Sir David Nabarro, WHO's special envoy for Covid-19, dies aged 75
The WHO's director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was 'deeply shocked and saddened by the passing' of Sir David.
London-born Sir David worked at the United Nations for 17 years, expanding nutrition programmes to underdeveloped countries and tackling health crises including outbreaks of malaria, bird flu and Ebola, before leaving in 2017.
He was appointed as special envoy on Covid-19 for the WHO in 2020 and appeared on news programmes regularly throughout the pandemic, telling Sky News in June 2021 that humanity was going to have to learn how to 'co-exist' with Covid-19.
Sir David was knighted at Buckingham Palace in March 2023 for his outstanding contribution to global health.
Dr Tedros wrote on X: 'Deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of our dear friend, colleague and WHO Envoy David Nabarro.
'David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals.
'His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world.
'On behalf of WHO, I'm extending our heartfelt condolences to David's family, friends and colleagues.
'Rest in peace, my dear friend. We will dearly miss your expertise, wisdom and kindness.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
GE HealthCare Core Operating Margin Faces Tariffs Heat, Raises Annual Outlook
On Wednesday, GE HealthCare (NYSE:GEHC) reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.06 per share, which beat the consensus of 92 cents. It was up from $1.00 a year ago. The company reported sales of $5.01 billion, beating the consensus of $4.96 billion. Revenues increased 3% on reported and 2% on an organic basis year-over-year. Revenue growth was driven by strength in the U.S. and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Total company book-to-bill was 1.07 times. Total company orders increased 3% organically year-over-year. The net income margin was 9.7% versus 8.9% for the prior year, which was up 80 basis points (bps) with lower tax and interest EBIT margin was 14.6% versus 15.3%, down 80 bps, impacted by tariffs, partially offset by benefits from productivity and volume. View more earnings on GEHC GE HealthCare President and CEO Peter Arduini said, 'We were pleased with solid orders and revenue performance in the second quarter across all segments, reflecting healthy customer investment in capital equipment. We also reported strong earnings performance while leveraging our lean capabilities and demonstrating progress on tariff mitigation...' Guidance GE HealthCare raises its fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings from $3.90-$4.10 per share to $4.43-$4.63 per share compared to the consensus of $4.07. The earnings outlook includes approximately 45 cents of tariff impact. Increased 2025 full-year guidance, reflective of healthy capital investment trends, operational execution, and changes in tariff rates. Adjusted EBIT margin of 15.2%-15.4%, reflecting a decline of 110 bps to 90 bps versus the 2024 Adjusted EBIT margin of 16.3%; this compares to the previous Adjusted EBIT margin guidance of 14.2%-14.4%. The company forecasts Free cash flow of at least $1.4 billion; this compares to previous Free cash flow guidance of at least $1.2 billion. Price Action: GEHC stock is down 7.53% at $71.87 at the last check Wednesday. Read Next:Photo by PixelBiss via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article GE HealthCare Core Operating Margin Faces Tariffs Heat, Raises Annual Outlook originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Thousands Of Microplastics Floating In Your Home And Car Are Slowly Damaging Your Lungs: Study
While we live in the Plastics Age, and it may no longer be a huge surprise that we are constantly exposed to microplastics, a new study claims that we might be inhaling 100 times more microplastics in our own homes and cars than scientists had previously estimated. To be more specific, human beings might be inhaling around 68,000 microplastic particles that are not visible to the naked eye inside their homes and cars. Lead author Nadiia Yakovenko and team from the Université de Toulouse in France had collected 16 air samples from their apartments and cars. The researchers then measured the concentrations of microplastics present in each air sample, as well as the size of the microplastics. They particularly focused on microplastics that are less than 10 micrometers and more likely to penetrate deep into lung tissues compared to fine particulate matter that is bigger than 10 micrometers or visible to the naked eye. Studies have found that inhaled particles larger than 10 µm are more likely to get collected in the upper respiratory tract and automatically get cleared out of your airways. However, your respiratory system cannot filter out fine particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers, and so, it can penetrate deeper into the lungs. Microplastics smaller than 10 micrometers are of particular concern because they could release toxic additives into your cardiovascular system along with other environmental pollutants that it might have absorbed while floating around in the air. Multiple studies have shown that microplastics