MUMBAI, India – Air pollution and heat are much worse together for human health than each of them alone, said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist at the World Health Organization, speaking at this week’s Mumbai Climate Week (MCW). Heat and air pollution were among the key regional priorities during the three-day event that brought […] Continue reading ->
Every $1 invested in the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) between 2000 and 2023 yielded $13 in monetised health benefits, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health this week. MMV is a not-for-profit product development partnership (PDP) that works with public and private sector partners to discover, develop and deliver accessible and […] Continue reading ->
The African Medicines Agency (AMA) called on the 24 African member states that are yet to ratify the AMA Treaty to “act without delay” at a meeting on the sidelines of last week’s African Union assembly in Addis Ababa. AMA aims to improve African countries’ capacity to regulate medical products, which will improve access to […] Continue reading ->
As the mandate of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus approaches its expiration in August 2027, the high-stakes manoeuvring for the next Director-General (DG) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has intensified in the halls of Geneva and capital cities worldwide. While the official call for nominations is expected in April 2026 and no candidate has formally […] Continue reading ->
Polio remains a public health emergency of international concern despite a continued decline in case numbers, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General report presented to the Executive Board. The report warns that progress toward eradication remains fragile. Some 38 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 had been reported globally by 22 October 2025, […] Continue reading ->
Ukraine and its front-line allies unleashed a storm of criticism over Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s energy and health infrastructure in WHO’s Executive Board meeting Wednesday – condemning the Russian Federation for “weaponizing winter to make cities go dark, hospitals fail and civilians suffer.” “Russia is systematically attacking healthcare and the civilian lifelines it depends […] Continue reading ->
“You start with, as in my case, with the loss of three generations of my family to various forms of Alzheimer’s or dementia.” Those were the words of George Vradenburg. For him, brain health is not an abstract policy issue. It is a lived reality that mirrors a fast-growing global crisis. This issue was the […] Continue reading ->
Global health organisations have reacted with anger to the new US foreign aid policy, which prohibits all aid recipients, bar military, from performing or promoting abortion, “gender ideology”, or “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI). “Catastrophic”, “bullying”, “draconian” and “ideologically driven” – are some of their reactions to the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) […] Continue reading ->
A controversial trial to examine various impacts of the hepatitis B vaccine on newborn babies in Guinea-Bissau has been “suspended or cancelled”, the country’s Health Minister, Quinhim Nanthote, told a media briefing convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday. This is despite recent assertions by the US Health […] Continue reading ->
STRASBOURG – The European Parliament backed the EU’s Critical Medicines Act (CMA) on Tuesday in a decisive move to secure Europe’s pharmaceutical supply chains from geopolitical shocks. With an overwhelming majority of 503 votes in favour, 57 against, and 108 abstentions, MEPs endorsed a sweeping industrial policy designed to re-shore the production of active ingredients […] Continue reading ->