Health

The UAE records 65 new COVID-19 cases, one death in 24 hours

The United Arab Emirates has recorded 65 new COVID-19 cases and one virus-related death in the last 24 hours, the country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced on Tuesday.

A total of 2,147 people have died from complications relating to COVID-19 in the UAE, while there have been 742,041 recorded cases.

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Meanwhile, 77 people recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 742,041.

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This week the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced that it has made COVID-19 vaccine booster shots available for everyone over the age of 18, as international concern rises over the spread of the new variant Omicron across the globe.

“The ministry has made the booster shot available for all categories of people over the age of 18 who have received two doses of the Pfizer-BionTech and Sputnik vaccine, given that six months have passed since they received the second dose,” said UAE health sector spokesperson Farida al-Hosani.

“We advise everyone to take the booster dose as soon as possible, specifically the elderly and those with chronic diseases. Vaccination contributes to increasing immunity and preventing infection, severe symptoms and deaths, especially when dealing with variants,” she added.

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Health

Teen alcohol and nicotine use in Europe is up, WHO urges preventive measures

Substance use is on the rise among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada and girls now match or even exceed boys when it comes to smoking and drinking, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on Thursday.

Health

Gender therapy review reveals devastating impacts on teens

A top Human Rights Council-appointed expert has welcomed the decision by all health authorities in the United Kingdom to halt the routine use of puberty-blockers offered to children as part of gender transition services, amid a sharp increase more widely in the number of teenage girls seeking such treatment and concerns that it might disrupt brain development.

Health

Latest hunger data spotlights extent of famine risk in Gaza, Sudan and beyond

Dangerous levels of acute hunger affected a staggering 281.6 million people last year – the fifth year in a row that food insecurity has worsened – heightening growing fears of famine and “widespread death” from Gaza to Sudan and beyond, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.