Switzerland

GENEVA, Feb 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing to strengthening their collaboration on a broad range of public health issues of particular concern to Commonwealth member states and governments, such as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine equity, advancing universal health coverage, and building resilient health systems.

ZURICH, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Swiss President Ignazio Cassis wants to thaw frosty ties with the European Union by seeking a new package of bilateral agreements and believes his country must move closer to the bloc, he told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.

Years of talks to bind Switzerland more closely to the EU's single market collapsed in May last year when the Swiss government ditched a draft 2018 treaty cementing ties with its biggest trading partner.

ZURICH, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday he had discussed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang the need for stronger collaboration on the origins of COVID-19, a subject of controversy that has strained Beijing's relations with the West.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has previously pressed China to be more forthcoming with data and information related to the origin of the virus. 

GENEVA, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A sub-variant of the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus strain, which some studies indicate could be even more infectious than the original version, has been detected in 57 countries, the
WHO said.

   The fast-spreading and heavily mutated Omicron variant has rapidly become the dominant variant worldwide since it was first detected in southern Africa 10 weeks ago.

GENEVA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment, a World Health Organization report said on Tuesday.

The material, a portion of which could be infectious since coronavirus can survive on surfaces, potentially exposes health workers to burns, needle-stick injuries and disease-causing germs, the report said.

GENEVA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The funding provided by the United States to the World Health Organization (WHO) has dropped by 25 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Reuters report.

In 2020 and 2021, U.S. financial contributions to the WHO declined by over 200 million U.S. dollars, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing provisional WHO data contained in a budget document.

26 Jan 2022; MEMO: A Regional Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) who investigated Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza and the Beirut port explosion had her phones hacked with spyware made by the Israeli company NSO, the group said on Wednesday, and reported by Reuters.

ZURICH, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A former top Swiss banker charged with making millions of dollars through fraudulent deals said on Tuesday that a near 200,000 Swiss francs ($217,675) expenses bill for strip club visits was largely business-related.

Pierin Vincenz, once a 'banker of the year', also told a Zurich court that a 700 franc dinner with a woman he met on dating app Tinder was justified because he was considering her for a real estate job and a trip to Australia was made to examine the country's ATMs.

GENEVA (AP) — World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus laid out more plans Tuesday to fight the virus as he pitched his case for a new five-year term and faced criticism from his own country — Ethiopia — over his comments about the embattled Tigray region.

Tedros, who like many Ethiopians goes by his first name, is running unopposed for a second term as WHO director-general. That makes his presentation to the U.N. health agency’s executive board a bit of a formality, since he is all but certain to win re-election when the WHO Assembly takes place in May.

GENEVA, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Covax aims to break the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022 by ensuring a steady supply of vaccines at last for the world’s poorest countries — and swiftly getting them into arms.

The global scheme, aimed at procuring donor-funded jabs for the 91 weakest economies, delivered its one billionth dose last weekend — a major milestone that came far later than anticipated after a year of setbacks.