The International Health Regulations are in need of reform, experts say – to create a more nuanced system of alerting the public about international health emergencies that goes beyond the existing yes-no decision, and to improve compliance to IHR laws by member states during such outbreaks. A high level panel of experts reviewed key concerns […] Continue reading ->
Governments are falling behind in the battle against a “global epidemic” of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), say two new reports by the World Health Organization and the NCD Alliance, launched on the first day of a Global NCD Alliance Forum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Many countries are stalled in implementing basic prevention policies, such as reducing […] Continue reading ->
WHO member states were locked away in late-night negotiations over the shape of a proposed new WHO roadmap for reducing harmful alcohol consumption. A group of member states, led by Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Sri Lanka and Thailand, have been pressing the WHO Executive Board (EB) to support the rapid development of a tough new WHO […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s Executive Board tackled two big issues today – primary health care, a cornerstone of WHO’s Universal Health Coverage platform, and cancer, the world’s second leading cause of premature deaths. In a comprehensive report released on World Cancer Day, WHO outlined an action plan that could save 7 million lives from cancer […] Continue reading ->
With some 4.2 million deaths worldwide from outdoor air pollution, and many or most cities in low- and middle-income countries failing to meet World Health Organization air quality guidelines, it’s clear that reducing air pollution’s huge death toll needs rapid action by urban centers. But officials and administrators of fast-growing municipalities often lack the right […] Continue reading ->
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared Wednesday at a World Economic Forum (WEF) side event hosted by The Economist Events, and supported by tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI), Health Policy Watch has learned. The Davos stage was not the first prestige event in Switzerland to which PMI has recently attached its name. In […] Continue reading ->
“Creaking health systems” are among the leading risks faced by the global community, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks 2020 Report. People live longer, but health gains have also plateaued in recent decades. Threats from longstanding infections as well as those from emerging diseases pose a double set of challenges. Along with that, […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s Director-General called on global and national leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to increase their national healthcare spending by an average of 1% of National Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A 1% GDP increase in spending would inject more than US $200 billion a year into community-based primary […] Continue reading ->
The failed 2019 UN Climate Conference in Madrid ended in mid-December just about when the massive wildfire destruction of Australia’s bushlands was beginning. The wildfires that broke shortly afterward took the form of a Gaia-like revenge. Australia, along with the United States, Japan and Brazil, had been among the countries that had blocked real progress […] Continue reading ->
Mental Health – Among The ‘Most Neglected’ Of Neglected Tropical Disease Issues, Says DNDi Scientist
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) can lead to physical disfiguration, stress and stigmatization, which leave lifelong impacts on the mental health of many of those infected, even after the disease itself is cured. As the health community prepares to mark the first-ever World NTD Day on 30 January, Nathalie Strub-Wourgaft, director of Neglected Tropical Diseases at […] Continue reading ->