Syria’s Seeks to Rebuild Shattered Healthcare System – But Sectarian Violence Impedes Progress

05/08/2025 Disha Shetty & Elaine Ruth Fletcher

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 ->

‘Plastics Crisis’ Costs Trillions, Kills Hundreds of Thousands Each Year, Lancet Finds

04/08/2025 Stefan Anderson

Plastics are a “grave, growing and under-recognised danger” to people and the planet, causing “disease and death” from infancy to old age, a landmark review has found. The Lancet Plastics Countdown, published as diplomats from around the world arrived in Geneva on Monday for the overtime round of talks on a global plastics treaty, estimates […] Continue reading ->

Grassroots Groups in Uganda Keep GBV Services Going Despite Aid Cuts

01/08/2025 Nanfuka Fatuma

Uganda has been hard-hit by the withdrawal of aid by the United States, but women’s groups are helping to support crucial gender-based violence initiatives in refugee settlements. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. The small clinic in northern Uganda’s Obongi District sits at the end of a dusty road, its tin roof […] Continue reading ->

Health Taxes Offer Solution to Africa’s ‘Burning Platform’ of NCDs

31/07/2025 Kerry Cullinan

Taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks offer African countries the opportunity to regain their “sovereignty” in response to the collapse of donor funding, according to a new report on health financing compiled by Vital Strategies. Vital CEO Mary-Ann Etiebet described the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) fueled by these unhealthy products as a “burning […] Continue reading ->

Bloomberg Calls for RFK to be ‘Brought to Heel or Sent Packing’

23/07/2025 Kerry Cullinan

United States (US) Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr should promote public confidence in vaccines or be fired, according to Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, who has been the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Injuries since 2018. “Kennedy, who has no training […] Continue reading ->

‘It Will Not Work’: Leading Psychiatrist on the Pitfalls of Punitive Drug Policy

21/07/2025 Health Policy Watch

Canada’s struggle with substance use is more than a health issue—it’s a matter of language, policy, and public trust, said Dr. Kwame McKenzie in the latest episode of the Global Health Matters podcast with Dr. Garry Aslanyan. McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute and Director of Health Equity at Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental […] Continue reading ->

World Health Organization Advances Deep Staff Cuts – Unclear How Strategic Priorities Will be Reflected

10/07/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

The World Health Organization has reduced its global headcount by about 221 people since January, down to 9,231 as compared to 9452 at the start of January – largely through a termination of temporary contracts and a freeze in renewals. Most of the cutbacks have been at the Geneva Headquarters, WHO’s largest office, where […] Continue reading ->

After Ebola and Bombings, What Has the World Learned?

10/07/2025 Health Policy Watch

Dr Joanne Liu, a veteran humanitarian and former international president of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has seen the front lines of global health crises—from Ebola in West Africa to bombed-out hospitals in Afghanistan. But her message today is clear: “An imperfect solution is better than no solution.” Speaking on the Global Health Matters podcast, Liu […] Continue reading ->

Wellcome CEO Urges Global Health Rethink: ‘Science Alone Is Not Enough’

05/07/2025 Health Policy Watch

The world faces a global health funding crisis, but John-Arne Røttingen believes the solution goes beyond money. It lies in stronger partnerships between governments, researchers, and citizens. “Science is not enough to change the world,” said Røttingen, the newly appointed CEO of Wellcome, one of the world’s largest global health foundations. “It must be allied […] Continue reading ->

AI Could Be the Key to Closing Global Health Gaps—If Used Right, Experts Say

05/07/2025 Health Policy Watch

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 ->