could potentially disrupt your body's normal endocrine functions and might even increase the risk of various diseases like cancer. "Microplastic is a ubiquitous pollutant resulting from the global extensive human use of plastic materials since 1950 and the mismanagement of plastic waste. The term 'microplastic' refers to plastic particles between 1 µm and 5mm in size that come in a variety of shapes and polymer compositions," the authors explained in their study that was published in PLoS One on July 30. "Human inhalation of fine particulate microplastic 1–10 µm that penetrate deep lung tissue may contribute to causing lung tissue damage, inflammation, and associated diseases." "Over the past decade, microplastics have been detected in outdoor atmospheric aerosols and deposition, in various parts of the world, from urban and highly industrialized areas to remote mountainous regions, the marine boundary layer, and indoor environments. The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the atmosphere raises many concerns about whether, and to what extent, we are inhaling microplastics from outdoor and indoor air, with the latter likely playing the most significant role in human exposure to microplastics through inhalation," they added. 'Recent studies have shown that the concentration of indoor suspended MPs is eight times higher than outdoors, and the concentration of indoor deposited microplastic dust is 30 times higher than outdoors. Given that people in developed nations spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, including 5% in cars, the potential for inhalation exposure to MPs in indoor environments is significantly higher and warrants attention.'
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
The air we breathe in our homes and cars contains thousands of microplastics, study finds
Thousands of microplastics so small they can penetrate deep into the lungs are in the air you breathe in your home and car, a new study has found. The particles are likely the result of the degradation of plastic-filled objects such as carpet, curtains, furniture and textiles and the plastic parts of car interiors, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. 'People spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, including homes, workplaces, shops, transportation … all the while they are exposed to microplastic pollution through inhalation without even thinking about it,' senior study author Jeroen Sonke and lead author Nadiia Yakovenko said in a joint statement. 'Microplastics in the air, especially indoors, may be an invisible threat we are only beginning to understand.' Sonke is a research director at the National Centre for Scientific Research, which is affliated with France's University of Toulouse. Yakovenko is a postdoctoral researcher of environmental geosciences at the university. 'While research is still ongoing, there is concern that long-term exposure to microplastics and their additives may contribute to respiratory problems, disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, reproductive birth defects, infertility, cardiovascular disease, and cancers,' the two said. The study found adults may inhale some 68,000 microplastic particles of 1 to 10 micrometers per day from indoor air — an estimate that is 100 times more than expected, according to Sonke and his team. In comparison, a red blood cell is 6.2 to 8.2 micrometers, while E. coli bacteria may be 1 to 2 micrometers long. 'This adds to the body of knowledge we have that microplastics are everywhere and getting into humans in every way imaginable,' said microplastics researcher Sherri 'Sam' Mason, director of Project NePTWNE at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, via email. She was not involved in the study. (NepTWNE is short for Nano & Polymer Technology for Water and Neural-networks.) Scientists have detected microplastics in human testes and the penis, human blood, lung and liver tissues, urine and feces, mother's milk, and the placenta. A February study found nearly a spoon's worth of microplastics in human brain tissue. A March 2024 study found people with microplastics in their carotid artery tissues were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from any cause over the next three years than those who had none. 'The size of these particles are especially concerning as the smaller the particle, the bigger the impact on human health,' said Mason, one of the first scientists to measure microplastics in bottled water. Kimberly Wise White, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the American Chemistry Council, which represents the plastics industry, expressed concerns about the study's methodology. 'This study is based on a very small sample size and acknowledges a contamination rate of 18%, which raises questions about the accuracy of the findings,' White said via email. 