WHO Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau

Cancer affects millions of people every year, yet its impact is not felt equally.

According to the latest WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, 20.6 million people received a cancer diagnosis in 2024 and close to 10 million died from the disease. Without urgent action, annual cases could reach nearly 35 million by 2050.

Beyond its health impact, cancer exacts a heavy financial, emotional and social toll. At least 45% of people with cancer experience financial hardship, and more than half report mental health challenges.

Whether a person survives cancer should not depend on where they live or what they earn. We can save lives with more prevention efforts, such as through to***co control and vaccination, improved access to earlier diagnosis and better access to treatment and supportive care.

It’s World Hepatitis Day.

Hepatitis B and C can lead to serious liver disease and liver cancer, yet many people do not know they are living with the infection.

Let's break it down by looking at what you can do to help prevent hepatitis and its complications:
🔹Speak to your health provider about risks and testing
🔹Vaccinate newborns with hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours of birth and complete their routine childhood vaccinations
🔹If you’ve been diagnosed, follow your treatment plan
🔹Never reuse or share needles and other sharp instruments
🔹Learn the facts and help stop stigma

Take action to protect yourself and your loved ones!

Today, 25 July, is World Day.

Every year, around 300,000 people die from drowning worldwide. But drowning is preventable, and every death is one too many.

With the right precautionary actions, many of these tragedies can be avoided. From creating safe environments for children to building lifesaving skills, prevention starts with everyday choices.

It’s Self-Care Day.

Self-care actions include practices, habits, and lifestyle choices that help protect and improve health.

Looking after your health and well-being can start with small, regular actions. Take care of yourself every day.

It’s World Brain Day! 🧠

Brain health is essential to how we think, feel, move, and connect with others.

Across the life course, many factors can affect your brain, but healthy daily habits can help protect it. Staying active, eating well, getting enough sleep, caring for heart health and keeping the mind stimulated at all ages, all support better brain health.

Love live music? Protect your hearing while you enjoy the experience. 🎶👂🏽

Exposure to loud sounds can cause temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears, and with regular or prolonged exposure, it can lead to irreversible hearing loss, tinnitus, or both.

Small actions like using earplugs, choosing a spot away from speakers, taking breaks in quiet zones, and giving your ears time to recover after noisy events can help support .

Hypertension is often called a “silent killer” because many people do not feel sick, even when their blood pressure is already high.

A quick blood pressure check can help people act early, seek care and prevent serious health problems later.

If you’re an adult, make checking your blood pressure part of caring for your health.

Check your pressure. Protect your future.

Governments play a critical role in ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Access to services such as family planning, maternal care and counselling is essential for women’s health at every stage of life. Yet in many settings, barriers such as cost, distance, stigma and gaps in service availability continue to limit access.

Strengthening equitable, timely and high-quality sexual and reproductive health care is essential to improving women’s health, advancing equity and building stronger communities.

Congratulations to Tokelau 🇹🇰 on 100 years of partnership, friendship, and shared journey with New Zealand. As friends and families come together for this historic occasion, celebrate safely by practising good hand hygiene, eating safely, and helping prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.

Wishing everyone a joyful and healthy celebration!