NEWS

Recent news from WHO

• WHO has released new guidelines for malaria treatment that recommend diagnostic testing in all cases of suspected malaria. In 2008, just 22% of suspected malaria cases were tested in 18 of 35 African countries. The recent development of quick and reliable tests, as well as fears of drug resistance, has prompted this policy change. "Treatment based on clinical symptoms alone should be reserved for settings where diagnostic tests are not available," said Dr Robert Newman, director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme.

• More than 85 million children aged less than five years will be immunized against polio in 19 countries across west and central Africa in a massive campaign involving more than 4000 volunteers and health workers.The US$ 30 million campaign, funded by Rotary International, started in March in most countries, with a second round planned in late April.

• The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control celebrated its 5th anniversary on 26 February. This is the first international treaty negotiated specifically for health and it now has 168 signatories.

• The United Nations General Assembly declared in New York on 3 March a Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011-2020. Road traffic crashes kill nearly 1.3 million people and injure as many as 50 million each year.

For more about these and other WHO news items please see: http://www.who.int/mediacentre