The World Health Organization’s (WHO) vast European region – 53 countries, including the entire European Union, Russia and even Israel – is often excluded from cheaper medicine deals because of member states’ high- and middle-income status. But one of the flagship programmes of WHO regional director Dr Hans Kluge is the Novel Medicines Platform (NMP), […] 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 ->
Some 300 million people have been protected from becoming smokers in the 15 years since WHO launched the ‘MPOWER’ package of recommended policies for reducing smoking prevalence in countries worldwide, declared Kelly Henning, of Bloomberg Philanthropies, at a press conference in Geneva this week.  She was speaking at a WHO briefing launching the 2023 WHO […] Continue reading ->
With a political declaration on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on the agenda of the World Health Assembly, we unpack the WHO’s  “Best Buys” that provide countries with tools to address the diseases that are responsible for three-quarters of global deaths Health Policy Watch: The WHO’s “Best Buys” to prevent and control NCDs comprise 90 interventions, which […] Continue reading ->
LEIDEN – Pandemic preparedness rests on having a robust surveillance system to identify health threats – something that is still “rudimentary” in many African countries, says Professor Salim Abdool Karim, a South African infectious diseases epidemiologist. Describing monkeypox as a threat to health security in Africa, Karim said that it was important that health services […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – Despite pushback Monday from many WHO member states, including the 47-member ‘Africa Group’, Loyce Pace, US Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services remains “hopeful we may reach consensus” on reforming international health emergency rules at the World Health Assembly this week.  The proposal backed by Australia, […] Continue reading ->