The Networks that Shape the Early Digital Campaigns for WHO Director-General Election 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> Ebola Outbreak Shows Signs of Containment in Northeastern DRC – Still Expanding Elsewhere 16/09/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak is showing early signs of containment in the Ituri province in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it first surfaced in April. But in North Kivu province, to the south, cases are still rising fast, with weekly cases nearly doubling over the past two weeks, […] Continue reading -> When Harm Hides in Hospital: Messaging and the Medicalisation of Female Genital Mutilation 15/09/2026 Famia Nkansa, Bintu Mansaray & Frances Wurie 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Lessons: Learned and Unlearned (Part I) 14/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila 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 -> Multi-Dose RSV Vaccine Wins WHO Backing, Paving Path to Protect Millions of Infants 11/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Ebola Outbreak Shows Signs of Containment in Northeastern DRC – Still Expanding Elsewhere 16/09/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher The Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak is showing early signs of containment in the Ituri province in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it first surfaced in April. But in North Kivu province, to the south, cases are still rising fast, with weekly cases nearly doubling over the past two weeks, […] Continue reading -> When Harm Hides in Hospital: Messaging and the Medicalisation of Female Genital Mutilation 15/09/2026 Famia Nkansa, Bintu Mansaray & Frances Wurie 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Lessons: Learned and Unlearned (Part I) 14/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila 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 -> Multi-Dose RSV Vaccine Wins WHO Backing, Paving Path to Protect Millions of Infants 11/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
When Harm Hides in Hospital: Messaging and the Medicalisation of Female Genital Mutilation 15/09/2026 Famia Nkansa, Bintu Mansaray & Frances Wurie 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Lessons: Learned and Unlearned (Part I) 14/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila 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 -> Multi-Dose RSV Vaccine Wins WHO Backing, Paving Path to Protect Millions of Infants 11/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
DRC’s Ebola Lessons: Learned and Unlearned (Part I) 14/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila 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 -> Multi-Dose RSV Vaccine Wins WHO Backing, Paving Path to Protect Millions of Infants 11/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Multi-Dose RSV Vaccine Wins WHO Backing, Paving Path to Protect Millions of Infants 11/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Namibia Rejects US Demands for Data and Pathogen-Sharing 02/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Namibia has rejected the United States’ demands for sharing health data and pathogen information during negotiations for renewed US support for its HIV programme, according to The Namibian newspaper. In the past few years, the country has received around $45 million a year in support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), […] Continue reading -> South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
South Africa Grapples With The Promise and Price of Injectable Lenacapavir to Prevent HIV 30/08/2026 Kerry Cullinan The antiretroviral medicine lenacapavir, delivered via injection every six months, is almost completely effective in preventing HIV. But it is expensive at present, and millions will need to be initiated on it every year to make a dent on HIV transmission in South Africa. CAPE TOWN – South Africa has the biggest population of people […] Continue reading -> New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
New TB vaccines are moving closer. Is Africa ready? 27/08/2026 Stephen Mutinda Mule African scientists, institutions and communities are helping advance the development of new TB vaccines. Governments must now work together to prepare national systems, secure fair pricing and ensure scientific progress leads to timely and equitable access. When I visited the University of Cape Town Lung Institute and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) in […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts