THE Philippines is “falling short” of protecting its frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday, April 19. In a Laging Handa public briefing, WHO representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe noted that only 63% of the country’s health care workers have been immunized under the government’s COVID-19 vaccination…
WEARING two face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is not necessary, according to a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO). In response to a question about the necessity of wearing two kinds of masks at the same time, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the health body’s representative to the Philippines, said: “It depends on…
THE total number of lives claimed by the coronavirus pandemic has crossed 1 million as it continues to sweep across the globe. The disease has claimed 1,003,791 victims out of 33,454,037 recorded global infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center as of Tuesday, Sept. 29. The United States has recorded the…
The World Health Organization on Sunday, July 12, reported another record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 230,370 over a 24-hour period. The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 reported on Friday, July 10. Of the new figure, 66,281 were from the United States, topping WHO’s list among countries…
US tops 3 million COVID-19 cases Despite having downplayed airborne transmission of COVID-19 as rare, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged on Thursday, July 9 the possibility of the coronavirus lingering in the air and spreading between people in crowded indoor spaces. The change in stance came after over 200 experts earlier this week signed…
THE World Health Organization on Tuesday, June 30, clarified that it did not say that the Philippines had the fastest rise in COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific Region. According to WHO Country Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO does not compare countries or make assessments based on countries’ performance. “It is…
AFTER a World Health Organization report said that the Philippines recorded the fastest rise in coronavirus infections in the Western Pacific region over a two-week period, Malacañang has been on the defensive to disprove the findings. Data from the WHO showed that between June 16 and June 27, the country registered 8,143 infections — the…
THE World Health Organization reported 183,020 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, June 21, the largest single-day increase of the disease by count. According to the United Nations health agency, Brazil recorded the most cases with 54,771, followed by the United States at 36,617. There were a total of 8,708,008 COVID-19 cases with 461,715 fatalities worldwide…
As the country continues to be rocked by the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is making sure that vulnerable Americans avoid the numerous COVID-19-related scams that are making their way through various communities. It’s not that there is an uptick in scams but that many of the most prevalent scams that are preying…
THE Philippine government expressed its support for the World Health Organization (WHO) after United States President Donald Trump decided to withhold funding for the international body because of its supposed bias in favor of China. “It’s not for the Philippine president to tell other presidents what to do. But we support the WHO,” said Presidential…
Kyle Navarro, a Filipino American school nurse, was unlocking his bike on a San Francisco sidewalk after delivering prescription glasses to a student when he noticed an older white man staring at him. He initially brushed off the glare, until the man walked past him, looked back and yelled a derogatory term used against people…
As the world continues to fight the new coronavirus, the global Asian and Pacific Islander community pushes back on hate, discrimination There are fewer global phenomena that make a bigger impact than a viral pandemic. As told by history, the emergence of a new, deadly pathogen — especially one for which there is no known…
Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Tuesday, March 24, announced that it is temporarily suspending international flights from March 26 to April 14 as more people around the world become infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19). The airline said in a statement that it “could no longer sustain even a limited number of international flights” as more…
Officials encourage the community to utilize the county help line 211 to report acts of hate AS public health officials, scientists and the medical community are currently researching to combat and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the global Asian community has been fighting its own battle against xenophobia, racism and acts of hate. Aided…
Groups condemn anti-API ‘racism and hate’ AS the global medical community continues to try to mitigate the threat of the severe coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) and leading social media giants are working to combat another epidemic of a different nature: the dissemination of misinformation. Since the news of the coronavirus — a novel…
Representatives of the Philippine Department of Health and the World Health Organization on Monday, February 3, expressed optimism that the country can prevent the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from further spreading. During the Senate hearing on the government’s response to and preparedness for the new virus, Senators Nancy Binay, Risa Hontiveros and Joel Villanueva asked whether…
World Health Organization declares outbreak a ‘global emergency’ THE first case of the novel coronavirus (nCov) has been confirmed in the Philippines, the Department of Health said on Thursday, January 30. “Today the DOH is confirming that a Chinese female patient under investigation is positive for novel coronavirus 2019 after her lab results arrived from…
THE Philippines ranked third worldwide with the highest incidence of measles over a 12-month period up to June this year with 45,847 cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It noted that, in just the first six months of 2019, the reported cases worldwide were the highest they have been in any year since…
THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, May 28, clarified that while “burnout” remains an “occupational phenomenon” that could lead someone to seek care, it is not a medical condition. This was after the WHO mistakenly said it had listed burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for the first time. The latest catalogue…
The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, May 2 launched the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) crisis hotline which aims to help curb the rising suicide prevalence in the Philippines. According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the hotline will be operated by the NCMH 24/7 and will “respond to the needs of those…
THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, December 5, expressed their support on the Philippines’ move to increase the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) excise tax, revealing that doing such would prevent deaths caused by diabetes, stroke and heart failure. Researchers from the organization said that imposing taxes would reduce the fatalities brought by the deadliest diseases…
Unpacking the Filipino community’s rocky relationship with mental illness acceptance HISTORICALLY, the study of mental illness has often been referred to as “abnormal psychology.” But according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental or neurological disorder in their lifetime, making mental illness far more common than what is…
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the Philippines ranks third in mortality rate caused by air pollution. In an article from Rappler, a WHO study revealed that the Philippines had 45.3 deaths per 100,000 individuals due to outdoor air pollution. China ranked first at 81.5 deaths recorded while Mongolia was second at 48.8 deaths. …
THE death toll from West Africa’s Ebola outbreak has passed 10,000, according to an updated tally released by the World Health Organization on Thursday, March 12. Since reports first emerged in March 2014, the deadly hemorrhagic fever has spread throughout the region, killing thousands including doctors and volunteers from different countries, including the US, who…
