The World Health Organization (WHO) has slowed the pace on the development of a Global Plan of Action to advance the health of indigenous peoples globally, with the Executive Board voting on Thursday to delay the plan’s final consideration until May 2027. The draft strategy aims to address the stark health inequities faced by many […] Continue reading ->
Global health organisations have reacted with anger to the new US foreign aid policy, which prohibits all aid recipients, bar military, from performing or promoting abortion, “gender ideology”, or “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI). “Catastrophic”, “bullying”, “draconian” and “ideologically driven” – are some of their reactions to the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) […] Continue reading ->
Grassroots organising, using the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and creating new multilateral coordination are some of the ways to counter the current attack on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), according to activists. There is a “rise of unapologetic, unabashed, hegemonic masculinity and really harmful gender stereotypes,” Paola Salwan Daher, Women Deliver’s senior director […] Continue reading ->
The $9.4 billion package agreed to by the US Senate and House Appropriations Committees, is more than double the $3.7 billion requested by the Trump Administration, and signals bipartisan support for maintaining significant global health aid – although the package still must be approved by both Senate and House, and could also be vetoed by […] Continue reading ->
A new WHO review has reaffirmed that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism, based on an examination of more than 25 years of studies scoping for possible linkages. There is no causal link, either, between vaccines containing preservatives such as thimerosal or aluminium and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the review by the Global Advisory Committee on […] Continue reading ->
The movie “Belén”, Argentina’s submission for the 2026 Oscars, tells the story of a 26-year-old woman who suffered a miscarriage in a hospital in Tucuman province in 2014 and was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2016 after being convicted of procuring an illegal abortion. Her case sparked a nationwide campaign to decriminalize abortion, […] Continue reading ->
Why the collapse of the wall between science and ideology at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) threatens national health security, and vulnerable communities. I have spent most of my professional life in public health, from my work in HIV and meningitis prevention in commercial sex venues in New York City to […] Continue reading ->
In August 2025, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali removed all taxes and customs duties on feminine hygiene products. Now, Guyana’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva calls on other countries to follow suit. In most developing countries male condoms are distributed freely. Free access to condoms is a globally recognized harm reduction strategy in public health. […] Continue reading ->
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is transferring the majority of its Geneva jobs to Rome, in the latest wave of upheaval to hit the city and longtime global health hub, as UN agencies scramble to respond to international aid cuts and save money. A UNICEF spokeperson confirmed on Friday that some 290 jobs would […] Continue reading ->
Noma Bolani has a clear memory of her abusive father stopping the car in the middle of the highway in Durban, South Africa and asking her mother to get out. She was just six years old, but Bolani followed her mother out of the car, and together they sought help from a passing motorist. Bolani […] Continue reading ->