Welcoming WHO’s new Director-General

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros addresses staff at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
WHO/C.Black

On 1 July 2017, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus begins his 5-year term as WHO’s new Director-General. Dr Tedros previously served as Minister of Health and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia and as Board Chair of the Global Fund and Roll Back Malaria Partnership. Dr Tedros plans to focus on five main areas of work during his tenure. They are: achieving universal health coverage; strengthening the capacity of national authorities and local communities to detect, prevent and manage health emergencies; improving the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents; addressing the health impacts of climate and environmental change; and building a transformed, transparent and accountable WHO.

Let’s talk about it: improving immunization coverage in Solomon Islands

Baby Joy, 17 weeks old, and her mother Freda Ava’a wait for Joy’s catch–up vaccinations.

29 June 2017 - Baby Joy looks around the room with bright, curious eyes, closely watching the nurse as she pulls on her white latex gloves. Joy is 17 weeks old, and that means she is overdue to receive four different vaccinations, as per Solomon Islands’ routine immunization schedule. Unfortunately, many children are like Joy: they receive their vaccinations late. In fact, over 25% do not receive the full schedule at all.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands achieves hepatitis B milestone

SAIPAN, 15 June 2017 — The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands – a stretch of 14 islands in the northwest Pacific – may be small, but it is scoring big goals in health. This island chain in political union with the United States of America has just been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having reduced hepatitis B infection among children to less than 1%.

World No Tobacco Day 2017: Tobacco is a threat to development

WHO China

MANILA, 31 May 2017 — The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015 are a universal call to action to end poverty and create a healthier, more equitable and more sustainable planet. High rates of tobacco use in many countries pose a grave threat to achieving these goals.

Zika virus and complications

  • Zika Risk Assessment in the Western Pacific Region Based on available information to date, it is highly likely that the Western Pacific Region will continue to report cases, and possibly new outbreaks of Zika virus infection.
  • Special Briefing on Zika A special session on Zika was held on 10 October as part of the Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting. This presentation was made by Dr Li Ailan, Director of Health Security and Emergencies.
  • Infographics Download infographics on Zika virus and complications

WHO Highlights

  • 7 April 2017

    World Health Day 2017
    Depression: Let's Talk

    World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization, provides us with a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. The theme of our 2017 World Health Day campaign is depression. Depression affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. It causes mental anguish and impacts on people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living. At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds.

  • July 2016

    Mosquito borne diseases: Mosquitoes cause thousands of deaths every year

    Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world. Their ability to carry and spread disease to humans causes thousands of deaths every year. In 2015 malaria alone caused 438 000 deaths. The worldwide incidence of dengue has risen 30-fold in the past 30 years, and more countries are reporting their first outbreaks of the disease. Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are all transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

  • February 2016

    Tropical Cyclone Winston

    Tropical Cyclone Winston tore through Fiji on 20-21 February, resulting in 44 deaths, over 125 injured, and thousands without shelter, food, and safe water. In all, the cyclone affected the lives of an estimated 350,000 people. WHO is supporting the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services in the health response to this disaster with help from many humanitarian partners.

  • 5 June 2015

    Strategy for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion (2015-2030)

    In close consultation with countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion, the WHO Regional Offices for the Western Pacific and South-East Asia have developed a malaria elimination strategy for the Subregion, where emerging antimalarial multidrug resistance, including resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies, is threatening our recent gains. The elimination strategy is fully aligned with the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030, which has just been endorsed by the World Health Assembly. The first subregional document that effectively operationalizes the global strategy, it is a prime example of partnership and collaboration, with six countries, WHO (two regions and headquarters) and multiple development partners joining forces to fight a common threat.

Highlighted publications

  • Regional Director's Report
    This report to the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific focuses on WHO’s work in the Region for the year ending 30 June 2016—a year of decisive action to tackle the Region’s health challenges.
  • Partners Coordination and Engagement Strategy 2013-2019
    This document outlines the Regional Office’s coordination and engagement strategy with health sector actors in the Western Pacific. WHO seeks to achieve better health outcomes for the people of the Region through improved coordination and strengthened partnerships.
  • The Health Systems in Transition (HiT)
    HiT profiles are health system reviews that systematically describe and assess the core components of a health system: organization and governance, financing, physical and human resources, service provision, and health reforms.