African Leaders Declare End of Aid Era at Nairobi World Health Summit, But The Data Tell a More Complicated Story 29/04/2026 Stefan Anderson African leaders opened the World Health Summit Regional Meeting at the United Nations complex in Nairobi this week with a unified declaration that two decades of dependence on foreign aid for health is over. “The challenge that I see is that many of the leaders in our continent believe that it is somebody else’s responsibility. […] Continue reading -> Pandemics Are Not Just Biological Crises 12/04/2026 Health Policy Watch People typically think of pandemics in terms of their biological consequences, but science journalist Laura Spinney argues that their impact is shaped just as much by human behaviour and language. On a recent episode of “Dialogues,” part of the Global Health Matters podcast series, Spinney joined host Garry Aslanyan to discuss the lessons of the […] Continue reading -> War in Iran Threatens Helium Supplies for the World’s MRI Machines 06/04/2026 Stefan Anderson The gas that keeps hospital MRI scanners running has been caught in the crossfire of the war in Iran, raising the prospect of diagnostic delays, rising costs and rationing of one of modern medicine’s most important imaging tools. Roughly a quarter of all helium consumed worldwide goes toward cooling the superconducting magnets inside MRI scanners. […] Continue reading -> More Countries Refer to Refugees in Health Policies, but Access and Data Gaps Persist 30/03/2026 Stefan Anderson More than 60 countries now include refugees and migrants in their national health policies, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report tracking progress on commitments first set out by the World Health Assembly in 2019. The finding, drawn from a survey of 93 member states, is the first systematic count of how countries […] Continue reading -> Why Africa Wants to Lead its own Health Research Agenda 31/01/2026 Health Policy Watch In the latest episode of Trailblazers with Garry, Garry Aslanyan visits Accra, Ghana, to speak with Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary General of the African Research Universities Alliance. Gyapong took on the role in 2024, leading efforts to strengthen research collaboration across African universities. His work focusses on building capacity within the continent and supporting […] Continue reading -> 2025: A Brutal Year for Global Health 28/12/2025 Editorial team This has been a brutal year for global health, with shock cuts in development aid to countries most in need; a knock-on budget crisis for United Nations (UN) agencies; widespread humanitarian crises, extensive disease outbreaks, and mounting climate-related health challenges. Health Policy Watch (HPW) has provided daily coverage of developments, and our reporters were often […] Continue reading -> New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Pandemics Are Not Just Biological Crises 12/04/2026 Health Policy Watch People typically think of pandemics in terms of their biological consequences, but science journalist Laura Spinney argues that their impact is shaped just as much by human behaviour and language. On a recent episode of “Dialogues,” part of the Global Health Matters podcast series, Spinney joined host Garry Aslanyan to discuss the lessons of the […] Continue reading -> War in Iran Threatens Helium Supplies for the World’s MRI Machines 06/04/2026 Stefan Anderson The gas that keeps hospital MRI scanners running has been caught in the crossfire of the war in Iran, raising the prospect of diagnostic delays, rising costs and rationing of one of modern medicine’s most important imaging tools. Roughly a quarter of all helium consumed worldwide goes toward cooling the superconducting magnets inside MRI scanners. […] Continue reading -> More Countries Refer to Refugees in Health Policies, but Access and Data Gaps Persist 30/03/2026 Stefan Anderson More than 60 countries now include refugees and migrants in their national health policies, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report tracking progress on commitments first set out by the World Health Assembly in 2019. The finding, drawn from a survey of 93 member states, is the first systematic count of how countries […] Continue reading -> Why Africa Wants to Lead its own Health Research Agenda 31/01/2026 Health Policy Watch In the latest episode of Trailblazers with Garry, Garry Aslanyan visits Accra, Ghana, to speak with Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary General of the African Research Universities Alliance. Gyapong took on the role in 2024, leading efforts to strengthen research collaboration across African universities. His work focusses on building capacity within the continent and supporting […] Continue reading -> 2025: A Brutal Year for Global Health 28/12/2025 Editorial team This has been a brutal year for global health, with shock cuts in development aid to countries most in need; a knock-on budget crisis for United Nations (UN) agencies; widespread humanitarian crises, extensive disease outbreaks, and mounting climate-related health challenges. Health Policy Watch (HPW) has provided daily coverage of developments, and our reporters were often […] Continue reading -> New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
