BERLIN – Global life expectancy rose again in 2023 after a decline during the COVID pandemic with overall life expectancy 20 years higher as compared to 1950.  But North America and Latin America are seeing higher death rates among adolescents and young adults due to a crisis in mental health – reflected in higher rates […] Continue reading ->
NEW YORK – Although chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are the third leading cause of death globally, there remains a ‘mismatch’ between impact and action, said a group of global health leaders and experts on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly. “There is a mismatch between the disease [impact] from CRD and the action against […] Continue reading ->
NEW YORK CITY – A painstakingly negotiated Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases with overwhelming support from UN member states failed to win formal endorsement at a special High Level Session of the General Assembly (GA) Thursday – after the United States torpedoed its adoption by consensus. The last minute moves means that the draft declaration […] Continue reading ->
On 25 September, world leaders will gather at the United Nations for the Fourth High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). It comes at a pivotal moment: funding for global health has plummeted, while NCDs like heart disease, cancer and diabetes continue to claim 75% of all lives lost worldwide. This amid recent efforts to water […] Continue reading ->
WHO’s 2025 Essential Medicines Lists (EML), published Friday, has included the active ingredients in popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy –  semaglutide or other comparable  GLP-1 receptor agonists – in a recommendation that recognizes the growing importance of the drugs in clinical treatment of diabetes worldwide.  These drugs, as well as new PD-1/PD-L1 […] Continue reading ->
For the first time since the 1990s, the World Health Organization has been asked by member states to update its assessment on the health impacts of nuclear war, although not without significant resistance, led by Russia and North Korea, but also including many other major nuclear states.  The resolution calling for an updated assessment of […] Continue reading ->