New research found that after the US sdministration suspended its embassy air pollution monitoring initiative, air pollution increased by 23-33%, particularly in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where reliable monitoring data is scarce. The US’s abrupt shutdown of its embassy air pollution monitoring program in 2025 hit regions with little publicly available data the hardest, […] Continue reading ->
The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading ->
A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading ->
There have been documented decreases in female genital mutilation (FGM) rates in West Africa – declines not granted by governments, but fought for community by community by survivors, activists, and even former practitioners.  In July 2025, that fight produced a landmark ruling: the ECOWAS Court of Justice found that Sierra Leone’s failure to protect girls […] Continue reading ->
The lethality of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is not just in its genome. Neither is it entirely explained by the country’s internal instability and defunded, broken health infrastructure. Have we allowed the virus to outsmart us by overlooking past lessons? The signs around the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak indicate […] Continue reading ->
A new three-dose vial presentation of the maternal RSV vaccine received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, unlocking large-scale distribution across lower-income countries. The decision enables global health alliances to introduce affordable immunisation during pregnancy, protecting newborns from severe respiratory disease. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the second leading cause of infant […] Continue reading ->