WHA delegates spent over 10 hours in diplomatic maneuvers, debates and painful rollcount votes Friday, finally approving two measures that decried the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in sharply different, and sometimes  contradictory terms.   One motion co-sponsored by a coalition of Algeria, Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, Egypt and other Middle Eastern allies, condemns “indiscriminate attacks” by […] Continue reading ->
After two years of intensive negotiations – including long nights this week – the World Health Assembly (WHA) finally passed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR)  and committed to completing pandemic agreement talks within a year.  After failing to agree on the amendments before WHA opened on Monday, member states have been racing to […] Continue reading ->
The fight against malaria is facing a new and urgent challenge as climate change and extreme weather events threaten to undermine decades of progress, according to warnings from several countries at the 77th World Health Assembly this week. “Recent extreme weather events such as flooding in Malawi and other countries have intensified malaria transmission, disproportionately […] Continue reading ->
At the 77th World Health Assembly, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, urged nations to prioritize vaccinating “zero-dose” children, particularly those in regions affected by humanitarian crises and complex emergencies. These children have not received any shots, putting them at a higher risk of preventable diseases. “We are scaling up routine immunization and reaching the estimated 14.3 […] Continue reading ->
Costa Rica’s and Malawi’s ministers of health, along with global health and policy experts, gathered in Geneva to discuss self-care. At an event organized by the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF), participants advocated for a World Health Organization (WHO) resolution on self-care. Costa Rica, Egypt, and Malawi, the three countries that co-hosted the event, are working […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s 77th World Health Assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday calling on countries to bolster maternal and child health by expanding universal healthcare and strengthening primary healthcare, as progress in reducing maternal and child deaths has stagnated globally. The resolution, led by Somalia, commits countries to tackle the leading causes of maternal […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – A resolution aimed at strengthening countries’ capacity to deal with “natural hazards” faced unexpected opposition over gender-related terminology at the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Thursday. This is despite the urgency of countries adapting their health services to address extreme weather events, which are becoming more common globally thanks to climate change. The […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged stakeholders in the health sector to collaborate in reorienting health systems towards a primary healthcare approach, a key priority in helping more people access universal health coverage (UHC). The organization has also called on countries to increase domestic spending on health and for banks to fund climate and […] Continue reading ->