War in Iran Threatens Helium Supplies for the World’s MRI Machines 06/04/2026 Stefan Anderson The gas that keeps hospital MRI scanners running has been caught in the crossfire of the war in Iran, raising the prospect of diagnostic delays, rising costs and rationing of one of modern medicine’s most important imaging tools. Roughly a quarter of all helium consumed worldwide goes toward cooling the superconducting magnets inside MRI scanners. […] Continue reading -> More Countries Refer to Refugees in Health Policies, but Access and Data Gaps Persist 30/03/2026 Stefan Anderson More than 60 countries now include refugees and migrants in their national health policies, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report tracking progress on commitments first set out by the World Health Assembly in 2019. The finding, drawn from a survey of 93 member states, is the first systematic count of how countries […] Continue reading -> Why Africa Wants to Lead its own Health Research Agenda 31/01/2026 Health Policy Watch In the latest episode of Trailblazers with Garry, Garry Aslanyan visits Accra, Ghana, to speak with Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary General of the African Research Universities Alliance. Gyapong took on the role in 2024, leading efforts to strengthen research collaboration across African universities. His work focusses on building capacity within the continent and supporting […] Continue reading -> 2025: A Brutal Year for Global Health 28/12/2025 Editorial team This has been a brutal year for global health, with shock cuts in development aid to countries most in need; a knock-on budget crisis for United Nations (UN) agencies; widespread humanitarian crises, extensive disease outbreaks, and mounting climate-related health challenges. Health Policy Watch (HPW) has provided daily coverage of developments, and our reporters were often […] Continue reading -> New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
More Countries Refer to Refugees in Health Policies, but Access and Data Gaps Persist 30/03/2026 Stefan Anderson More than 60 countries now include refugees and migrants in their national health policies, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report tracking progress on commitments first set out by the World Health Assembly in 2019. The finding, drawn from a survey of 93 member states, is the first systematic count of how countries […] Continue reading -> Why Africa Wants to Lead its own Health Research Agenda 31/01/2026 Health Policy Watch In the latest episode of Trailblazers with Garry, Garry Aslanyan visits Accra, Ghana, to speak with Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary General of the African Research Universities Alliance. Gyapong took on the role in 2024, leading efforts to strengthen research collaboration across African universities. His work focusses on building capacity within the continent and supporting […] Continue reading -> 2025: A Brutal Year for Global Health 28/12/2025 Editorial team This has been a brutal year for global health, with shock cuts in development aid to countries most in need; a knock-on budget crisis for United Nations (UN) agencies; widespread humanitarian crises, extensive disease outbreaks, and mounting climate-related health challenges. Health Policy Watch (HPW) has provided daily coverage of developments, and our reporters were often […] Continue reading -> New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Why Africa Wants to Lead its own Health Research Agenda 31/01/2026 Health Policy Watch In the latest episode of Trailblazers with Garry, Garry Aslanyan visits Accra, Ghana, to speak with Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary General of the African Research Universities Alliance. Gyapong took on the role in 2024, leading efforts to strengthen research collaboration across African universities. His work focusses on building capacity within the continent and supporting […] Continue reading -> 2025: A Brutal Year for Global Health 28/12/2025 Editorial team This has been a brutal year for global health, with shock cuts in development aid to countries most in need; a knock-on budget crisis for United Nations (UN) agencies; widespread humanitarian crises, extensive disease outbreaks, and mounting climate-related health challenges. Health Policy Watch (HPW) has provided daily coverage of developments, and our reporters were often […] Continue reading -> New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
2025: A Brutal Year for Global Health 28/12/2025 Editorial team This has been a brutal year for global health, with shock cuts in development aid to countries most in need; a knock-on budget crisis for United Nations (UN) agencies; widespread humanitarian crises, extensive disease outbreaks, and mounting climate-related health challenges. Health Policy Watch (HPW) has provided daily coverage of developments, and our reporters were often […] Continue reading -> New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
New Flu Strain Sweeping Europe Says WHO; but Vaccines Remain Effective, ECDC Finds 19/12/2025 Felix Sassmannshausen Sudden fever, a severe cough and acute respiratory distress are the familiar onset symptoms of seasonal flu, which has affected WHO’s European Region with unusual intensity and speed this year. As the Northern Hemisphere enters winter, health systems are struggling to manage an epidemic driven by an aggressive, genetically mutated influenza strain A(H3N2) subclade K. […] Continue reading -> Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Experts Outline How To Strengthen Trusted Health Knowledge Worldwide 21/11/2025 Maayan Hoffman Global health knowledge is expanding faster than ever, but so are confusion and inequity over who can access trustworthy information and use it to improve their lives. In a live recorded discussion at the World Health Summit in Berlin, featured in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary of the Africa Leaders […] Continue reading -> One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
One in Three Women Globally Has Faced Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence During their Lifetime 19/11/2025 Disha Shetty Nearly 840 million women, or roughly one in every three globally, has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and six other United Nations (UN) partner agencies. In the past 12 months alone, 11% or 316 million women who […] Continue reading -> EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts