Air pollution, specifically the tiny particles known as PM2.5, is linked to higher rates of dementia, according to a recently published study in The Lancet. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon, which is the black soot left behind when combustion is incomplete, have also been linked to higher risk of dementia in the study, which […] Continue reading ->
Syria is looking to rebuild its healthcare system after a 14-year long civil war that left at least 300,000 dead and 70% of its population dependent on humanitarian aid. But the new government faces a major challenge in ensuring the safety of minority groups, along with access to healthcare and humanitarian aid. The primarily Druze […] Continue reading ->
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Wednesday that states have a duty to prevent significant harm to the environment from climate change in a landmark advisory opinion. The court also ruled that the states have a duty to cooperate internationally and called on them to set national climate targets that are of the […] Continue reading ->
Achieving universal access to clean cooking across Africa will require $37 billion in cumulative investment to 2040, or roughly $2 billion per year, according to the roadmap laid out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report. The roadmap envisions that 60% of the energy for the newly connected households will come from […] Continue reading ->
In 2024, sand and dust storms affected 330 million people across 150 countries taking a toll on health and economies, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). While the annual mean dust surface concentrations was slightly lower in 2024 when compared to 2023, there were big regional variations. In the most […] Continue reading ->
Asia, the world’s most populous continent, is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to the latest State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released on Monday. In 2024, Asia’s average temperature was about 1.04°C above the average for 1991 to 2020, ranking as […] Continue reading ->
Global temperatures are expected to remain near record levels over the next five years, and there is an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed 2024 as the warmest on record. This is the key takeaway from a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The temperature rise […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Assembly delivered a landmark victory for traditional medicine and indigenous cultures Monday evening, approving a strategy that calls for increased investment in research and integrating ancient healing practices into modern healthcare systems worldwide. The approval marks a breakthrough moment for advocates of traditional medicine, with nations across Asia, Africa, the Middle East […] Continue reading ->
The world’s leading polio eradication programme faces a 40% budget cut next year as the paralysis-causing virus surges in its last strongholds of Afghanistan and Pakistan and war-torn regions, threatening to reverse decades of progress toward eradicating the disease. “The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is facing a 40% budget cut in 2026,” Dr Hanan Balkhy, […] Continue reading ->
African countries at the World Health Assembly called for increased support to health systems across the continent following major cuts to all World Health Organization (WHO) regional office budgets amid a financial crisis triggered by the US withdrawal from the agency and falling global health spending. The African region suffered the largest total cut, losing […] Continue reading ->