Novartis and the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP) have announced that they are “joining forces” to reduce child deaths from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by accelerating “the development and availability of generic antibiotic treatments for children in low- and middle-income countries,” according to a GARDP press release. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: GARDP.

BERLIN — Ten years after establishing the Berlin World Health Summit, the M8 alliance of medical institutes around the globe sees some noticeable progress in political commitment to the health agenda. “Gifts” presented at the opening ceremony yesterday in the German capital include the announcement of German Health Minister Jens Spahn to establish a Hub for Global Health and step up its financial contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) to 115 million euros over the next four years. The three-day summit also will receive a global action plan to catch up with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on health and well-being for all. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Monika Ermert.

BAD GASTEIN, Austria — People and institutions around the world may be unknowingly contributing to “the world’s number one cause of preventable death, via their pension funds,” according to Tobacco Free Portfolios, a global group working to cut off investment in tobacco products. And policymakers have a role to play, says the group’s CEO, Bronwyn King. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Tobacco Free Portfolios.

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — When Yusta Michael (not her real name) unintentionally fell pregnant in the first year of her university, she realised her dreams had been shattered. A hard-working student at the Institute of Social Welfare in Tanzania’s largest commercial city, Michael was aspiring to become a social worker and help addressing the plight of street children in the sprawling city. At three months pregnant, Michael decided to terminate the pregnancy because her boyfriend disowned it, and she didn’t want to disappoint her deeply religious parents. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Kizito Makoye.

The chief of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat, Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, told delegates from its 181 member states attending a Conference of the Parties meeting in Geneva (1-6 October) many governments have advanced tobacco control actions, but also noted some are lagging behind and warned that with astronomical budgets, the tobacco industry “continues their furious efforts” to undermine the implementation of the treaty. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: John Zarocostas.

By Dorli Kahr-Gottlieb, Secretary-General of the European Health Forum Gastein

For more than 20 years, every October, around 500 leading health experts from governmental institutions, civil society, the academic world, and the private sector meet up at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG). They meet to discuss Europe’s contemporary health challenges and address pressing issues around the sustainability of European health systems in a Davos like setting, in the presence of Ministers of Health and senior European Commission and WHO officials. This year’s edition of the EHFG, called simply “Gastein” by the cognoscente, is an official Austrian EU Presidency event. Over the three days, Gastein is not going to shy away from the big European political debates such as how much of a role Europe should play in shaping health policy; but also it is going to take on some of the big global health policy challenges. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: EHFG, EHFG.

In an effort to curb antimicrobial resistance and the looming disaster of a defenceless world against bacterial infection, three United Nations organisations have joined forces. The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, and the World Organization for Animal Health have been tasked to establish a global framework which would encourage the development of new antibiotics and the good management of current ones. This week, WHO member states and stakeholders are meeting to discuss a draft of the framework. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: WHO.