Global health According to the World Health Organization's 2005 World Health Report, poor maternal conditions are the fourth leading cause of death for women worldwide, after HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Most maternal deaths and injuries can be prevented, and such deaths have been largely eradicated in the developed world. Targets for improving maternal health include increasing the number of deliveries accompanied by skilled birth attendants. 68 low-income countries tracked by the WHO- and UNICEF-led collaboration "Countdown to 2015" are estimated to hold for 97% of worldwide maternal and child deaths. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has highlighted the global nature of human health and
Public Health Emergency of International Concern Public Health Emergency of International Concern A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a formal declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO). The declaration is promulgated by that body's Emergency Committee operating under International Health Regulations (IHR). First introduced in 2005, to date there have been four PHEIC declarations. This statement designates a public health crisis of potentially global reach. As a legally binding international instrument on disease prevention, surveillance, control, and response adopted by 194 countries, a PHEIC was first issued in April 2009 when the H1N1 (or swine flu) pandemic was still in Phase Three. The