'Additional work using validated methods and standardized exposure assumptions is essential before drawing conclusions about potential health impacts.' To do the study, Sonke and his team took indoor air samples from their apartments and while in their cars driving between cities in France. In the United States, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety statistics have shown the average American spent about 60 minutes a day inside a car in 2023. Car cabins can be a significant source of microplastic exposure because they are small, enclosed spaces filled with plastic-based materials — dashboards, steering wheels, door handles, seat fabrics, carpets and carpet liners are all made with plastics, Sonke and Yakovenko said. 'These materials can shed tiny plastic particles over time, especially by solar irradiance, friction, heat and daily use,' they said. 'Unlike homes, car cabins often have limited ventilation, allowing microplastic particles to accumulate and concentrate in the air. As a result, they can be inhaled in higher amounts during regular commutes or long drives.' Testing found some 2,238 microplastics particles per cubic meter of air inside the cars — much more than the 528 particles found in a similar amount of air from inside homes. 'We often associate plastic pollution with oceans or industrial areas,' Sonke and Yakovenko said, 'but our findings showed that the everyday indoor environment where we spend most of our time can be a major source of human exposure.' To measure the plastic concentrations, the team used Raman microscopy, a newer and powerful technique that can measure down to about 1 micrometer. This technique is different from those applied in past studies, which have used methods that can only measure larger particles down to 20 micrometers, they said. 'Their analysis is sound,' said Wei Min, a professor of chemistry at Columbia University in New York City who specializes in developing next-generation microscopy techniques. He was not involved in the study. 'They were using a commercial instrument, and the limit of detection is at its best condition (around 1 micrometer),' Min said via email. 'This allows them to capture (1 to 10) micrometer population, which had remained largely undetected in previous studies of in-door air.' However, the study was unable to measure even smaller particles, called nanoplastics, which are measured in nanometers instead of micrometers. It takes 1,000 nanometers to make 1 micrometer — in comparison, an average human hair is roughly 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers in diameter. 'The present study provides important information but also speaks to the need for advancements in the technology to assess even smaller polymer particles, both in the air and in our bodies,' said microplastics researcher Matthew Campen, regents' professor and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Nanoplastics are the most worrisome type of plastic pollution for human health, experts say. That's because the minuscule particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, potentially interrupting cellular processes and depositing endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and heavy metals. There are many steps individuals can take to reduce their exposure to plastics and their plastic footprint, experts say. In February, CNN spoke to pediatrician Dr. Philip Landrigan, lead author of a March 2023 report from the Minderoo–Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health, a global consortium of scientists, health care workers and policy analysts charged with following plastics from creation to final product. In that report, the consortium determined plastics are associated with harms to human health at every single stage of the plastic life cycle. 'I say to people, 'Listen, there are some plastics that you can't escape. You're not going to get a cell phone or a computer that doesn't contain plastic.' But do try to minimize your exposure to the plastic that you can avoid, especially single-use plastics,' said Landrigan, a professor of biology who directs the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College. It's hard to avoid foods wrapped in plastic film because they are so ubiquitous, Landrigan said, but you can take food out of the plastic wrapping before cooking or putting it in the microwave. 'When you heat plastic, that accelerates the movement of the microplastics out of the wrapping into the food,' he said. Invest in a zippered fabric bag and ask the dry cleaner to return your clothes in it instead of those thin sheets of plastic, suggests the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. Bring a travel mug to the local coffee store for takeout and silverware to the office to cut back on plastic cups and utensils. 'Don't use plastic bags when you go shopping. Use a cloth bag or a paper bag or a recycle bag,' Landrigan said. 'Try to avoid plastic water bottles, if you can possibly do so.' A January 2024 study found 1 liter of bottled water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters typically purchased by consumers — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics. Some 90% of those were nanoplastics. 'Use a metal or glass drinking cup instead of a plastic cup. Store your food in glass containers instead of in plastic ones,' Landrigan said. 'Work in your local community to ban plastic bags, as many communities around the United States have now done. There is a lot you can do.' Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
