Malaria deaths are down but progress remains fragile

13 December 2011 -- Malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25% globally since 2000 according to the World malaria report 2011, issued today. This is the result of a significant scaling-up of malaria prevention and control measures in the last decade, including the widespread use of bed nets, better diagnostics and a wider availability of effective medicines to treat malaria.

• Read the press release on the World malaria report 2011
• More information on malaria

12 December 2011 -- Chad has launched a mass campaign to vaccinate nearly 2 million people against meningitis A, the primary cause of epidemic meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa. This is part of a multi-year immunization campaign covering the 25 countries of the African meningitis belt. Cameroon and Nigeria also began campaigns last week, with Mali and Niger completing the campaigns which they began last year.

• More on the meningitis vaccine project
• Read the fact sheet on meningitis

7 December 2011 -- Transferring of health-related technologies to low- and middle-income countries can enable them to produce health products, like medicines, locally making them more accessible and afordable. A new framework identifies the main challenges and obstacles to the local production of medical products. Knowing how to circumvent these obstacles can increase local access to medicines and improve health.

• Read more on local production for access to medical products
• Find out more about technology transfer

6 December 2011 -- Climate change impacts, such as more extreme weather, changing patterns of drought, rainfall, and temperatures all affect health, from food security and nutrition to patterns of infectious disease transmission. As a result health is an important part of the Climate Change Conference in Durban. In a new report, WHO demonstrates how low-carbon transportation, like cycling, walking and public transport can benefit both health and reduce climate change.

• Find out more about the WHO role at the Climate Conference
• Read the report on health in the green economy