12 October 2026
The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence launched a new five-year strategy covering 2026 to 2030, at the World Health Summit in Berlin. The strategy sets the goal that by 2030 every country should be able to detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours of their appearance. The Hub was created in 2021 with foundational support from the German Government in response to gaps exposed by COVID-19, and has worked with 160 WHO Member States, 190 partner organizations and thousands of scientists and policymakers. The strategy rests on five priority initiatives: Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources, which uses artificial intelligence to scan thousands of public sources daily and has over 4,000 experts and is used by over 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations; the International Pathogen Surveillance Network for genomic sequencing and bioinformatics; the Collaboratory, which connects more than 2,000 modelling and data science experts; the Collaborative Surveillance Initiative, implemented in more than 83 countries on a One Health approach; and a new Digital Enablers for Public Health Intelligence Initiative. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus launched the strategy, and Germany's Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, Georg Kippels, was present.
Strategy period:
2026-2030
Detection goal by 2030:
Within 24 hours of a threat appearing
Hub created:
2021, with support from the German Government
Reach:
160 Member States and 190 partner organizations
Priority initiatives:
Five
Why it matters for exams: The 24-hour detection target and the Hub's five named initiatives give precise, quotable facts on global health surveillance architecture.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
EIOS Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources — A WHO system that uses artificial intelligence to scan thousands of public sources daily for early signals of health threats.
One Health One Health approach — An approach that treats human, animal and environmental health as a single connected system.
7 October 2026
The International Organization for Migration reported that just over 31,000 children arrived in Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Malta in 2025, about 25 per cent fewer than in 2024. More than 20,000 of them arrived without a parent or guardian. In a survey of more than 4,600 people aged 15 to 24, nearly half reported physical violence, 28 per cent said they had been held against their will and 17 per cent said they had been forced into work. Almost eight in ten respondents were male. The main route was the central Mediterranean, from Libya and Tunisia to Italy, and most of the abuse recorded took place in Libya. The findings come from a joint report with UNICEF and UNHCR. IOM Director General Amy Pope called for cooperation between European countries and transit states and for action against smuggling networks.
Children arriving in 2025:
Just over 31,000
Arriving unaccompanied:
More than 20,000
Fall from 2024:
About 25 per cent
Held against their will:
28 per cent of those surveyed
Countries of arrival:
Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Malta
Why it matters for exams: The IOM, UNICEF and UNHCR are three distinct UN-family bodies and a joint report by them with hard figures is a ready-made question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN agency for migration, which gathers data on migration routes and assists migrants.
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN refugee agency, responsible for protecting people forced to flee their countries.
7 October 2026
Independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council warned that downplaying the forced contraception of thousands of Inuit women and girls in Greenland threatens genuine redress. Their warning followed a dissenting report by two former members of an expert group appointed by Greenland's Government, which found no empirical grounds to assume that Danish or Greenlandic authorities intentionally and systematically inserted intrauterine devices without consent. Denmark and Greenland have already acknowledged that the practice occurred for decades in public care institutions and have apologised. The experts urged Denmark to make compensation more accessible in linguistic and cultural terms, to include women with disabilities, and to address forced adoption and the removal of Inuit children from their parents. They said remedy requires a clear, accurate and undisputed record of historical facts. The experts are unpaid and are not United Nations staff.
Territory:
Greenland
Experts appointed by:
Human Rights Council
States that have apologised:
Denmark and Greenland
Status of the experts:
Unpaid, not United Nations staff
Why it matters for exams: Special Procedures experts of the Human Rights Council are a standing polity-and-rights topic, and their independence from UN staff status is itself frequently tested.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Human Rights Council United Nations Human Rights Council — The Geneva-based UN inter-governmental body that appoints independent experts to examine rights situations.
Inuit Inuit — The indigenous people of Greenland and the Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
7 October 2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization called for urgent funding to help families in the Near East and North Africa keep producing food and earning an income, saying more than 45 million people in the region face crisis-level hunger or worse. In Sudan, 19.5 million people face high acute food insecurity, and only 23 per cent of the 193 million dollars needed under the 2026-2028 emergency response plan has been funded. In Yemen, FAO has secured less than 1 per cent of the 87.9 million dollars it needs for 2027. In Lebanon, more than one million people were displaced after the March 2026 escalation and over 22 per cent of agricultural land has been damaged. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol said early investment in seeds, livestock, water and other farm support can protect livelihoods and reduce long-term humanitarian needs.
