I sought to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) because the rules of intelligence are becoming the rules of health. My name will not be on the ballot. The responsibility remains. I will now work to organise the political and economic power needed to put intelligence at the service of humanity – and to keep […] Continue reading ->
International development lenders committed $4.7 billion in 2024 to projects aimed explicitly at reducing air pollution, less than 1% of all international development finance, according to an annual analysis published Tuesday by the Clean Air Fund (CAF). That was up 58% from $3.0 billion in 2023, nearly matching the 2022 peak of $4.8 billion. A […] Continue reading ->
Nearly three in four maternal healthcare workers say extreme heat-related complications among pregnant women have increased over the past five years, according to a five-country survey released as climate ministers gathered in Fiji for the last major meeting before COP31. The poll of 1,001 obstetricians, midwives, nurses and other maternity staff in Australia, Brazil, India, […] Continue reading ->
Rural farm fires and Diwali fireworks likely to trigger pollution emergencies in northern India during late autumn and early winter, despite the rollout of new pollution control measures in the capital city territory. DELHI, India – As India braces for the winter smog season, Delhi has announced a pollution mitigation plan for the expected peak […] Continue reading ->
World leaders on Thursday approved the first United Nations declaration on sea level rise, affirming that nations losing land to the ocean will keep their statehood and maritime rights, as a new UN report warned that up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050. Championed by small island states, the declaration affirms a […] Continue reading ->
Following the statutory WHO nomination deadline for the next Director-General, six candidates have now been publicly declared on the agency’s prospective candidate page. While oncologist Dr Gevorg Tamamyan has been proposed in a cross-regional nomination by Botswana, sources with knowledge of the process said Gavi CEO Dr Sania Nishtar was reportedly not nominated by Pakistan. […] Continue reading ->
New research found that after the US administration suspended its embassy air pollution monitoring initiative, air pollution increased by 23-33%, particularly in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where reliable monitoring data is scarce. The US’s abrupt shutdown of its embassy air pollution monitoring program in 2025 hit regions with little publicly available data the hardest, […] Continue reading ->
Climate change and deforestation have intensified wildfires in the Amazon. Volunteer brigades have become an essential part of integrated fire management. The loud crackles of burning twigs are the first to hit. Then, the scorched smell. Soon afterwards, columns of white and yellow smoke emerge, so thick they look solid. On the ground, flames as […] Continue reading ->
With Thursday’s 24 September deadline looming, international scientific societies and civil society leaders are pushing Spain to sponsor a last-minute nomination of Dr María Neira as candidate in the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General election. Neira is WHO’s former Director for Environment, Climate Change and Health, and her nomination has been endorsed by Nobel Peace […] Continue reading ->
Record heat in August this year has made it the joint warmest month alongside July 2023. It was also the first month since November 2025 when global temperatures were 1.65°C higher than the pre-industrial level baseline, shooting the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C yet again. In its latest update, Copernicus, the […] Continue reading ->