ISLAMABAD – Prior to the dwindling of foreign aid, a network of hundreds of Afghan midwives was delivering much-needed support to women at their doorsteps in the devastated nation that now faces breakdown. Now, as Afghanistan grapples with the freeze of its assets in international institutions and shortages of foreign funds with the rise to […] Continue reading ->
Afghanistan’s health system is on the brink of collapse and the country faces “an imminent humanitarian catastrophe,” the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. Only 17% of the facilities of the country’s largest health project, Sehetmandi, are still fully functional as they have run out of funds for supplies and salaries for health staff. […] Continue reading ->
Many children in the global south are drinking more sugary drinks than milk – thanks to the aggressive promotion of ultra-processed food to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the past two decades. Global obesity and diabetes rates have exploded as a result of dietary changes, and these conditions have made people far more vulnerable […] Continue reading ->
The Results Report published by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria last week illustrates how COVID-19 has pushed us off track in significant ways – particularly with respect to access to tuberculosis (TB) and HIV diagnoses and treatment. But at the same time, there is better news with respect to the battle […] Continue reading ->
Iconic places across the world will be lit up in orange on World Patient Safety Day on Friday to highlight the global campaign to reduce preventable deaths in childbirth and pregnancy and deliver safe maternal and newborn care. The International Alliance of Patients’ Organisation (IAPO), which I lead, and the alliance we are a member […] Continue reading ->
Africa has the highest entrepreneurship rate in the world, yet greater financial resources are needed to ensure that innovation can be implemented to strengthen health systems and the welfare of health workers, said panellists at an innovation award ceremony on Thursday. The Africa Young Innovators for Health Award, co-organised by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical […] Continue reading ->
The current COVID-19 vaccines are effective enough against severe disease in the general population that boosters are “not appropriate” even for the Delta variant, according to an expert review by an international group of scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international universities. The review, which looked […] Continue reading ->
The leading international organization for suicide prevention has called for the decriminalization of suicide – as well as greater investment by countries in suicide prevention, including greater restrictions on access to common suicide tools such as toxic pesticides and firearms. The appeals, by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed by the World […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for its global moratorium on COVID-19 boosters to be extended until the end of the year to enable vaccines to be directed to countries that have not yet been able to reach their vulnerable citizens. “A month ago, I called for a global moratorium on booster doses at […] Continue reading ->
Over a third of the world’s countries – 37% – have either not created or are not enforcing legally mandated ambient air quality standards (AAQS), according to a new report released by the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP). The report, “First Global Assessment of Air Pollution Legislation” assesses national air quality legislation in 194 states […] Continue reading ->