Argentina’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Carlos Mario Foradori, affirms his country will remain involved with WHO’s regional arm, PAHO,

Although Argentina is withdrawing from the World Health Organization’s global body, it intends to remain an active member in WHO’s regional affiliate, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO),  the country’s representative told the WHO Executive Board on Friday. 

His comments came in the course of a discussion on the legal and policy impacts of Argentina’s declaration in February 2025 that it would leave WHO, following that of the United States last January. Argentina’s official notice, made in March, is due to be discussed at the May World Health Assembly along with the United States withdrawal. 

But the two countries are in somewhat different legal positions vis a vis any WHA response.  In terms of Argentina, there is no explicit provision in WHO’s  Constitution for member states to withdraw, with the exception of the United States, which reserved that right explicitly when it joined in 1948. As for the United States, the US also owes WHO some $260.6 million in unpaid dues for 2024-2025, on which WHA member states could feasibly demand payment before its withdrawal is legally “accepted.”   See related story.

Stars and Stripes No Longer Flying at WHO – But US Can’t Really Leave Until Dues are Paid, Agency Says

Argentina will continue to abide by International Health Regulations on Emergencies

Regardless of the formalities, Argentina’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Carlos Mario Foradori, affirmed that the country would continue to abide by International Health Regulations whereby WHO must be notified of an infectious disease outbreak of epidemic potential. 

“We will not be isolated from the world. We will continue to respect all the rules that exist. We cooperate very closely with the Pan American Health Organization, and we will strengthen this even further,” Foradori said, adding that PAHO’s Director Jarbas Barbosa, is in fact visiting Argentina next week. 

“And it should be clear to the whole membership that we’re not leaving this world. To be very clear, as was mentioned, the pandemic knows no borders, and as a Western civilized country, we understand that we need to respect rules, and work with the whole world.”  Some WHO observers called out Foradori’s reference to a “western civilized country” was as a slight on non-western regions of the world.

So far, the US also has remained in PAHO, of which it was a founding member, and whose existence predates the 1948 formation of WHO by nearly half a century. Historically, the US is also PAHO’s largest funder. 

However, currently the US owes PAHO some 78.5 million in unpaid dues for the 2024-25 fiscal year, and a total of $136.5 million including 2026 dues. In August, meanwhile, the White House ordered cuts in some $45 million to already approved PAHO allocations in protest over a now-discontinued PAHO programme supporting the deployment of Cuban doctors to rural areas of Brazil at sub-market wages and with Cuba’s government reaping financial benefits.  See related story: 

Pan American Health Organization Targeted in New Round of US Funding Cuts

This week’s Congressional passage of a $9.42 billion global health appropriations bill , meanwhile, contained no explicit mention of funding to PAHO. And so it remains to be seen the cutbacks previously ordered by the White House are indeed implemented – as well as how PAHO will be funded for 2026. 

Legally, PAHO is an anomaly amongst WHO’s six regional offices insofar as it operates with its own budget and decision-making structure as a semi-autonomous entity – even though it also serves as a WHO Regional Office. This anomaly, in turn, opens up the unique possibility for nations in the Americas to retain their affiliation with PAHO as a regional organization, whilst disassociating themselves from WHO as a global body.  

No clear way forward on response to member states that withdraw 

Costa Rica’s delegate at the EB was one of several member states that expressed regret at Argentina’s withdrawal from WHO.

The EB discussion did not yield a unanimous recommendation on whether the World Health Assembly should actively ‘accept’ Argentina’s withdrawal – or how to respond to the US withdrawal at a time when Washington stills owe WHO some $360 million in past dues. 

While many WHO member states at the EB meeting stressed that countries had the sovereign right to determine whether they remain in an international organization – others stressed the legal complexities around the issue and the need for further consideration before the WHA must take a position in May.    

Ultimately, the EB agreed to pass onto the WHA a draft resolution co-sponsored by Argentina and Israel, calling on WHO member states to formally acknowledge Argentina’s withdrawal. But some leading member states reserved their final position, asking for further legal analysis and clarification. 

“Argentina’s notification of withdrawal raises numerous issues that do require careful consideration,” said Australia’’s delegate.

Said Switzerland, “We hear that there are still different legal, political, technical questions on the conditions and the implication in this context, on this agenda. ..We would all benefit from additional clarity for the WHA to be able to take an informed decision.”

A report submitted to this Executive Board meeting has already has laid out the key issues relateld to the withdrawal of both Argentina and the US. Effectively, there is no legal provision in the WHO Constitution for a member state to withdraw  – with the exception of the United States, which made that right an explicit condition of its joining in 1948, WHO’s paper notes. 

At the same time, Argentina and other member states argued that broader international legal principles guarantee a country the sovereign right to determine its affiliations in multilateral organizations like WHO.

Australia, Costa Rica, Zimbabwe and other member states also expressed regret over Argentina’s departure from the global body, asking for continued dialogue over its decision and describing Argentina as a valued partner in global health. 

“We request them to reconsider in view of global health security,” said Zimbabwe. 

China says US withdrawal shows lack of ‘leadership’

China’s EB delegate describes US withdrawal from WHO as a lack of leadership.

