With 10 Days of Talks Left, It’s ‘Now or Never’ for Pandemic Agreement 17/02/2025 Kerry Cullinan “It’s now or never,” World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyussus told the start of the 13th round of talks on a pandemic agreement on Monday morning. Five days of talks are scheduled this week with another five days scheduled in April. Thereafter, the plan is for an agreement to be presented […] Continue reading -> Landmark Vaccine Deals Signal Africa’s Shift Toward Local Manufacturing 14/02/2025 Paul Adepoju In a breakthrough moment for Africa’s vaccine independence, two landmark deals could help put the continent on a path to becoming a producer, not just a buyer, of life-saving vaccines. For the first time, an end-to-end mRNA vaccine production platform will be built in Africa, with plans to manufacture 100 million doses annually. A separate […] Continue reading -> Federal Judge Orders Halt to USAID Work Stoppage; New CDC Data Reflects Silent Avian Flu Spread 14/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher A coalition of American non-profit, legal and small business groups welcomed a federal judge’s temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the Trump Administration’s executive order freezing virtually all USAID activities – followed by a “stop work” order on the agency by new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ruling Thursday evening in a Washington DC […] Continue reading -> China Has Invested Heavily in Rwanda’s Healthcare and USAID’s Closure Opens More Doors for Chinese Influence 14/02/2025 Kerry Cullinan KIGALI, Rwanda – Behind blue scaffolding walls marked “China Aid for shared future”, a massive expansion of Masaka District Hospital is underway. The hospital will expand from 330 to at least 830 beds, and it is destined to become the country’s top teaching hospital, with completion set for July. China has provided a $42 million […] Continue reading -> US Funding Freeze Hits Mpox Response in DRC; Ebola Trial Progresses in Uganda 13/02/2025 Paul Adepoju As Africa battles a relentless mpox outbreak, a sudden freeze in United States foreign aid is crippling containment efforts, threatening vaccine distribution, and leaving the hardest-hit regions scrambling for solutions, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday. In conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the outbreak, […] Continue reading -> Robert F Kennedy Jr Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary on a 52-48 Vote 13/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services – with most Republicans setting aside concerns about his long record of vaccine hesitancy as well as skepticism of scientific research on infectious diseases. Republic Senator Mitch McConnell, himself a polio […] Continue reading -> From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Landmark Vaccine Deals Signal Africa’s Shift Toward Local Manufacturing 14/02/2025 Paul Adepoju In a breakthrough moment for Africa’s vaccine independence, two landmark deals could help put the continent on a path to becoming a producer, not just a buyer, of life-saving vaccines. For the first time, an end-to-end mRNA vaccine production platform will be built in Africa, with plans to manufacture 100 million doses annually. A separate […] Continue reading -> Federal Judge Orders Halt to USAID Work Stoppage; New CDC Data Reflects Silent Avian Flu Spread 14/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher A coalition of American non-profit, legal and small business groups welcomed a federal judge’s temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the Trump Administration’s executive order freezing virtually all USAID activities – followed by a “stop work” order on the agency by new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ruling Thursday evening in a Washington DC […] Continue reading -> China Has Invested Heavily in Rwanda’s Healthcare and USAID’s Closure Opens More Doors for Chinese Influence 14/02/2025 Kerry Cullinan KIGALI, Rwanda – Behind blue scaffolding walls marked “China Aid for shared future”, a massive expansion of Masaka District Hospital is underway. The hospital will expand from 330 to at least 830 beds, and it is destined to become the country’s top teaching hospital, with completion set for July. China has provided a $42 million […] Continue reading -> US Funding Freeze Hits Mpox Response in DRC; Ebola Trial Progresses in Uganda 13/02/2025 Paul Adepoju As Africa battles a relentless mpox outbreak, a sudden freeze in United States foreign aid is crippling containment efforts, threatening vaccine distribution, and leaving the hardest-hit regions scrambling for solutions, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday. In conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the outbreak, […] Continue reading -> Robert F Kennedy Jr Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary on a 52-48 Vote 13/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services – with most Republicans setting aside concerns about his long record of vaccine hesitancy as well as skepticism of scientific research on infectious diseases. Republic Senator Mitch McConnell, himself a polio […] Continue reading -> From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Federal Judge Orders Halt to USAID Work Stoppage; New CDC Data Reflects Silent Avian Flu Spread 14/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher A coalition of American non-profit, legal and small business groups welcomed a federal judge’s temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the Trump Administration’s executive order freezing virtually all USAID activities – followed by a “stop work” order on the agency by new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ruling Thursday evening in a Washington DC […] Continue reading -> China Has Invested Heavily in Rwanda’s Healthcare and USAID’s Closure Opens More Doors for Chinese Influence 14/02/2025 Kerry Cullinan KIGALI, Rwanda – Behind blue scaffolding walls