DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – African leaders and global financial institutions have launched a landmark $40 billion Africa Energy Fund to fast-track investments in renewable energy and bridge the continent’s persistent financing gap. Reliance on dirty cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal causes an estimated 600,000 premature deaths annually across Africa. The World Bank […] Continue reading ->
DAVOS – With populations ageing and mental health disorders at a record high, halting the global “pandemic” of brain disorders needs to be a paramount concern of industry – as well as the global health community. What is needed is a global effort spawning a “healthy brain economy” for the future, reflecting the same sense […] Continue reading ->
The health risks posed by air pollution in the 23 Asian countries sandwiched between Russia and Australia have been analysed together for the first time – and over 3.4 million deaths occurred in this area in 2021, representing 40% of global air pollution deaths. These countries include India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, excluding […] Continue reading ->
Last week’s nomination hearing of Lee Zeldin, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shed little light on how he would chart the future of PFAS and other “forever chemicals” regulation. President Donald Trump began action on his pledges to deregulate environmental protections, promote fossil fuel production, and withdraw from the […] Continue reading ->
DAVOS, Switzerland – While the United States decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization has thrown the world of global health into turmoil, former US Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy remains hopeful that a “more thoughtful” conversation can be held with the new US Administration of President Donald Trump once the political dust has settled. […] Continue reading ->
Smoke from at least three fires in Los Angeles has caused unhealthy and hazardous air quality, causing school closures and official warnings. “In my lifetime I have not seen something this destructive,” said Rachel Ibrahim, a student at the University of Californina, Los Angles (UCLA). Forced to leave campus as the fires raced within five […] Continue reading ->
YADRAV, India – Farmworker Balaso Salokhe predicts the severity of his asthma by observing the sky around him. “In the past four years, my health has deteriorated so much that I avoid travelling outside my village,” he shares. During this time, he was hospitalised six times. Every time, the severity of his asthma worsened. Salokhe, […] Continue reading ->
The year 2024 is set to be the warmest year on record, the United Nations’ (UN) weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said in an end-year statement on 30 December. This year caps a decade of unprecedented heat fuelled by human activities, the WMO said. “In my first year as WMO Secretary-General, I have […] Continue reading ->
In April 2022, amidst the continuing uproar of the COVID pandemic, four deans of schools of public health from the USA, China, Switzerland and Singapore, first got on a call with each other to see how they could ramp up cooperation – remotely. Barred by lockdowns from the usual academic meetings and conferences, the urge […] Continue reading ->
New evidence shows that one in four deaths between 2009 and 2019 is linked to PM 2.5, one of the most dangerous pollutants commonly monitored. NEW DELHI – In November Delhi recorded its worst day of air pollution since 2019. As concerned citizens expressed outrage, authorities scrambled for answers – and it seems that the […] Continue reading ->