Africa is at a crossroads in its health journey – not simply because of shifting geopolitical dynamics or shrinking donor aid, although these are real challenges, but because we must confront a deeper structural flaw in how our health systems are designed. The continent, home to over 1.4 billion people and projected to house one […] Continue reading ->
The region of the Americas has seen eight times the number of yellow fever cases this year, compared to the same period in 2024. The vaccine-preventable, viral, mosquito-borne disease has surged as cases “spillover” from animals, according to a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) rapid risk assessment. Dense jungles in Colombia and Brazil have seen […] Continue reading ->
In Mongolia, where extreme winter cold spells, known as “Dzud”, are becoming more frequent due to climate change, these can spell death to people and animals. But in recent years, herders in remote regions can get up-to-date advance warnings of pending extremes, as well as detailed advice prompting them, for instance, to stock up on […] Continue reading ->
Cholera in Africa is being driven by years of under-investment in water and sanitation, according to the Africa Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Four countries – Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan and South Sudan – account for over 85% of the continent’s cholera cases and all have above-average death rates, […] Continue reading ->
Governments have been advised to impose ‘sin taxes’ on tobacco, alcohol and other unhealthy products to offset the severity of cuts to official development assistance (ODA), World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a tuberculosis meeting on Thursday. His statements came two days after the administration of US President Donald Trump […] Continue reading ->
CEO of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Dr Delese Mimi Darko has been appointed the inaugural Director-General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) by the agency’s Conference of State Parties (CoSP) at a meeting in Rwanda this week. Darko has a “wealth of experience and a distinguished track record in regulatory excellence”, according to […] Continue reading ->
Philanthropist Bill Gates announced on Monday that the majority of the $200 billion he plans to donate over the next 20 years will be spent in Africa. The focus will be “on partnering with governments that prioritise the health and wellbeing of their people”, Gates told government leaders, diplomats and partners during an address at […] Continue reading ->
Global temperatures are expected to remain near record levels over the next five years, and there is an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed 2024 as the warmest on record. This is the key takeaway from a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The temperature rise […] Continue reading ->
Adopting a pandemic agreement and securing a 20% increase in member states’ fees to support the World Health Organization (WHO) were the 78th World Health Assembly’s greatest achievements. “The words ‘historic’ and ‘landmark’ are overused, but they are perfectly apt to describe the adoption last Tuesday of the WHO pandemic agreement. Likewise, your approval of […] Continue reading ->
A new WHO Climate Change and Health Action plan was approved by a key World Health Assembly (WHA) Committee Tuesday evening – after hours of high-stakes, high-drama parliamentary maneuvers by a cluster of oil-rich World Health Organization (WHO) member states to shelve the plan failed. WHO member states accepted the original plan by a vote […] Continue reading ->