maternal

"Aspartame is safe!" EFSA’s draft opinion on aspartame opened to public feedback

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has decided to launch an open consultation on its scientific risk assessment about the safety of ’Aspartame’ (codified as E951 in the EU), the widely-used and controversial artificial sweetener. In May 2011, EFSA was asked by the Commission to re-evaluate fully the safety of aspartame. The study is now been made public and submitted for comments until February 15. Public consultation on the draft scientific opinion on the (...)

UN Human Rights Guidance for reduction of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality

At their 21st session, the United Nations’ Human Rights Council adopted a report aimed to help policymakers improve women’s health and rights by providing guidance on implementing policies and programmes. The Report encourages UN Members to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in accordance with human rights standards. At their 21st session, the United Nations’ Human Rights Council adopted a report aimed to help policymakers improve women’s health and rights by (...)

20th anniversary of the World Breastfeeding Week

The WHO recommends that mothers worldwide should only be using breast milk to feed their babies for the first six months of their lives. It believes this is the best way to achieve optimal growth, development and health for children. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week, from 1 to 7 August 2012- was the 20th anniversary of the event, which seeks to protect, promote and support all women in feeding their infants and young children in the best possible ways through implementation of the (...)

State of the World Mothers 2012 Report by Save the Children

Malnutrition is an underlying cause of death for millions of children worldwide as many more millions of kids are left with life-lasting physical and mental disabilities. In fact, the first 1000 days - or up to child’s third birthday - are the most crucial for optimal early child development. This is much determined by the state of their mothers during pregnancy, breastfeeding and further nutrition practices. This year Save the Children’s report on The State of the World (...)

UNICEF launches new website on Roma children

As for all children, cross-sectoral investment in the early years for Roma children is crucial to reduce health inequalities - which in their case are of particular magnitude. With support from the EU, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently launched a website on Roma children featuring various resources, including print and visual materials, to support policy-makers and practitioners. The website features several sections dealing with issues of particular importance for (...)

Unicef’s report on The State of the World’s Children 2012: Children in an Urban World

Given over half the global population, includign more than a billion children live in urban areas, the newest UNICEF’s report on The State of the World’s Children puts a specific emphasis on the impact of urbanisation on children’s rights, health and well-being. While cities have long been associated with better employment, development and economic opportunities, for many they turned out be faced with increased inequalities, poverty, social and environmental deprivation. (...)

EPHA Briefing on Children’s Health

This EPHA Briefing on Children’s Health aims to provide Members with an overview of important policy fields where such actions could be taken to adequately, timely, in line with "health in all policies" and with a lifecourse approach deal with social determinants of health inequalities in European societies. Children represent the present and the future of our societies, and to guarantee their healthy and optimal development ought to be a priority. Early childhood is a critical time. (...)

EPHA position on the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region

On 7 October 2011, the Marmot Review Team has launched a consultation on the European Review of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region. EPHA contributed to the consultation in the framework of our campaign on health equity EPHA Response to the Marmot Review Consultation on the European Review of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region Visit the website of the UCL Institute of Health Equity (former the (...)

Migrants in an irregular situation: access to healthcare in 10 European Union Member States

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published a report looking at the barriers that migrants in an irregular situation face when accessing healthcare in 10 European Member States. The report documents the legal, economic and practical obstacles that hinder undocumented migrants’ access to healthcare. It forms part of a bigger European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights about the access to rights and services for irregular migrants, people who live in the EU without (...)

Highlights from the 2011 World Health Assembly

The 64th World Health Assembly took place in Geneva from the 16th to the 24th of May. A total number of 28 resolutions and three decisions were adopted, among which some were characterized as ‘historical’. Introduction The Conference lasted for 8 days, and was introduced by the opening speeches from Dr Margaret Chan Director-General of the WHO (speech), Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister of Bangladesh (speech), and Bill Gates co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (...)