Taiwan’s absence from international organisations has been likened to the search for the Loch Ness Monster. The Taipei Representative Office in Brussels says the search for “Nessie” in the Scottish loch is like looking for Taiwan’s involvement in organisations like the UN. The Taiwan Representation has collaborated with the Belgian cartoonist, Lectrr, to create a cartoon comparing finding…
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed this morning the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO), which gathers between 29 November and 1 December for its second-ever special session. The President welcomed the Assembly’s decision to start negotiations towards an international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Following the emergence of the Omicron…
No one is safe until everyone is safe, according to the Socialist group in the European parliament.It says this was supposed to be the lesson the world drew from the Covid-19 pandemic, especially towards developing countries and low income countries, which have been unable to afford and access vaccines. Reality, unfortunately, looks different, says the group….
A group of leading European heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) and building engineering associations are for EU recognition of indoor air pollution as a risk to human health. In a joint statement, the group, which includes EPEE, AREA and the EHPA, insist that the proper use of air quality systems will help reduce transmission of…
Has indoor air quality worsened during the pandemic and what factors such as potential health risks from mineral wool insulation can be addressed? The recent Clean Air Day had the aim of increasing awareness and understanding of air pollution, its effects on both climate change and public health and what needs to be done to…
The threat that emerging infectious diseases pose to global health and the economy, trade, and tourism never ceases. Pandemics can spread rapidly around the world due to international aviation and transport, writes Dr. Shih-chung Chen. As of March 2021, a novel form of pneumonia that first emerged in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019…
Ascertaining the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is vital in order to address the current pandemic and reduce the risk of future ones. Although we may never be able to conclusively determine the coronavirus pandemic’s origins, it is nevertheless critical that we make every possible effort to do so. That is why…
Council president Charles Michel is calling for an international Treaty on Pandemics. On Tuesday, he said, “The COVID-19 pandemic is indeed much more than “just a health” issue. It has cut across every sector of our societies. Highlighting our strengths and exposing our weaknesses. And above all, it has taught us one brutal lesson –…
Air pollution causes more than 400,000 premature deaths per year. It is the largest environmental risk to health in Europe and has a direct negative effect on the environment. This must stop. The Ambient Air Quality Directives have been only partially effective so far. Several pieces of legislation have already been passed but implementation is…
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have more than 40 million cases and more than one million deaths around the world. The virus has had an enormous impact on global politics, employment, economics, trade and financial systems, and significantly impacted the global efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), writes Dr….
