The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs appears set to delay any consideration this year of a recent World Health Organization recommendation to reschedule the status of cannabis and cannabis-related substances from “particularly dangerous” to a less dangerous category – with no timeline indicated for when the Commission might actually take up the contentious issue. Image […] Continue reading ->
UNAIDS urged UN member states convening today in Vienna for the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs to enact sweeping reforms of policies towards injecting drug users, most of whom lack critical access to basic “harm reduction” services that could prevent them from becoming infected with HIV. Continue reading ->
UN Environment today released its sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6), assessing the state of the environment over the last five years. The report highlights studies published in the scientific press last year estimating that the health benefits of reducing air pollution would be 1.4 to 2.5 times greater than the costs of mitigation. Savings between […] Continue reading ->
Italy’s Minister of Health spoke out publicly today at a press conference in Rome on the proposed World Health Assembly resolution on drug price transparency, while an open letter published on the Ministry’s website called on other World Health Organization member states to support the initiative. Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization today launched a new influenza strategy that takes a more holistic approach to protecting people worldwide from deadly flu threats. The Global Influenza Strategy 2019-2030 aims to address both seasonal prevention and control of influenza, as well as preparedness for future pandemics, while building the capacity of countries to respond to […] Continue reading ->
The African content is one step closer to its first medicine and health super-regulator. The treaty to establish an African Medicine Agency (AMA), meant to govern medical product regulation for the entire continent, was endorsed by the African Union Heads of State and Government on 11 February, according to a press release following the 32nd AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Continue reading ->
Global health expenditure is rising worldwide, and the pace is most rapid in low- and middle-income countries where growth in all forms of spending (public, private and donor aid) is now averaging 6% annually as compared to 4% in high-income countries, according to a World Health Organization report released today. Continue reading ->
Italian Health Minister Giulia Grillo has proposed that sweeping reforms be considered by the World Health Organization and its member states to increase global transparency of drug prices -- which may be unaffordable to most people in the developing world and increasingly costly for patients and health systems in high-income countries. Continue reading ->
Universal health coverage, access to medicines, and noncommunicable diseases are priorities for Switzerland in global health policy. Amb. Nora Kronig Romero is the head of the International Affairs Division and Vice Director General of the Federal Office of Public Health, as well as Swiss Ambassador for Global Health. She sat down with Health Policy Watch while in Geneva last week for the meeting of the World Health Organization Executive Board, which Switzerland attended as an observer to the governing board comprised of 34 WHO member states. Continue reading ->
With a united voice that World Health Organization Board members agreed last week on a draft resolution for the preparation of a United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on universal health coverage in the fall, following intensive closed consultations. The United States, however, dissociated itself from language it thought gave a permissive view of abortion. Continue reading ->