Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading ->
The United States plans to cut its health funding to 18 countries by 59% of pre-2025 levels by 2030, according to a Public Citizen and Partners In Health analysis of the bilateral agreements the US has signed with these countries. The bilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed as part of the ‘America First Global […] Continue reading ->
Undermining vaccines, failing pregnant black women, threatening to remove black children with ADHD from their parents – these were some of the barrage of questions put to United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr when he appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. Kennedy was testifying about […] Continue reading ->
The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues. “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading ->
Unprecedented reductions in international aid have served as a powerful catalyst for long-overdue global health reform, according to a comprehensive new report published by the Wellcome Trust on Wednesday. The extensive synthesis of five regional dialogues involving 114 countries reveals that sweeping financial pullbacks from traditional funders are forcing a fundamental restructuring of international medical […] Continue reading ->
The $9.4 billion package agreed to by the US Senate and House Appropriations Committees, is more than double the $3.7 billion requested by the Trump Administration, and signals bipartisan support for maintaining significant global health aid – although the package still must be approved by both Senate and House, and could also be vetoed by […] Continue reading ->
Kenya’s High Court suspended the implementation of the country’s Memorandum of Understanding with the United States on Thursday after two separate court challenges by the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) and local Senator Okiya Omtatah. COFEK argues that the agreement contravenes Kenya’s Data Protection Act, Digital Health Act, Health Act, and new data regulations that […] Continue reading ->
Global leaders pledged US$ 1.9 billion to advance polio eradication on Monday, including a new $1.2 billion commitment by the Gates Foundation. The pledges, made on the margins of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, reduce the remaining budget gap for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) to just $440 million through 2029. That’s in comparison by […] Continue reading ->
Dr Mike Ryan, director of the World Health Organization’s emergency response division, held his final press conference Friday in Geneva after eight years leading the UN health agency’s response to global health crises from war and famine to disease outbreaks. In his farewell remarks, Ryan warned of an “era of collapsed funding” following the Trump […] 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 ->