WHO: ‘Stringent Conditions’ Govern Military Action Against Health Facilities

21/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan

International humanitarian law is clear that “even if health care facilities are being used for military purposes, there are stringent conditions which apply to taking action against them, including a duty to warn and to wait after warning”, said Steven Solomon, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) principal legal officer. “Disproportionate attacks are strictly prohibited. All […] Continue reading ->

18 Million Sudanese Facing Acute Hunger as Civil War Shows No Signs of Ending

20/02/2024 Sophia Samantaroy

Nearly 18 million people face acute hunger in Sudan – 37% of the population – the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned Monday. Five million people are experiencing emergency levels of hunger, including 700,000 children. The World Health Organization (WHO) also called attention to the rise in infectious diseases as a result of the […] Continue reading ->

Shortage of Cholera Vaccines Spurs Africa CDC’s Quest for Local Manufacturing of Medical Products

20/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) needs at least five million cholera vaccines to address the worst outbreak of the disease on the African continent – but it has received none so far. Meanwhile, Zambia has received half the cholera vaccines it needs and less than a third of Zimbabwe’s vaccine needs have been met, […] Continue reading ->

Pandemic Talks: Chasm Between Member States Over How to Share Pathogen Information

19/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Officially, there are 19 negotiating days left until a pandemic agreement is due to be presented to the World Health Assembly, yet deep divisions remain between World Health Organization (WHO) member states over a number of clauses. One of the biggest obstacles relates to pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) – or how countries should share […] Continue reading ->

Africa CDC Announces Pooled Medicines Procurement at AU Summit; Leaders Called Upon To Expedite African Medicines Agency Set-Up

19/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has announced the creation of a pooled African medicines procurement mechanism at the 37th African Union Summit, which ended yesterday. The mechanism aims to spearhead “a new era of predictable demand for African manufacturers, empowering them to plan for the long-term and establish a robust […] Continue reading ->

As Cholera Surges, WHO Publishes Safe Drinking Water Guidelines for Small Operators – First in Nearly 30 Years

19/02/2024 Sophia Samantaroy

From a community well in east Africa to a standpipe in an urban slum, small water operators furnish vital supplies for billions of people the world over. Now, for the first time in nearly 30 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published new guidelines for drinking water quality for small water supplies with up-to-date […] Continue reading ->

From Pandemics to AI: Unpacking the Forces Shaping Global Health Policies

17/02/2024 Maayan Hoffman

In the most recent episodes of the Global Health Matters podcast, host Dr Garry Aslanyan and his guests reflect on the forces and factors that shape the economic, social, and physical landscape affecting health for all. “The global policy landscape is changing more rapidly than ever due to the influence of pandemics, regional conflicts and […] Continue reading ->

EXCLUSIVE: Read Latest Pandemic Agreement Draft Ahead of Monday’s Negotiations

15/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Health Policy Watch has obtained portions of the latest draft of the pandemic agreement that member states will negotiate over at the eighth intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) starting on Monday, 19 February. At the time of publishing, only member states had access to the draft, although a number of civil society organisations recognised as stakeholders […] Continue reading ->

India Pushes Back To Protect Patient Access to Generic Medicines

15/02/2024 Disha Shetty

PUNE, INDIA – Commerce minister Sunil Barthwal has clarified that India will not sign a new trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) that would limit access by the country’s thriving generic medicine industry to new drug formulations for critical diseases. India is currently negotiating a new trade deal with the EFTA, which […] Continue reading ->

‘All Eyes on Rafah’ – Says Head of WHO Office for Occupied Palestinian Territory

14/02/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

The World Health Organization says it is making contingency preparations for a possible Israeli incursion into the Gazan city of Rafah. The city hugging the Egyptian border remains under the control of the militant Palestinian Hamas government, nearly four months after Israel’s devastating invasion that followed a Hamas assault October 7 on some 22 Israeli […] Continue reading ->