Growing up in Bangladesh where several infectious diseases transmitted by helminths (worms) take a large health toll, Tilak Chandra Nath has always been fascinated with the challenges of addressing diseases of poverty. During his postgraduate training as a TDR-supported fellow at the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Indonesia in 2016, he studied parasitic diseases, focusing […] Continue reading ->
When nursing graduates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) receive their hard-earned diplomas, they’re no longer cheered on only by proud family members and university faculty. “The recruiters pitch up on the nurses’ graduation day in our country,” one delegate told me at the recent World Health Assembly (WHA). It’s a striking image: nurses, newly […] Continue reading ->
As many as 65 million people in over a dozen Southern and Eastern African countries from Mozambique to Ethiopia are facing unprecedented challenges with food security, extreme weather events and conflict, UN officials say. The crises disproportionately affect women, who are already in a more vulnerable situation due to their gender, said Lydia Zigomo, UN […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board on Tuesday voted to recognize the US-based Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) as a non-state actor “in official relations” with it, in a motion carried by a narrow 17-13 margin, with four abstentions. After multiple rounds of voting, the final vote was by way of a secret ballot. […] Continue reading ->
With the first-ever malaria vaccines rolling out across Africa and a next-generation tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in testing, scientific advances are driving an unparalleled expansion of vaccine development. But vaccines in development don’t become immunizations that protect our health without concerted efforts by global initiatives like Gavi, the vaccine alliance, that help bring these life-saving products […] Continue reading ->
A  bitter debate over proposed WHO recognition of a non-profit center for reproductive health rights, erupted in full force at the WHO Executive Board on Monday – after a tumultuous week of the World Health Assembly where member states largely skirted the increasingly contentious issue of sexual and reproductive health rights. The proposal by the […] Continue reading ->
Costa Rica’s and Malawi’s ministers of health, along with global health and policy experts, gathered in Geneva to discuss self-care. At an event organized by the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF), participants advocated for a World Health Organization (WHO) resolution on self-care. Costa Rica, Egypt, and Malawi, the three countries that co-hosted the event, are working […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s 77th World Health Assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday calling on countries to bolster maternal and child health by expanding universal healthcare and strengthening primary healthcare, as progress in reducing maternal and child deaths has stagnated globally. The resolution, led by Somalia, commits countries to tackle the leading causes of maternal […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – Cardiometabolic diseases, a group of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, are on the rise globally, threatening life expectancy gains and burdening vulnerable economies with excess healthcare costs. These diseases already contribute to over 30% of global deaths each year. With one billion people now living […] Continue reading ->