“Arboviruses” might not be something most of us are familiar with, but for almost four billion people, they’re a deadly threat – which is why the UN health agency on Thursday, launched a plan to prevent them from causing a new pandemic.
In this week’s UN Catch-Up podcast, we hear about the pressures facing aid workers and people on the front line in Gaza, an appeal for help for almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees, an alert that Mozambicans fleeing violence to Tanzania have been forcibly returned, and guidance from the WHO on genetically modified mosquitoes to overcome deadly malaria. As ever, there’ll be insight from regular guest, Solange Behoteguy-Cortes.
A recap of Thursday’s main stories: UN chief on Bolivian crisis; International Criminal Court to hear Myanmar genocide case; health risks for sanitation workers; farmers’ guidelines to conserve crops; and sterilizing mosquitoes to battle diseases.
A decision on when to start field trials of a nuclear technique to stop the spread of the Zika virus will be made next month.
The announcement was made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which describes the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) as a type of “pest control” that uses radiation to neuter male flies and other insects.
SIT has already been used around the world and the UN agency said field trials will help study its effectiveness on the Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the Zika virus.