People facing crisis-level hunger or worse:
More than 45 million in the region
Sudan:
19.5 million facing high acute food insecurity
Sudan plan funded:
23 per cent of the 193 million dollars needed
Yemen:
Less than 1 per cent of the 87.9 million dollars needed for 2027
Lebanon:
Over 22 per cent of agricultural land damaged
Why it matters for exams: FAO funding appeals with country-wise figures are a reliable source of data questions on food security and humanitarian financing.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization — The UN agency for food security and agriculture, headquartered in Rome.
14 October 2026
A study published in the journal Nature Health on 14 October 2026 estimated the share of European urban heat deaths that can be attributed to human-induced climate change. The study covered 854 European cities across 30 countries, with a combined population of almost 160 million, over 26 summers, from 2000 to 2025. It modelled 430,365 heat-related deaths in that period and attributed 233,626 of them to human-induced climate change, just over half of the modelled burden. The attributable share rose from 39 per cent in 2000 to 68 per cent in 2025, and the modelled total of heat-related deaths rose from 9,720 in 2000 to 24,572 in 2025. People aged 85 and above accounted for 165,992 of the estimated heat-related deaths, the largest share of any age group. Ireland, Austria and Czechia recorded the highest attributable proportions by country, while Croatia, Malta and Romania recorded the highest standardised heat deaths per million. Clair Barnes is the first listed author and Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, the last. The figures are modelled estimates rather than observed death counts.
Cities studied:
854 across 30 countries
Period:
26 summers, 2000 to 2025
Modelled heat-related deaths:
430,365
Attributed to human-induced climate change:
233,626
Attributable share:
39 per cent in 2000 rising to 68 per cent in 2025
Journal and date:
Nature Health, 14 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: A peer-reviewed attribution study with precise city counts and percentages is the kind of environment-and-health data examiners quote directly.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Attribution study Extreme event attribution — Research that estimates how much of an observed impact can be traced to human-caused climate change rather than natural variation.
15 October 2026
A global hunger monitor report using the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification found that 15.9 million people in Afghanistan face acute food insecurity in the August to October period, with more than 32 per cent of the population in IPC Phase 3, crisis, or above. Of these, 3.4 million people are in IPC Phase 4, emergency, the phase that precedes famine, and acute malnutrition is at the highest level ever recorded in the country. For the November to April winter lean season the report projects nearly 19.2 million people in Phase 3 or above, about 5 million of them in Phase 4. It also projects that 4.04 million children under five will need treatment for acute malnutrition between January and December 2027. The report cites economic pressure on households, disease outbreaks, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene, sharply reduced access to nutrition services, and declining humanitarian assistance, even though improved rainfall and agricultural production have supported food availability. World Food Programme country director John Aylieff said there is still a window to act but it is closing fast, and FAO representative Richard Trenchard said families need dependable income opportunities and support to get through winter.
Facing acute food insecurity:
15.9 million
In IPC Phase 4, emergency:
3.4 million
Population in Phase 3 or above:
Over 32 per cent
Projected for November to April:
Nearly 19.2 million in Phase 3 or above
Children under five needing treatment in 2027:
4.04 million
Why it matters for exams: The IPC five-phase scale is a standard definitional question, and Afghanistan's phase-wise numbers give an exact illustration of how it is applied.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A five-phase scale used internationally to classify the severity of food insecurity, from minimal through crisis and emergency to famine.
WFP World Food Programme — The UN agency that delivers food assistance in emergencies, headquartered in Rome.
21 October 2026
The Seoul Declaration on artificial intelligence in health was signed at the fifth World Bio Summit, held in Seoul in the Republic of Korea on 21 and 22 October 2026. Speaking at the signing on 21 October, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the declaration gives a shared direction on artificial intelligence in health. He set out principles for its use: testing a tool where it will be used before scaling it up unless countries rely on regulatory arrangements, making oversight proportional to risk, telling patients when artificial intelligence is used in their care, keeping health workers and institutions accountable, and building on secure infrastructure, well-governed data, capable regulators, sustainable financing and stronger cybersecurity. He cited a projected shortfall of 11.1 million health workers by 2030, and named the Global Initiative on AI for Health, which the World Health Organization supports along with the International Telecommunication Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization. He also pointed to work on making WHO guidelines machine-readable so that artificial intelligence tools can draw on checkable recommendations, and to the next Global Strategy on Digital Health covering 2028 to 2033.
Declaration:
Seoul Declaration on artificial intelligence in health
Summit:
Fifth World Bio Summit, Seoul, 21 and 22 October 2026
Projected health worker shortfall by 2030:
11.1 million
Global Initiative on AI for Health partners:
WHO, ITU and WIPO
Next Global Strategy on Digital Health:
2028 to 2033
Why it matters for exams: A named declaration, the three UN agencies behind the Global Initiative on AI for Health and the health workforce shortfall figure are all directly quotable facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The oldest UN specialised agency, which deals with information and communication technologies.
