The “Kick Big Soda Out!” campaign launched on July 8, 2024 ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics and ran through the end of the Paralympics. It’s all about holding sugary drinks companies – especially Coca-Cola – accountable for their impact on health and the environment. To discuss the campaign, Health Policy Watch spoke to Trish […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) received $1.7 billion in new pledges of financial support at the G20 meeting this week, taking the total of voluntary pledges so far to $3.8 billion for the coming four years. With this, the WHO has met 53% of its investment requirement for its 2025–2028 strategy, in WHO parlance, the 14th […] Continue reading ->
The director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is “back to work” following an overnight stay in a Rio hospital during his trip to the G20 summit, the WHO chief said Thursday. The reason for the hospital visit, first reported by the Brazilian paper O Globo, was not disclosed in a statement […] Continue reading ->
The way in which WHO is financed is “fundamentally rotten” with excessive financial dependence on just a handful of rich countries and a few private donors. But Germany’s deputy head of global health in the Ministry of Health, Björn Kümmel, is hopeful that WHO member states may turn course in coming months – and reclaim […] Continue reading ->
For the second time in as many years, WHO member states have voted down a proposal by Israel to remove a standalone item from the agenda of the 74th World Health Assembly – devoted exclusively to a report on health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian territories – and consider it as part of WHO’s overall […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to make its engagement with non-state actors (non-state actors) more meaningful and efficient with a new proposal to establish a number of NSA fora that would allow exchange with WHO and member state representatives outside of official meetings. The new proposal — which will be tested during the 74th […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 has led to the suspension of polio campaigns in more than 30 countries, and has underscored the importance of the mission to eradicate it, tackle antimicrobial resistance, and ensure the timely sharing of pathogens, said WHO member states at Monday’s Executive Board session. Throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, member states reviewed and discussed […] Continue reading ->
Discussions on WHO’s state of financing were addressed by member states during the on-going Executive Board meeting. As we reported last week, WHO is keen on defining independence and sustainability of its financing to be better prepared to address emergencies in the future. We spoke to Björn Kümmel, Deputy Head of Unit, Global Health, German Federal Ministry […] Continue reading ->
WHO needs to focus more work on limiting gender-based violence, increase its programmatic emphasis on healthy diets and lifestyles, and contribute to renewed momentum on climate action, said WHO member states at Friday’s Executive Board session. The member states were reviewing the WHO Director General’s report on “social determinants of health” – in light of […] Continue reading ->
Ten African countries, supported by China, have appealed to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support increased local production of medicines, vaccines and other health products – to improve their access and drive down prices, according to a draft resolution presented to WHO’s Executive Board Friday. Ethiopia, supported by nine other African countries – eSwatini, […] Continue reading ->