The Gates Foundation is investing $2.5 billion in research and development (R&D) on women’s health over the next five years, focusing primarily on maternal care and sexual health. This comes amid a massive defunding of global health led by the United States, which is threatening progress in key areas such as maternal health, sexual and […] Continue reading ->
The proportion of the world’s population suffering acute hunger declined globally in 2024 to about 673 million people, but continued to rise in most African regions as well as western Asia, according to the new UN State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI) report, launched Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Global hunger levels have remained […] Continue reading ->
With declining global spending on health, as the world prepares to observe International Nurses Day, Monday 12 May, there is renewed urgency to build health systems that respond to the needs of nurses and the people they serve. Investing in nurses yields high returns. It improves maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and outbreak response […] Continue reading ->
Women’s groups and human rights organisations have raised the alarm about an African anti-rights conference taking place this weekend in Uganda, followed by another next week in Nairobi, featuring prominent US conservatives, aimed at developing “an African charter on family sovereignty and values”. Previous conferences have been used to mobilise for anti-LGBTQ laws and promote […] Continue reading ->
Maternal mortality rates have dropped by 40% since 2000, largely due to improved access to essential health services. But WHO officials warn that the recent, deep cuts to international aid could be as disruptive as the COVID-19 pandemic, if not more so, to a woman’s chances of surviving pregnancy and childbirth. And in 2023, more […] Continue reading ->
“The poison of patriarchy is back and is back with a vengeance,” United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres told the opening of the annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN in New York on Monday. The CSW takes place amid a major global backlash against women’s rights, from […] Continue reading ->
Access to contraception must be lowered to allow teenage girls to make informed decisions about their bodies, relationships, and futures, say key African health stakeholders – including sexual and reproductive health workers and advocates. But are policymakers ready to adopt this change – particularly as the debate over sexual and reproductive health rights becomes ever […] Continue reading ->
Most infant formulas in the United States contain a high percentage of added sugars instead of natural lactose, “jeopardizing” infant health and development, says researchers at the University of Kansas in a new analysis of commonly marketed formulas. “Infants may consume upwards of 60 grams of added sugars per day, or the equivalent of two […] Continue reading ->
Indian doctors held a 24-hour national strike over the weekend to protest the rape and murder of a young female doctor in a hospital in Kolkata, demanding better protection for health workers. Around one million health workers were estimated to have supported the strike. Some junior doctors remain on strike, saying that they will not […] Continue reading ->
Africa has the highest rate of suicide in the world, and the lowest per capita spending on mental health – with critical shortages, in particular, of community health workers and facilities that could help prevent many mental health conditions from becoming even more severe. Two recent high-profile suicides in Tanzania have cast a stark spotlight […] Continue reading ->