(AGENPARL) - Roma, 24 Luglio 2026 - Friday, 24 July 2026 | Issue 362
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© WHO / Anna Kari
Saturday, 25 July
World Drowning Prevention Day
Drowning takes more than 300 000 lives a year – 30 every hour – and almost a quarter of them are children under five. Globally, it is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years.
More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.
The theme for World Drowning Prevention Day 2026 is "Unite to turn the tide."
The Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention [ calls every sector and every level of society to one goal. A flagship webinar [ will be held at 13.00 CEST on 28 July (registration mandatory).
Further information here. [
26 – 31 July
WHO @ AIDS 2026
WHO will participate in AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and virtually from 26–31 July 2026. WHO will have a prominent presence throughout the conference, from the opening ceremony and plenary sessions to high-level bilateral meetings and engagement with communities living with or affected by HIV.
At this year's conference, WHO will launch the first global mid-term assessment of progress under the Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections [ marking the halfway point to the 2030 targets. The report provides a comprehensive overview of where the world stands, highlighting achievements to date, identifying critical gaps, and outlining the urgent actions needed to get back on track to end these epidemics as public health threats by 2030.
Read more here. [
Tuesday, 28 July
World Hepatitis Day 2026
World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and liver cancer.
The World Hepatitis Day 2026 theme, "Hepatitis: Let's break it down," is a call to remove the barriers that stand between people and the services that can save their lives. Viral hepatitis continues to be a major cause of preventable illness and death worldwide.
The tools needed to eliminate viral hepatitis already exist. Effective vaccines, accurate diagnostics, curative treatments for hepatitis C, and lifelong therapies for hepatitis B can prevent infections, save lives, and reduce liver cancer and cirrhosis. Despite this, millions of people remain undiagnosed, untreated, or unable to access care due to stigma, limited awareness, health system gaps, and persistent inequalities.
Further information here. [
Other WHO events of interest and look ahead (full list here [
Webinar: public consultation on the WHO Global Standards for Long-Term Care [ 30 July
Menopause on the brain: Your questions about mental health and cognition answered [ 30 July
Latest news from WHO here [
Outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus here [
WHO events here [
