Access Battle for New Generation Obesity Drugs

04/04/2024 Zuzanna Stawiska

Demand for diabetes drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsis and Trulicity has soared since they have been clinically proven to help weight loss – but they are massively overpriced in the US and unavailable in most low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The mark-up for these drugs – called glucagon-like […] Continue reading ->

WHO Welcomes UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza Ceasefire – As Battles Rage Around Three Gaza Hospitals

25/03/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday welcomed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and the assurance of humanitarian aid in Gaza, and the immediate release of all hostages. The resolution, which passed with a vote of 14 in favor and the United States abstaining, was the first resolution to […] Continue reading ->

Challenging the Status Quo: Six Steps Towards Empowering Communities in Global Health

23/03/2024 Maayan Hoffman

What actions and strategies are required for countries and communities to have more agency in their health? This is the topic of the latest episode of the Global Health Matters “Dialogues” podcast series, in which host Dr. Garry Aslanyan tries to “blow up some of the echo chambers that exist in global health.” In this […] Continue reading ->

Pandemic Agreement Talks Stall as Delegates Disagree on Detail

22/03/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Negotiations for a pandemic agreement currently underway in Geneva have made little progress over the past four days, with member states still reading the current revised draft in plenary, and there is now talk of a further meeting in late April. Co-chairs of the process believe that the best way forward is for member states […] Continue reading ->

New WHO Report Finds Women Perform 76% of Unpaid Healthcare Activities

13/03/2024 Zuzanna Stawiska

Women perform an estimated 76% of all unpaid healthcare activities, according to a new WHO report on gender-based discrimination in healthcare. Globally, it has been estimated that women spend between two and ten times more time on unpaid health care work than men, amounting to a total of 16.4 billion hours per day. Further, in […] Continue reading ->

From Pandemics to AI: Unpacking the Forces Shaping Global Health Policies

17/02/2024 Maayan Hoffman

In the most recent episodes of the Global Health Matters podcast, host Dr Garry Aslanyan and his guests reflect on the forces and factors that shape the economic, social, and physical landscape affecting health for all. “The global policy landscape is changing more rapidly than ever due to the influence of pandemics, regional conflicts and […] Continue reading ->

EXCLUSIVE: Read Latest Pandemic Agreement Draft Ahead of Monday’s Negotiations

15/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Health Policy Watch has obtained portions of the latest draft of the pandemic agreement that member states will negotiate over at the eighth intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) starting on Monday, 19 February. At the time of publishing, only member states had access to the draft, although a number of civil society organisations recognised as stakeholders […] Continue reading ->

Without Ensuring Swift Access to Pathogens, Pandemic Accord Risks Failure

13/02/2024 Thomas B. Cueni

A wide array of stakeholders are looking toward the upcoming World Health Assembly this May to conclude negotiations on a new pandemic accord that seeks to make the world more prepared for the next pandemic. And most would agree that the primary task of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established by the World Health Assembly […] Continue reading ->

‘Team Europe’ Agreements Boost Africa’s Pandemic Preparedness

06/02/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Europe’s Health Emergency Response Agency (HERA) has pledged €6 million to assist the Africa Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) to scale up sequence-based disease surveillance and laboratory capacity on the continent. This was announced by Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, at the start of a three-day meeting between the African […] Continue reading ->

Poland Urges WHO Pandemic Accord Delay Amid Political Strife at Board Meeting Over Gaza and Ukraine

26/01/2024 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

Poland on Thursday suggested that it might be better to delay the approval of a new World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic accord, beyond the planned May 2024 deadline – so as to get to an “ambitious, clear and consistent” agreement. The Polish trial balloon seemed to break ranks with the drumbeat of recent statements by […] Continue reading ->