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 ->
Grassroots organising, using the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and creating new multilateral coordination are some of the ways to counter the current attack on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), according to activists. There is a “rise of unapologetic, unabashed, hegemonic masculinity and really harmful gender stereotypes,” Paola Salwan Daher, Women Deliver’s senior director […] Continue reading ->
When I first stepped into a maternity unit in a government hospital in Sierra Leone as a Seed Global Health midwife educator, I was met by a group of student midwives from different training institutions. Mostly women, some held onto their notebooks and avoided eye contact. Many were transitioning from nursing into midwifery, while others […] Continue reading ->
MUMBAI, India – Cervical cancer kills more than 75,000 women in India each year, according to figures recently disclosed in Parliament – yet it is one of the most preventable cancers. In India, low human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage, limited access to routine screening and deep-rooted social behaviours – such as early marriage and […] Continue reading ->
A new treatment has been approved for gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is increasingly developing resistance to all current antibiotics. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of zoliflodacin to treat uncomplicated gonorrhoea on Friday, following the publication in The Lancet of the results of a phase 3 trial of […] Continue reading ->
A new WHO review has reaffirmed that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism, based on an examination of more than 25 years of studies scoping for possible linkages. There is no causal link, either, between vaccines containing preservatives such as thimerosal or aluminium and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the review by the Global Advisory Committee on […] Continue reading ->
The movie “Belén”, Argentina’s submission for the 2026 Oscars, tells the story of a 26-year-old woman who suffered a miscarriage in a hospital in Tucuman province in 2014 and was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2016 after being convicted of procuring an illegal abortion. Her case sparked a nationwide campaign to decriminalize abortion, […] Continue reading ->
One in six people of reproductive age will be affected by infertility, yet health services to address this are “severely limited” and largely funded out-of-pocket, according to the first ever global guideline on the issue by the World Health Organization (WHO). “In some settings, even a single round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) can cost […] Continue reading ->
Millions of girls miss school each month when they menstruate, as their families cannot afford sanitary pads or tampons – something that a Geneva-based diplomatic effort is seeking to address. Ambassador Matthew Wilson of Barbados described improving access to menstrual as a “global moral imperative” at a meeting of diplomats this week. “[Caribbean] surveys show […] Continue reading ->
In August 2025, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali removed all taxes and customs duties on feminine hygiene products. Now, Guyana’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva calls on other countries to follow suit. In most developing countries male condoms are distributed freely. Free access to condoms is a globally recognized harm reduction strategy in public health. […] Continue reading ->