November 14 marks World Diabetes Day at the UN. Top stories of the day | Thursday: COP29, Gaza, diabetes, adolescent well-being UN
Top stories of the day at the UN and around the world: Secretary-General calls for accelerated progress towards net-zero emissions, humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, adult diabetes prevalence reaches 14 percent, adolescents in Europe and Central Asia face mounting pressure at school.
UN chief at COP-29
Cities, regions, businesses and financial institutions have a major role to play in global efforts to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a meeting with non-governmental organizations on Thursday during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku. The secretary-general called on delegates to develop clear plans by COP30 next year that are consistent with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and to report every five years on progress toward net zero emissions by 2050.
Gaza evacuations
About 79 percent of the Gaza Strip is under evacuation orders, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Palestinians continue to be sent to Al-Mawasi and surrounding areas in the south of the enclave, where basic infrastructure is lacking and there is no possibility of providing the population with basic services, the Office emphasizes. Intensive military operations continue in the north of the strip. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA), residents of the northern areas of the enclave cannot even receive emergency medical care.
Fighting diabetes
The number of adults with diabetes worldwide has more than quadrupled since 1990 to more than 800 million, according to new data published in the scientific journal The Lancet on World Diabetes Day, 14 November. The authors of the World Health Organization (WHO)-supported study highlight the need for bolder action to tackle both rising rates of the disease and gaps in access to treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. According to new data, the global prevalence of diabetes in adults increased from 7 to 14 percent between 1990 and 2022.
School workload
Adolescents, especially girls, face increasing pressure at school and receive less and less support from their families, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. According to the results of a study conducted in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, only 68 percent of adolescents report high levels of family support, significantly less than in the previous study conducted in 2018. At the same time, school workload, according to respondents, has increased sharply, which is especially felt by adolescent girls.