Most joyful events in 2022

Despite witnessing many significantly dramatic events, 2022 still had many brightening moments. As the year comes to an end, Jusoor Post collects the year’s most joyful global moments and events. 

COVID alleviation

The first pandemic to affect the entire world in a century seems to be in remission three years after its outbreak. The World Health Organization's head stated in September that the pandemic's end is “in sight.” This truth was made clear by the fact that several nations lifted their lockdowns, travel bans, and other similar restrictions that had been imposed when COVID swept the globe in early 2020, CFR reported. 

The decreasing infection rate is caused by the effectiveness of therapeutic treatments and vaccinations in reducing the risk of COVID, as well as the fact that much of the population has already been infected with the virus and has some level of immunity to it, according to CFR. 

Strong female representation 

There is a strong presence of female-related issues in many fields all over the world. England unveiled its Women's Health Strategy to narrow the gender health gap. Scotland became the first nation to guarantee the right to a free period, and the English health service proposed flexible working for menopausal women. The stigma associated with menopause has finally faded during the year, according to Positive News. 

In sports, women have also achieved important victories. The biggest TV audience for a women's match in UK history witnessed the final of the Women’s Euro 2022 between England and Germany. Additionally, the men's World Cup marked an important first: a female referee was in a match for the first time, Positive News reported. 

First black woman on US quarter 

The late poet and activist Maya Angelou became the first black woman to ever be featured on a US quarter. The American Women Quarters Program, which will also include coins honoring significant women in American history, began with the Maya Angelou quarter. Other quarters in the series will start to appear later this year and continue until 2025. Those women who had made contributions to the fields of science, the arts, and civil rights, with a focus on women from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds, would be featured on US quarters, according to the CNN. 

End of Ethiopian civil war 

The warring parties in Ethiopia formally agreed to a permanent cessation of hostilities, raising hopes for a speedy resolution to the two-year conflict that has forced millions of people from their homes and threatened to destabilize large portions of the continent. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a political group that has dominated the northern area for decades, and representatives of the Ethiopian government collaborated in the most serious attempt to find a negotiated end to the war, the Guardian reported. 

Progress in cancer research 

This year saw the opening of new fronts in the battle against cancer as researchers improved diagnostic and therapeutic methods. A number of non-invasive tests that use blood and urine samples to diagnose cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and other types of the illness have been developed. Though research is still ongoing, it appears positive. The results of certain experimental therapies were also promising. The “most sophisticated cell engineering to date” was used in December to heal a teenager who had been diagnosed with “incurable” leukemia, according to Positive News. 

Nations tackle plastic pollution

At the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, heads of state, environment ministers, and other delegates from 175 countries supported a historic resolution to eradicate plastic waste and create an international legally binding accord by the end of 2024. The resolution forms an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which has started working this year with the goal of finishing a draught legally enforceable agreement by the end of 2024, according to the UN. 

2022 World Cup in Qatar 

Hosted by Qatar from November 20 to December 18, this round of the World Cup is the first held in the Arab and Muslim world. In an incredible World Cup final, Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties. The commanding performances in the final game made an epic night of drama, high emotion and swinging fortunes with one of the all-time great finals. The last time Argentina won the World Cup was in 1986, Reuters reported.