Summary of the news
- The WHO urges the world to prepare to deal with pathogens deadlier than the coronavirus.
- The organization also spoke of the need to create defense systems against pandemics.
- DirectorGeneral hopes countries don’t comment on the same mistakes as Covid.
- The organization emphasizes that Covid is still a health hazard.
Graves opened at Vila Formosa Cemetery in 2021 during the Covid pandemic. Amanda Perobelli/Portal 03/23/2021
The Director General of WHO (World Health Organization)Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during the organization’s annual meeting last Monday (22), called for member states to be more involved in the ongoing negotiations to draft an antipandemic treaty to prevent a repeat of the effects caused by Covid19 .
“I call on every state to participate constructively and urgently in the negotiations for a pandemic agreement (…) so that the world never again faces the devastating effects of a pandemic like Covid,” said Tedros.
“It must be a generational commitment that we do not repeat the panic and neglect that have made this world so vulnerable,” the WHO chief said.
He also warned that the end of Covid as an international emergency “does not mean the end as a public health threat” and explained that there was still a risk of variants developing that could create new waves of infection and death.
“The threat of a new pathogen with an even greater lethality also remains,” Tedros warned, noting that there is therefore a need to build defenses for future pandemics, which would include the treaty that WHO hopes to finalize in 2024.
Tedros took stock of the last 12 months of WHO work in 2022, marked by the declaration, just two weeks ago, of the end of the international emergency due to Covid19, after it had caused around 20 million deaths, according to the latest estimates Organization.
“It was a moment of relief but also of reflection,” said the directorgeneral, who stressed that the world “continues to feel pain at the many losses and the terrible price that families, communities, societies and economies are paying.”
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In addition to fighting Covid and Mpox (whose international emergency also ended in May), the WHO responded to 70 health crises in 2022, “from the floods in Pakistan to Ebola in Uganda, the war in Ukraine to the cholera outbreaks in about “30 countries,” Tedros recalled.
The WHO funded these operations with a special emergency fund set up in 2014 (following the Ebola outbreak that was declared in West Africa that year) for which it committed almost US$90 million (about R$445 million in the stock market). deployed (currently) in 2022.
In 2023, with crises like the one in Sudan and the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, another US$ 37 million (around R$ 183 million) has already been deployed.
Tedros also stressed that despite the end of the international emergencies due to Covid19 and Mpox, the state of emergency for polio declared by the WHO since 2014 is still in place, with particularly severe outbreaks in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The WHO chief cited other fronts in the organization’s fight, such as vaccination against multiple diseases, after some 67 million children around the world lost access to essential vaccination campaigns during the pandemic.
A situation that the WHO aims to defuse with a recently launched new campaign to at least bring childhood vaccination rates back to prepandemic levels.
In the fight against tuberculosis, the WHO last year recommended the first alloral treatment, which reduced the duration of use from 18 to 6 months and has already been introduced in more than a hundred countries.
“However, we can only end tuberculosis with effective vaccines,” Tedros said, recalling that programs to research and fund these drugs have been set up.
“If it has been possible with Covid, it should also be possible with tuberculosis,” he assured.
In the case of malaria, a vaccine is already being tested and has been used in three countries (Malawi, Ghana and Kenya) since 2021, where it has already given 1.5 million minors.
“Among those vaccinated, we saw a 30% reduction in severe cases of malaria and a 10% reduction in infant mortality,” he said.
Another important concern for WHO is antimicrobial resistance, which some pathogens develop.
In this regard, Tedros recalled the recent global decision to reduce the use of antimicrobials in culture by 30% this decade (one of the factors causing the emergence of more resistant bacteria and vaccines).
“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of WHO, we must do even more to promote health, make the world safer and serve the most vulnerable,” the directorgeneral concluded at the end of his message.
Why do we faint? Know the main causes of unconsciousness
Fainting is usually our body’s response to decreased blood flow to the brain. Most of these are not serious, but some causes can be serious and potentially fatal. See below what are the main conditions that lead to this sudden loss of consciousness
vasovagal syncope
This is called ordinary fainting, which occurs due to dilation of blood vessels and a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain. Usually this type of fainting has a trigger, such as: B. Moments of strong emotional stress, seeing blood, severe pain or even prolonged standing. It is common for soldiers to faint at military events. This is because the leg muscles must be active to support blood return to the heart. In these cases, the person recovers without consequences within a few minutes. The greatest risk is when the person hits their head when they fall.
hypoglycemia
People with very low blood sugar levels may pass out, although more severe cases do. It is usually accompanied by feeling drunk, dizzy, confused or having trouble concentrating, slow speech, and tremors. If this is the problem, you can give the person a sweet drink or candy, for example. If the episodes recur, it is important to seek medical help.
orthostatic hypotension
Some people, especially the elderly, experience a sudden drop in blood pressure when they get up quickly from a sitting or lying position. In addition to dizziness, some people also experience fainting spells. Other symptoms include blurred vision and confusion. “Symptoms often occur more frequently and more severely after exercise, alcohol consumption and/or a heavy meal, or when there is a lack of fluids (dehydration),” states the MSD Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment. If you experience persistent dizziness and fainting, it is important to see a doctor
cardiac arrhythmias
Unusual heartbeats can cause fainting as a symptom. In ventricular tachycardia or atrial fibrillation, decreased blood flow to the brain leads to fainting. Heart problems can lead to fainting spells during exercise. In this case, it is imperative to visit a doctor and have examinations, for example, an electrocardiogram.
seizures
Seizures are changes in the brain’s electrical signals. “The brain consists of nerve cells. Nerve cells communicate with each other via electrical signals. A seizure occurs when too many nerve cells send signals at the same time,” explains the MSD Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment. People in such an episode often sag and have tremors for a short time. Some forms cause loss of consciousness and fainting.