoun district on the outskirts of Gaza City on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Israel, Hamas set 3-day pauses in fighting for Gaza polio vaccinations, WHO says

Children in Gaza to get polio vaccinations after a baby contracted the first confirmed case in 25 years in the Palestinian territory.

WHO says droplets a ‘minor’ route of mpox transmission as outbreak spreads

The WHO said that mpox is transmitted between people mainly through close physical contact, but that more research was needed to understand how the outbreak is spreading.

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Thailand confirms Clade 1b mpox case, second outside Africa

Thailand has detected 800 cases of mpox Clade 2 since 2022, but so far not detected a case of the Clade 1 or Clade 1b variants.

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Thailand’s Department of Disease Control on the outskirts of Bangkok. Thailand has detected 800 cases of mpox Clade 2 since 2022, but so far not detected a case of the Clade 1 or Clade 1b variants. Photo: EPA-EFE

WHO official says Mpox is not the new Covid-19

Mpox transmits through close physical contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as Covid-19, there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air.

A medical staff labels an mpox sample taken from a patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on August 19. Photo: EPA-EFE

‘Don’t think the world learned’: how we sleepwalked into a global mpox emergency

A mutated form of mpox has been circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo for months, but war and other threats demanded the attention of governments since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Cholera outbreak kills at least 22 people in Sudan, health minister says

Highly contagious cholera causes diarrhoea, leading to dehydration and possible death within hours when not treated, according to the WHO.

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Explainer | What we know about the new mpox strain

As health authorities scramble to deal with the outbreak of mpox, experts anticipate more people will be infected with the deadlier strain of the virus.

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A health worker speaks to women about mpox prevention at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, on August 16. Photo: AP

UN chief seeks Gaza pause, as first polio case is confirmed in baby

A ceasefire would allow a vaccination campaign to be conducted, amid fears that the disease could spread outside the Palestinian enclave.

Pakistan reports first case of deadly mpox virus

The mpox surge in Africa – which has also affected Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda – prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern, the highest alarm it can sound.

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Mpox’s ‘big evolutionary jump’ hinders efforts to track its spread

The new mutated strain appears to be spreading more quickly in children and adolescents, posing challenge to contain the outbreak of the disease.

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A child infected with mpox undergoes treatment at a hospital in North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on August 15. Photo: Xinhua

WHO confirms first case of new mpox outside of Africa as outbreak spreads

A patient in Sweden was infected while in Africa with the clade Ib version of the virus, thought to cause a more serious type of mpox.

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A colourised transmission electron micrograph shows mpox particles (green) found within an infected cell (pink and purple). Image: US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases via AFP

WHO declares mpox a global health emergency as new form of virus spreads

The potential for the disease’s further spread beyond Africa is ‘very worrying,’ WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.

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Africa’s top public health body declares mpox emergency

An outbreak spreading from DR Congo to other countries has led to over 15,000 cases and 461 deaths on the continent so far this year.

Hong Kong to stop offering Sinovac Covid jabs when stocks expire in October

Authorities say they expect new jab targeting prevalent JN.1 variant will be available by the end of the year.

The Sinovac jab was one of two vaccines offered in Hong Kong at the height of the pandemic. Photo: Jelly Tse

WHO calls emergency committee on mpox spread

Cases have surged in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to a strain of the virus which has now been detected in nearby African countries.

Fideline Kiza Kasao checks the progress of her son Kito Balume after his recovery from mpox outside their shelter at the Muja displaced persons camp in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in July. Photo: Reuters

Opinion | How Hong Kong can help overturn narrative of China turning inwards

With its world-class biotech research and unique East-meets-West culture, Hong Kong could facilitate cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

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Do I count steps or time my exercise? Both work – just be active

Should you do thousands of steps a day, or 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week, as the World Health Organization advises? It doesn’t matter, just as long as you are active, study finds.

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World Health Organization (WHO)
The latest news, analysis and opinion on World Health Organization (WHO). In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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