Tag: WHO director-general Margaret Chan

WHO chief ‘confident’ Olympics will be safe despite Zika

BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — The head of the World Health Organization said Tuesday she is confident Brazil can host the Rio Olympics safely despite the Zika threat, though she warned of a long battle against the mosquito-borne virus. Margaret Chan, who was in Brazil for a 48-hour visit, praised the Brazilian government’s efforts to stamp out mosquitoes and its coordination with various international bodies, including the WHO and the International Olympic Movement, ahead of the Games’ kick-off […]

Level of alarm extremely high for Zika virus: WHO chief

World Health Organization (WHO) official Thursday said the Zika virus is spreading quickly in the Americas and the “level of alarm is extremely high”. Speaking to WHO members in Geneva, WHO director-general Margaret Chan said, “Cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in the region.” This is the first time in decades that the disease has spread in such a large scale among humans since it was first identified in 1947, according to […]

Zika virus spreading ‘explosively’ in Americas -WHO

Zika virus – linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil – is spreading “explosively”, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday (January 28). Director-general Margaret Chan told members of WHO’s executive board in Geneva that the spread of the mosquito-borne disease had gone from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions. “Last year, the virus was detected in the Americas, where it is now spreading explosively. As of today, […]