marked “China Aid for shared future”, a massive expansion of Masaka District Hospital is underway. The hospital will expand from 330 to at least 830 beds, and it is destined to become the country’s top teaching hospital, with completion set for July. China has provided a $42 million […] Continue reading -> US Funding Freeze Hits Mpox Response in DRC; Ebola Trial Progresses in Uganda 13/02/2025 Paul Adepoju As Africa battles a relentless mpox outbreak, a sudden freeze in United States foreign aid is crippling containment efforts, threatening vaccine distribution, and leaving the hardest-hit regions scrambling for solutions, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday. In conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the outbreak, […] Continue reading -> Robert F Kennedy Jr Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary on a 52-48 Vote 13/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services – with most Republicans setting aside concerns about his long record of vaccine hesitancy as well as skepticism of scientific research on infectious diseases. Republic Senator Mitch McConnell, himself a polio […] Continue reading -> From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
China Has Invested Heavily in Rwanda’s Healthcare and USAID’s Closure Opens More Doors for Chinese Influence 14/02/2025 Kerry Cullinan KIGALI, Rwanda – Behind blue scaffolding walls marked “China Aid for shared future”, a massive expansion of Masaka District Hospital is underway. The hospital will expand from 330 to at least 830 beds, and it is destined to become the country’s top teaching hospital, with completion set for July. China has provided a $42 million […] Continue reading -> US Funding Freeze Hits Mpox Response in DRC; Ebola Trial Progresses in Uganda 13/02/2025 Paul Adepoju As Africa battles a relentless mpox outbreak, a sudden freeze in United States foreign aid is crippling containment efforts, threatening vaccine distribution, and leaving the hardest-hit regions scrambling for solutions, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday. In conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the outbreak, […] Continue reading -> Robert F Kennedy Jr Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary on a 52-48 Vote 13/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services – with most Republicans setting aside concerns about his long record of vaccine hesitancy as well as skepticism of scientific research on infectious diseases. Republic Senator Mitch McConnell, himself a polio […] Continue reading -> From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
US Funding Freeze Hits Mpox Response in DRC; Ebola Trial Progresses in Uganda 13/02/2025 Paul Adepoju As Africa battles a relentless mpox outbreak, a sudden freeze in United States foreign aid is crippling containment efforts, threatening vaccine distribution, and leaving the hardest-hit regions scrambling for solutions, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday. In conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the outbreak, […] Continue reading -> Robert F Kennedy Jr Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary on a 52-48 Vote 13/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services – with most Republicans setting aside concerns about his long record of vaccine hesitancy as well as skepticism of scientific research on infectious diseases. Republic Senator Mitch McConnell, himself a polio […] Continue reading -> From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Robert F Kennedy Jr Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary on a 52-48 Vote 13/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services – with most Republicans setting aside concerns about his long record of vaccine hesitancy as well as skepticism of scientific research on infectious diseases. Republic Senator Mitch McConnell, himself a polio […] Continue reading -> From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
From Mpox to Influenza – USAID Collapse and CDC Blackout Upend WHO Response to Deadly Outbreaks 12/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher From the deadly mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the composition of the next seasonal flu vaccine, the collapse of USAID and the US CDC communications blackout are creating new challenges for WHO and its partners to respond in disease emergency hotspots – well beyond the direct loss of financial support. That […] Continue reading -> National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
National Institutes of Health Move to Slash $9 Billion in US Biomedical Research Funding Provokes Outcry 11/02/2025 Sophia Samantaroy WASHINGTON, DC – The abrupt decision by the United States National Institutes of Health to slash funding for overheads to the nation’s research centers and universities has provoked a fresh outcry among leading US researchers, global health experts and even some Republican politicians – with leading one expert saying this latest move could “seriously jeopardize” […] Continue reading -> China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
China’s 2026 WHO Fee Could Match US Levels Today – But Beijing Resists Planned Increase 10/02/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher China’s assessed contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) would increase by more than $50 million – from $87.586 million in 2025 to $137.828 million in 2026 if WHO member states approve another 20% step-wise contribution from all countries at the May World Health Assembly (WHA). That would be even larger than the US contribution […] Continue reading -> Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment of Health Effects of Nuclear Weapons 08/02/2025 Stefan Anderson Russia has rejected a World Health Organization initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era explosions. The opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones,” […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts