WHO has updated its guidance on total fat, saturated and trans-fat and carbohydrates, based on the latest scientific evidence.

The Africa CDC, the WHO and the RKI launched a Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance and Epidemic Intelligence in Africa on Jul.18. The partnership aims to strengthen Africa’s health security capabilities in the areas of biosecurity, integrated disease surveillance, event-based surveillance, genomic surveillance, and epidemic intelligence.

Assessments of the health impacts of the non-sugar sweetener aspartame are released today by the IARC and the WHO and the FAO JECFA. Citing “limited evidence” for carcinogenicity in humans, IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans and JECFA reaffirmed the acceptable daily intake of 40 mg/kg body weight.

From 24 to 28 April 2023, twenty-one laboratory experts from 19 countries within the WHO Region of the Americas (AMRO/PAHO) convened in Panama to participate in a hands-on training on next-generation sequencing (NGS). The training, part of a series held earlier for the WHO regions of Africa, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, focused on incorporating NGS as part of a comprehensive, end-to-end integrated sentinel surveillance system to enhance laboratory capacities in the Region.

The current outbreaks of avian influenza (also called “bird flu”) have caused devastation in animal populations, including poultry, wild birds, and some mammals, and harmed farmers’ livelihoods and the food trade. Although largely affecting animals, these outbreaks pose ongoing risks to humans.

Over 122 million more people are facing hunger in the world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated weather shocks and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today jointly by five United Nations specialized agencies.