World Health Organization

More than 2.1M Bulgarians, or about 30% of the population, are active smokers, according to a survey of the World Health Organization on occasion of May 31, World No Tobacco Day.

Some 40% of Bulgarian men and 19% of the women are smokers. Men smoke about 40 cigarettes a day, while women - 24 cigarettes, according to the statistiscs of WHO on tobacco smoking in Bulgaria for 2013.

Region to jointly combat diseases in aftermath of floods

MOROVIIĆ -- Health ministers of Serbia, Croatia and the Serb Republic (RS) in Bosnia agreed on Tuesday on a common strategy for the fight against infectious diseases.

These diseases could threaten the countries in the region after the flooding.

MOROVIC - Health ministers of Serbia, Croatia and Republika Srpska (RS), the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), reached an agreement Tuesday on a common strategy for the fight against infectious diseases threatening the countries in the region after the flooding.

Health Ministry "on alert," situation "under control"

BELGRADE -- Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar stressed on Monday after a government session that the cleanup and recovery phase after the floods is "yet ahead."

BELGRADE - The situation in Serbia is tragic, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is assessing the current state, primarily in relation to the supply of drinking water and sanitary conditions so as to propose measures for public health prevention, WHO senior official Oliver Schmoll said in a statement to Tanjug.

WHO expert: Situation in Serbia "tragic"

BELGRADE -- The World Health Organization is assessing the current situation in Serbia primarily when it comes to the supply of drinking water and sanitary conditions.

The organization is doing so as to propose measures for public health prevention, WHO senior official Oliver Schmoll said in a statement to Tanjug.

Bulgaria remains the leader in the European Union in terms of air pollution, according to the World Health Organization.

The highest concentration of the two main types of particulates has been measured in Bulgaria, the WHO latest data has showed. Poland and Romania rank second and third in the negative rating.

Maternal deaths have fallen by 45% worldwide since 1990, statistics of the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) show.

Over half a million women died during childbirth in 1990, while in 2013 the figure was 289,000.

The European Commission has suggested the introduction of a uniform food labeling scheme, based on a three color classification.

One in eight of total global deaths is the result of air pollution exposure, according to the new World Health Organization report, released Tuesday.

This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world's largest single environmental health risk. Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives.