Artificial intelligence can transform global health—but only if developed and deployed with equity in mind. That was the message from two global health experts featured on the latest Global Health Matters podcast episode, “AI for Equity: Bridging Global Health Gaps.” “In the future, a physician working in a remote area will have the best cardiologist […] Continue reading ->
A three-year investigation by the World Health Organization found that loneliness and social isolation contribute to 871,000 deaths worldwide every year, a death toll researchers said places social health in a tier “as damaging as other public health risks” such as air pollution, tobacco and alcohol. The landmark report by the WHO Commission on […] Continue reading ->
Air pollution is barely acknowledged in the draft political declaration for the upcoming fourth UN High-Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health. The omission of the world’s leading contributor to disease threatens global progress in tackling heart disease, respiratory diseases, stroke, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. Since the last UN General Assembly High-Level […] Continue reading ->
World Health Organization Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced his new team of 36 directors at headquarters on Tuesday, according to an internal message to WHO staff, seen by Health Policy Watch. Nine of the appointments, including key positions heading the Departments of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, and the newly-combined Department of Environment, […] Continue reading ->
Africa is at a crossroads in its health journey – not simply because of shifting geopolitical dynamics or shrinking donor aid, although these are real challenges, but because we must confront a deeper structural flaw in how our health systems are designed. The continent, home to over 1.4 billion people and projected to house one […] Continue reading ->
The Trump administration’s cancellation of hundreds of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants “represents racial discrimination”, and were null and void, ruled United States District Court Judge William Young on Monday. This follows the cancellation of some 2,100 NIH research grants valued over than $12bn based on their links to “diversity, equity and inclusion” or […] Continue reading ->
The decision by United States Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to fire all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory group is “a dangerous and unprecedented action that makes our families less safe”, according to Dr Tom Frieden, CEO of Resolve to Save Lives. The Advisory Committee on Immunization […] Continue reading ->
Over 300 employees of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have urged NIH director Dr Jay Bhattacharya to “restore grants delayed or terminated for political reasons so that life-saving science can continue”. They have also appealed to him to reinstate staff, enable global collaboration, and research to be published in peer-reviewed journals. “We dissent […] Continue reading ->
When Dr Biira* qualified as doctor in Uganda, she was hopeful about her future. Instead, she faced a common barrier: no job. Despite a huge shortage of doctors, no posts were available. Like many others, she left to work overseas. Across Africa, talented health workers overcome significant obstacles to train, only to be driven away […] Continue reading ->
Governments have been advised to impose ‘sin taxes’ on tobacco, alcohol and other unhealthy products to offset the severity of cuts to official development assistance (ODA), World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a tuberculosis meeting on Thursday. His statements came two days after the administration of US President Donald Trump […] Continue reading ->