US President-elect Donald Trump railed against “globalists” during his election campaign, and his victory will have serious ramifications for global health – particularly for action against climate change, scientific institutions and regulatory bodies, United Nations agencies and sexual and reproductive health. 1. Climate denial “We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump told the Republican National Convention […] Continue reading ->
In 2021, I lost a close friend to tuberculosis (TB), the world’s most lethal infection. But I cannot say anything else about this friend, where I met him or when we became close.  The stigma surrounding tuberculosis is too impenetrable and, unfortunately, it would not be fair to my friend’s family. Still, for me, his […] Continue reading ->
There is an urgent need for Africa to develop local manufacturing capabilities for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) so as to reduce reliance on imports, enhance healthcare outcomes, and stimulate economic growth. But innovative technologies and international partnerships can help stimulate African pharma growth, revolutionize API production, and ensure self-sufficiency across the continent in a post-pandemic […] Continue reading ->
This World Food Day (16 October), Chile provides solid evidence that mandatory warning labels that target products with high salt, sugar, saturated fat and calories have reduced consumers’ appetite for unhealthy products. Worldwide, countries are grappling with diets increasingly composed of ultra-processed products, which are associated with obesity and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  The proliferation […] Continue reading ->
Ten years ago, global health leaders came together to agree on the first-of-its-kind international Consensus Framework for ethical collaboration between patients’ organizations, healthcare professionals, and the pharmaceutical industry in support of quality patient care. Since then, the Framework has been adopted across countries worldwide and embedded in international initiatives. This Global Ethics Day, under the […] Continue reading ->
The recent CARICOM summit of Caribbean leaders has endorsed a new Afro-Caribbean Health and Development  (HeDPAC) initiative aimed at stimulating South-South collaboration on resilient health systems, health worker capacity building, and local medicines and vaccines manufacture.  The formal CARICOM Communiqué at the close of the Summit in Grenada invited its 15 member states and five […] Continue reading ->
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the risks of over-reliance on global supply chains for essential health products. Disruptions led to severe delays and shortages of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, with low- and middle-income countries bearing the brunt. Vaccine inequality starkly highlighted Africa’s vulnerability. Yet this crisis unveiled a unique opportunity for the continent: a chance to […] Continue reading ->