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization — The UN agency for intellectual property, based at Geneva.
21 October 2026
The World Health Organization published a working paper titled Cupping therapy: descriptive synthesis of training, prepared by the Global Traditional Medicine Centre. The 30-page paper gives an evidence-informed overview of how cupping therapy training is reported and organised across settings within traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. Drawing mainly on a systematic scoping review, it describes reported training pathways and curriculum content, competency domains and learning outcomes, approaches to delivery and assessment, trainer qualifications, and training facilities and accreditation arrangements. The analysis focuses mainly on cupping based on traditional Chinese medicine, while acknowledging the wider diversity of cupping practices across medical systems. The paper is intended as a descriptive and non-normative reference for policy-makers, regulators, education and accreditation bodies, health professionals, researchers and practitioners. It carries ISBN 9789240125964 and is issued under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence.
Title:
Cupping therapy: descriptive synthesis of training
Prepared by:
WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre
Length:
30 pages
ISBN:
9789240125964
Main focus:
Cupping based on traditional Chinese medicine
Why it matters for exams: The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre is a named WHO body that examiners ask about, and a dated publication from it fixes both the centre and its subject in one question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cupping therapy Cupping therapy — A traditional practice in which suction cups are applied to the skin, used in several systems of traditional medicine.
Scoping review Systematic scoping review — A structured survey of the existing literature that maps what evidence exists on a topic rather than testing a single hypothesis.
Background
IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. The agency calls itself the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its measures cover all aspects of international shipping, including ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation and disposal. International shipping transports more than 80 per cent of global trade. The organisation works from 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom. The official languages of IMO are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The working languages are English, French and Spanish.
Share of global trade carried by shipping:
more than 80 per cent
Headquarters:
4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom
Working languages:
English, French and Spanish
Why it matters for exams: Shipping safety, marine pollution and maritime standards are standard international-organisation questions, and IMO is the body that writes those rules for the world fleet.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
IMO International Maritime Organization — The United Nations specialized agency that sets global standards for shipping safety, security and pollution prevention.
Background
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons. The organisation states that 98% of the global population live under the protection of the Convention. It also states that 100% of the chemical weapons stockpiles declared by possessor States have been verifiably destroyed. The Conference of the States Parties, the Executive Council and the Technical Secretariat are among its organs, alongside subsidiary bodies such as the Scientific Advisory Board and the Confidentiality Commission.
Convention entered into force:
29 April 1997
Member States:
193
Global population covered:
98%
Declared stockpiles verifiably destroyed:
100%
Why it matters for exams: Disarmament treaties and the bodies that verify them are recurring questions, and the OPCW is the one with a near-universal membership and a verified destruction record.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
OPCW Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons — The body that implements the Chemical Weapons Convention and verifies the destruction of declared stockpiles.
Background
UN Women is the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In July 2010 the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system: the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). It is the lead United Nations entity on gender equality and the secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Its stated areas of work are leadership, economic empowerment, freedom from violence, and peace, security and humanitarian action. The entity places its work within landmark agreements such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Created by:
the United Nations General Assembly
Created in:
July 2010
Predecessor parts merged:
four
Serves as secretariat of:
the UN Commission on the Status of Women
Why it matters for exams: Questions on the UN system often turn on which organ created a body and which older bodies it replaced, and UN Women is the clearest example of a merger of four predecessors.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women — A landmark United Nations agreement on the rights of women that UN Women cites as a basis for its work.
Background
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights. It describes itself as the only tripartite U.N. agency: since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 Member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. The ILO was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice. Its unique tripartite structure gives an equal voice to workers, employers and governments. Three main sources of funds finance its results: the Regular Budget from assessed contributions by Member States, the Regular Budget Supplementary Account of unearmarked voluntary contributions, and voluntary contributions from over 140 funding partners. The biennial Programme and Budget is proposed by the Governing Body to the International Labour Conference and must be adopted through a vote of the Conference. Its headquarters is at 4 route des Morillons in Geneva.
Created:
1919
Member States:
187
Structure:
tripartite
Main sources of funds:
three
Why it matters for exams: The tripartite structure of the ILO and its birth in the Treaty of Versailles are asked in both general awareness and labour-law papers, and its conventions underpin Indian labour legislation.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Tripartism Tripartite structure of the ILO — The arrangement that gives workers, employers and governments an equal voice in setting labour standards.