The World Council for Health is a pseudo-medical organisation dedicated to spreading

misinformation Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. It differs from disinformation, which is ''deliberately'' deceptive. Rumors are information not attributed to any particular source, and so are unreliable and often unverified, but can turn ou ...

to discourage

COVID-19 vaccination A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an es ...

, and promoting fake COVID-19 treatments. The organization's online appearance is that of a mainstream health organization.. It appears to have been formed in September 2021 and its published leadership contains people which an

Australian Associated Press Australian Associated Press (AAP) is an Australian news agency. It was established by Keith Murdoch in 1935. AAP employs around 80 journalists who work in bureaus in all states and territories of Australia except the Northern Territory. It al ...

fact check described as "figures who have promoted unfounded conspiracy theories". The group was founded by Jennifer A. Hibberd and Tess Lawrie, an

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

and founder of the "BIRD Group", which erroneously promotes

ivermectin Ivermectin (, '' EYE-vər-MEK-tin'') is an antiparasitic drug. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, today it is used to treat inf ...

as a COVID-19 treatment. The World Council for Health is affiliated with

Children's Health Defense Children's Health Defense is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit activist group mainly known for anti-vaccine propaganda and has been identified as one of the main sources of misinformation on vaccines. Founded under the name World Mercury Project ...

, an

antivaccine Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...

association led by

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954) is an American environmental lawyer and author known for promoting anti-vaccine propaganda and conspiracy theories. Kennedy is a son of U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy and a nephew of President ...

Activities

The World Council for Health promotes misinformation linking COVID-19 vaccination with death.. In 2021 the group promoted claims on social media of a "multi-system inflammatory condition" which they called "Post-COVID injection syndrome". The condition is however not recognized in medical science, and there is no evidence any such condition is caused by vaccination. In May 2022 the group was involved in a conference in

Bath, England Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the ceremonial counties of England, county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 1 ...

which ''Vice World News'' described as a meeting of the "biggest names in the global anti-vax and coronavirus conspiracy scenes". The local authorities withdrew permission to use their venues after reviewing the publicity of the World Council for Health falsely claiming that COVID-19 vaccines were unsafe. In July 2022, the US-cardiologist Peter McCullough, an anti-vaccine advocate, falsely claimed that vaccinations have been globally recalled due to more than 40,000 deaths worldwide at the request of the World Council for Health. However, the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

had not listed any recalls for the four Covid-19 vaccines authorised in the US, as confirmed in an email by Abby Capobianco, an agency spokesperson, to AFP. The UK cardiologist Aseem Malhotra called in September 2022 for the "immediate and complete suspension of Covid-19 vaccine” in a press conference with the World Council for Health, because of "a greater risk of serious adverse events from the vaccines than being hospitalised from COVID-19", repeating his conclusions in a narrative review article in the Journal of Insulin resistance. However, his findings were based on anecdotal evidence, low-quality studies and cherry-picking, where mainly studies that suggested a negative effect of COVID-19 vaccines were cited, and the broader body of evidence showing that the vaccines are safe and effective was not acknowledged. The group promotes ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, although research has determined it is ineffective for this purpose.; ''for effectiveness see'' .

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References

* AAP FactCheck. * AFP Fact Check. * * * * * * * Organizations established for the COVID-19 pandemic Medical controversies in the United Kingdom Medical and health organisations based in the United Kingdom COVID-19 conspiracy theorists Organizations established in 2021

External links

* {{Official website, https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/

Activities

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References

External links