Caribbean leaders from “the frontlines of climate change” are appealing for international support in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which has already caused widespread destruction – even before the usual start to the hurricane season. Hurricane Beryl, the earliest recorded Category 4 storm in the region’s hurricane season, levelled 90% of the buildings on Grenada’s […] Continue reading ->
Dengue virus cases have reached an all-time high since January in the US territory of Puerto Rico, with 1,729 people infected so far – a more than 300% increase compared to last year. The uptick in the mosquito-borne disease, which causes mild to severe illness, follows a trend across the Caribbean region. The total number of […] Continue reading ->
Fourteen months into its devastating civil war, one-half of Sudan’s 25.6 million population faces levels of food security ranked as “crisis,” emergency, or “catastrophic,” according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis. The IPC analysis of Gaza also found that a “high and sustained risk” of famine persists across the entire occupied […] Continue reading ->
Physical inactivity levels have jumped to 31%, meaning that around 1.8 billion people did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022 , according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). This is an increase of 10% since 2000, mostly driven by data from lower-middle income countries. Lack of physical […] Continue reading ->
When Felicia Knaul met Tonya Rosa, a Mexican woman undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, “she was there with a big smile on her face…even though her cancer had recurred.” But Rosa told Knaul that her first round of treatment had impoverished her family, “they had to sell their business, their home, their assets to be […] Continue reading ->
Just four industries – tobacco, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), fossil fuels, and alcohol – cause over a third of all deaths globally each year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. Not only are these industries driving ill health and premature mortality across Europe and Central Asia, but […] Continue reading ->
While the World Health Organization’s International Negotiating Body (INB) continues to negotiate a global Pandemic Agreement, the US has issued its own vision for global health security and expanded its bilateral partnerships with countries across the world. Following the release of this revamped US global health security strategy, Health Policy Watch spoke with Stephanie Psaki, […] Continue reading ->
One of the world’s largest global health initiatives (GHI), vaccine alliance Gavi, started in a UNICEF basement with a staff of five people. Nearly 25 years later, Gavi has grown into one of the most influential players on the global health stage, driving progress on key global health challenges. Yet several experts on global health […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – The World Health Organization has made climate change its top priority in its four-year work plan adopted at the World Health Assembly this week, but significant gaps in climate health research could hinder the UN health body’s efforts, experts warned at the Geneva Health Forum on Tuesday. Current research on the effects of […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – Cardiometabolic diseases, a group of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, are on the rise globally, threatening life expectancy gains and burdening vulnerable economies with excess healthcare costs. These diseases already contribute to over 30% of global deaths each year. With one billion people now living […] Continue reading ->