Outbreak Threats, Geopolitical Divides and Financial Crises Hover Over 79th World Health Assembly 18/05/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As the World Health Assembly opens on Monday in Geneva, it will have to grapple with shrinking global health budgets, new outbreak threats, including a new WHO declaration of a public health emergency in Africa over an Ebola virus strain that lacks any vaccine, and an increasingly fractured geopolitical space with deep disputes over Iran, […] Continue reading -> Global Health Needs More than Money – Philanthropy Can Amplify Impacts 14/05/2026 Anil Soni Philanthropy can help make every dollar deliver more impact. I often think about a boy I met in Kajiado County, Kenya. He was the same age as my son, but half his weight. A World Health Organization (WHO) colleague measured the circumference of his arm to confirm what was already painfully clear: he was severely […] Continue reading -> Ghana Rebuffs US Health Deal – But South Africa and Zambia Struggle Without Aid 29/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Ghana has become the latest African country to reject the United States’ terms for bilateral health assistance, particularly the requirement to share sensitive health data, according to Reuters. Late last year, Zimbabwe rejected US terms for health assistance, particularly the demand to share pathogen data without any “corresponding guarantee of access to any medical innovations […] Continue reading -> Record ODA Cuts: Top Donors Slash Aid as Global Health Risks Grow 10/04/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Historic declines in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have set international aid back a decade, prompting civil society warnings that the ODA cuts will further devastate funding for global health, education and social protection. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released preliminary data showing total global aid fell by 23.1% in real terms during […] Continue reading -> Trump Administration Nominates USDA Official to Lead World Food Programme 09/04/2026 Sophia Samantaroy The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues. “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading -> WHO Contractor Killed in Gaza by Israeli Fire in Murky Circumstances 07/04/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization said it was “investigating” the circumstances around the Israeli shooting of a WHO contractor driving a vehicle in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Monday. Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, a WHO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny Israeli military claims that the vehicle […] Continue reading -> Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Global Health Needs More than Money – Philanthropy Can Amplify Impacts 14/05/2026 Anil Soni Philanthropy can help make every dollar deliver more impact. I often think about a boy I met in Kajiado County, Kenya. He was the same age as my son, but half his weight. A World Health Organization (WHO) colleague measured the circumference of his arm to confirm what was already painfully clear: he was severely […] Continue reading -> Ghana Rebuffs US Health Deal – But South Africa and Zambia Struggle Without Aid 29/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Ghana has become the latest African country to reject the United States’ terms for bilateral health assistance, particularly the requirement to share sensitive health data, according to Reuters. Late last year, Zimbabwe rejected US terms for health assistance, particularly the demand to share pathogen data without any “corresponding guarantee of access to any medical innovations […] Continue reading -> Record ODA Cuts: Top Donors Slash Aid as Global Health Risks Grow 10/04/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Historic declines in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have set international aid back a decade, prompting civil society warnings that the ODA cuts will further devastate funding for global health, education and social protection. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released preliminary data showing total global aid fell by 23.1% in real terms during […] Continue reading -> Trump Administration Nominates USDA Official to Lead World Food Programme 09/04/2026 Sophia Samantaroy The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues. “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading -> WHO Contractor Killed in Gaza by Israeli Fire in Murky Circumstances 07/04/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization said it was “investigating” the circumstances around the Israeli shooting of a WHO contractor driving a vehicle in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Monday. Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, a WHO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny Israeli military claims that the vehicle […] Continue reading -> Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Ghana Rebuffs US Health Deal – But South Africa and Zambia Struggle Without Aid 29/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Ghana has become the latest African country to reject the United States’ terms for bilateral health assistance, particularly the requirement to share sensitive health data, according to Reuters. Late last year, Zimbabwe rejected US terms for health assistance, particularly the demand to share pathogen data without any “corresponding guarantee of access to any medical innovations […] Continue reading -> Record ODA Cuts: Top Donors Slash Aid as Global Health Risks Grow 10/04/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Historic declines in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have set international aid back a decade, prompting civil society warnings that the ODA cuts will further devastate funding for global health, education and social protection. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released preliminary data showing total global aid fell by 23.1% in real terms during […] Continue reading -> Trump Administration Nominates USDA Official to Lead World Food Programme 09/04/2026 Sophia Samantaroy The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues. “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading -> WHO Contractor Killed in Gaza by Israeli Fire in Murky Circumstances 07/04/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization said it was “investigating” the circumstances around the Israeli shooting of a WHO contractor driving a vehicle in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Monday. Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, a WHO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny Israeli military claims that the vehicle […] Continue reading -> Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Record ODA Cuts: Top Donors Slash Aid as Global Health Risks Grow 10/04/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Historic declines in Official Development Assistance (ODA) have set international aid back a decade, prompting civil society warnings that the ODA cuts will further devastate funding for global health, education and social protection. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released preliminary data showing total global aid fell by 23.1% in real terms during […] Continue reading -> Trump Administration Nominates USDA Official to Lead World Food Programme 09/04/2026 Sophia Samantaroy The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues. “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading -> WHO Contractor Killed in Gaza by Israeli Fire in Murky Circumstances 07/04/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization said it was “investigating” the circumstances around the Israeli shooting of a WHO contractor driving a vehicle in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Monday. Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, a WHO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny Israeli military claims that the vehicle […] Continue reading -> Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Trump Administration Nominates USDA Official to Lead World Food Programme 09/04/2026 Sophia Samantaroy The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues. “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading -> WHO Contractor Killed in Gaza by Israeli Fire in Murky Circumstances 07/04/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization said it was “investigating” the circumstances around the Israeli shooting of a WHO contractor driving a vehicle in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Monday. Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, a WHO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny Israeli military claims that the vehicle […] Continue reading -> Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
WHO Contractor Killed in Gaza by Israeli Fire in Murky Circumstances 07/04/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The World Health Organization said it was “investigating” the circumstances around the Israeli shooting of a WHO contractor driving a vehicle in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Monday. Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, a WHO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny Israeli military claims that the vehicle […] Continue reading -> Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Devastating Sudan Hospital Attack Disrupts Medical Care, Deepens Humanitarian Crisis 25/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Millions of civilians in Sudan have lost their primary access to medical care following a lethal drone attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr. The death toll from the 20 March assault has risen to 70, with 146 people now documented as injured, according to the […] Continue reading -> Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Attacks on Healthcare: Devastating New Norm as Hotspots Like Sudan Are Overlooked 20/03/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The year 2025 saw significant declines in the number of attacks on healthcare worldwide asa compared to 2024, but events still remain at record high levels in comparison to previous years, said a leading civil society group that tracks incidents last week in Geneva. This grim reality took centre stage at a seminar organized by […] Continue reading -> Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Deepening Middle East Conflict Displaces Millions; Threatens Water and Air Quality 13/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The deepening conflict across the Middle East has displaced nearly 3.2 million people in Iran, according to new estimates by UNHCR, as well as nearly 800,000 people in Lebanon, mostly in the southern region, according to a new WHO situation report. After the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March firing barrages […] Continue reading -> Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Unlocking the Power of the Private Sector for Stronger Health Systems 06/03/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As USAID programmes funding vital treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and other critical needs were imploding across Africa last year, a for-profit social enterprise startup geared up for its first real test. Using medicines procurement as its lever, the Swiss-based startup Axmed called for a radical reboot of national systems — to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts