With the annual United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP28, due to start at the end of the month, climate-vulnerable countries have reiterated that wealthy countries should cut down their carbon emissions, provide finance to vulnerable countries, and help with technology transfer so all countries can transition to a greener economy faster.  Meanwhile, recent meetings between […] Continue reading ->
In the worst week of air pollution in the Indian capital this winter, rural farm fires on average contributed to 25% of urban pollution concentrations. Hundreds of kilometres to the north, Punjab, the main source of the pollution, had missed a government-declared target to halve the number of seasonal crop stubble fires – although progress […] Continue reading ->
In anticipation of coming climate crises, developing countries should put in place “effective mechanisms in their domestic laws” that allow them to use the TRIPS flexibilities, asserted Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday. TRIPS flexibility refers to space allowed in the WTO’s Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) […] Continue reading ->
Amidst a global chorus calling for urgent action on climate change, major fossil fuel producers are doubling down on their plans to expand production, defying climate science and “throwing humanity’s future into question”, a UN report revealed on Wednesday. The report, compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with academic partners, scrutinized […] Continue reading ->
BLANTYRE, Malawi – Boyden Ndlovu of Mzimba district, one of Malawi’s tobacco growing districts located in the northern region says that his lifetime has been synonymous with tobacco farming. Tobacco has been a mainstay of Malawi’s economy, historically generating about 70% of export revenue and now accounting for over half – yet the country finally […] Continue reading ->
Snakebite is a complex and neglected issue that requires a multifactorial strategy, including conservation, community engagement, scientific research and robust healthcare delivery, according to experts who recently participated in a Global Health Matters podcast. In the most recent episode of Global Health Matters, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Fan Hui Wen and Thea Litschka-Koen, snakebite […] Continue reading ->
Within hours, the Delhi government closed schools and announced traffic and construction curbs, but experts are questioning whether the government is tackling the right causes. Meanwhile, a database reporting the contribution of pollution from farm fires has been discontinued by the national government. The air quality forecast remains bleak. Delhi’s air pollution suddenly got a […] Continue reading ->
  Heat is the deadliest of extreme weather events, and heat-related mortality could be 30 times higher than previously thought, killing 500,000 people annually between 2000 and 2019. Yet only half the world’s governments have heat warning services, less than a quarter (23%) of health ministries use meteorological information to monitor climate-sensitive health risks, and […] Continue reading ->
A group of international health organisations representing 46 million healthcare workers, has published an open letter to the COP28 president Dr Ahmed Al Jaber demanding an “end to the fossil fuel era” at the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Dubai (29 November-12 December). Al Jaber, is the United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced […] Continue reading ->