Good morning readers, Pokuaa here with your weekly health news. Kicking us off, we explore how our old electronics are causing long-term harm to children, as less than 20 per cent of e-waste is formally recycled.
Also, the World Health Organization has come under fire for admitting Syria to its board which implements the organisation’s policies, even though the regime and their supporters continuously target hospitals and other health care facilities.
Not forgetting the talk of the town - Geneva - motorcades buzzed through the city taking Russian President Putin and US counterpart, Biden to the eighteenth century villa in Parc Barton. Welcoming his guests Swiss president Parmelin said he hoped the pair would have a “fruitful dialogue, for the benefit of the entire world”, and in seperate press briefings led by the Presidents after the event, they echoed the meeting was 'constructive'. |
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A man from Ghana burns electronic waste to reveal the metals at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste site in Accra, Ghana. (Credit: Christian Thompson)
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📱🔥Where is the old washing machine you just threw out?
A staggering 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste is dumped in low-middle income countries yearly, but a new report shows only 17.4 per cent were formally collected and recycled. On these sites, children, known for their "small hands" useful for extraction, wade through e-waste exposing them to toxins and hazardous materials. Taking the case of Agbogbloshie (Ghana), considered one of the ‘most toxic’ dumpsites in the world, we dive into some of the e-wastes’ effects on health.
Geneva Solutions (EN)
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Here’s what else is happening
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Swiss president Guy Parmelin (center) welcomes Russian president Vladimir Putin (left) and Joe Biden (right) ahead of talks. (Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky).
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Biden and Putin in the “City of peace”.
The US and Russian presidents cruised through the city as they made their way to Villa La Grange in Geneva dubbed the “city of peace” by Swiss President Parmelin who welcomed the pair and wished them a “fruitful dialogue in the interest of the world”. At the press conference following the three hour private sessions, Putin said the discussion was “constructive”, whilst Biden echoed it was a “positive” meeting.
Geneva Solutions (EN)
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Eye-watering price for hepatitis C drug.
Geneva-based organisation, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) initiated a new project in hopes to bring down the price of a hepatitis C drug which, when first introduced in 2013 was completely unaffordable. The medicine known as ravidasvir cost around $80,000 per patient, a price that completely shocked the world and caused a stir.
Geneva Solutions (EN)
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Have a good day!
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