ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK – The oxygen mask slipped from three-month-old Ahmad Zaid’s face. He was in his father’s arms, in front of a closed Israeli military gate blocking the road between Deir Ammar refugee camp, northwest of Ramallah, where the family lives, and the city of Ramallah, with a hospital the family was desperate to […] Continue reading ->
A new CDC research center aims to better understand the possible health effects of those 21 years or younger at the time of their 9/11 exposure. For the past two decades, the World Trade Center (WTC) health program has pioneered research exploring the health effects of people exposed to the toxic dust and trauma of […] Continue reading ->
World leaders recommitted to reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030 at the United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Road Safety this week – including by introducing measurable national targets, timelines and budgets. However, the United States voted against the UN consensus progress declaration adopted on Monday afternoon, while all […] Continue reading ->
As the war in Ukraine grinds into its fifth year, the systematic destruction of healthcare infrastructure is accelerating, with strikes targeting hospitals, ambulances, and medical workers surging by nearly 20 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to a statement by the World Health Organization Europe region (WHO/EURO) released on Tuesday. The cumulative […] Continue reading ->
For nearly three decades, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognised violence as a major public health concern. Since the landmark World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution of 1996, violence has been framed not only as a cause of injury and death, but as a driver of long-term physical, psychological, and social harm, as well as […] Continue reading ->
The publication of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first “Global Status Report on Rehabilitation” has been effectively paused after the Executive Board concluded that the proposed methodology for measuring progress failed to capture the complex realities of health systems, particularly those in conflict zones. In a politically charged debate on Thursday, member states argued that […] 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 ->
Canada’s struggle with substance use is more than a health issue—it’s a matter of language, policy, and public trust, said Dr. Kwame McKenzie in the latest episode of the Global Health Matters podcast with Dr. Garry Aslanyan. McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute and Director of Health Equity at Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental […] Continue reading ->
Encephalitis “remains under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and underfunded”, according to a new policy report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Climate change, vaccine hesitancy, and the rising burden of vector-borne diseases are also fuelling an increased number of encephalitis cases, a rare but serious inflammation of the brain. The technical document urges coordinated global action to “confront […] Continue reading ->
The voices of the children’s choir echoed in the conference hall as a reminder that more than one billion children who experience some form of violence each year. Their performance was part of the historic first high-level ministerial conference to end violence against children in Bogota late last week, which brought together government delegations, children, […] Continue reading ->