No such regrets were expressed at Friday’s meeting regarding the US departure. But China described the US move as a lack of leadership, saying:  

“As the most representative and authoritative intergovernmental, international health organization, the WHO bears a significant responsibility in global health governance….Major countries in particular, should lead by example. They should not treat the WHO as something to be used as it fits and abandoned when it does not. Nor should they bypass the WHO and set up alternative mechanisms,” China’s delegate said. 

“Countries should adhere to the rule of law and should not selectively fulfill their international obligations and commitments, and should not place [their] domestic political agenda above international law and governments.”

At the same time, China called for a re-evaluation of WHO rules around the entry and exit of member states from the organization, for which WHO’s 1948 constitution made few provisions, saying: 

“The issue of withdrawal is complex and sensitive. Members cannot enter or exit at their will. At present, there are certain gaps and ambiguity in the WHO’s rule regarding membership changes based on fairness and transparency, necessary adjustments and improvements should be made to better respond to the new circumstances and requirements on global health governance.” 

Israel, meanwhile, said that WHA members should accept the US notice of withdrawal without hinging it to other issues – an indirect reference to the unpaid US dues for 2024-2025.

Said Israel, “Any attempt to compel states against the national decisions is an infringement of their sovereign rights. There is no valid reason to further discuss this matter in any WHO forum. Further discussions only consume the limited resources this organization has without carrying any actual impact on the ground. Other issues of dispute between a member state and the organization do not affect the right of withdrawal in the context of the WHO,” Israel’s delegate said, an apparent reference to the outstanding, unpaid WHO dues still owed by the US.

At Monday’s Executive Board opening, Israel’s EB Representative, Asher Salmon, warned that his country, a close ally of the US, is also under pressure to withdraw from WHO, saying, “in Israel, there are also, unfortunately, strong public voices calling for us to leave the organisation.” 

Claiming that the WHO had become “too politicised,” he called for a “brave conceptual overhaul” of the organization. See related story: 

Days After US Leaves WHO, Israel Warns it Faces Pressure to Withdraw

 

Image Credits: DavidRockDesign/Pixabay.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the World Governments Summit in Dubai

Spain announced this week that it would tighten its social media laws, aiming to ban access for children under the age of 16 as part of a global tide against electronic platforms.

Last year, Australia became the first country to restrict social media for children, while French lawmakers voted to follow suit last month. So far, the UK, Denmark, Norway, Greece and India are considering similar moves, while German lawmakers are considering a digital law to contain the anti-competitive behaviour of global digital platforms.

There is growing evidence of the harmful effects of social media on children, including depression, anxiety, stress and cyberbullying – alongside evidence that digital platforms such as X are influencing political outcomes by manipulating content and algorithms.

“First, we will change the law in Spain to hold platform executives legally accountable for many infringements taking place on their sites,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.

“This means that CEOs of these techno platforms will face criminal liability for failing to remove illegal or hateful content,” said Sanchez.

“Second, we will turn algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content into a new criminal offence,” he added. “No more hiding behind code. No more pretending technology is neutral.

“Third, we will implement a hate and polarization footprint system to track, quantify, and expose how digital platforms fuel division and amplify hate. For too long, hate has been treated as invisible and untraceable, but we will change that.”

Sanchez added that Spain “will ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16” and platforms“will be required to implement effective age verification systems”.

“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. A space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation… we will protect them from a digital wild west.”

“Fifth and last, my government will work with our public prosecutor to investigate and pursue the infringement committed by Grok, TikTok, and Instagram. We will have zero tolerance and protect our digital sovereignty against foreign coercion.”

Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, responded by describing Sanchez as “dirty” and a “tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain”.

 

However, X faces global probes after it emerged that the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, is generating deepfake pornography, including involving children.

Australia provides global example

Australia’s ban on social media for children aged 15 and under came into effect on 10 December last year. It affects platforms including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.

While children and their parents are not sanctioned for breaking the ban, the Australian government will impose heavy fines on companies that allow children to have accounts.

Days before the ban came into effect, Meta – owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads – said it had deleted about 550,000 accounts.

A representative survey of children aged 10-15 commissioned by the Australian government in 2024/5 found that 96% used social media, and that 71% had experienced harmful content.

“This included exposure to misogynistic or hateful material, dangerous online challenges, violent fight videos, and content promoting disordered eating and suicide,” according to a media release on the survey.

One in seven children reported experiencing online “grooming” from adults or children at least four years older, which included being asked questions about their private parts or to share nude images.

Growing evidence of harms to children

Meanwhile, global evidence keeps growing of the negative effects of social media use – particularly on the developing brains of children.

A scoping review of multiple studies published last year in PubMed linked social media to bullying, and prolonged use to depression, anxiety, and stress.

The review notes the “alarming” increase in mental health disorders among youth and adolescents, particularly “anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyper-reactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder”.

“One contributing factor that has received growing attention is the role of social media and technology in shaping adolescent brain development, behaviour, and emotional well-being,” the researchers note.

“While digital platforms provide opportunities for social connection, self-expression, and mental health support, they also introduce significant risks, including compulsive social media use, cyberbullying, unrealistic beauty standards, and exposure to substance-related content.”

A meta-analysis of 143 studies involving over one million adolescents, published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2024, found “a positive and significant meta-correlation between time spent on social media and mental health symptoms”, particularly depression and anxiety.

Image Credits: Unsplash.

The Ukrainian delegate pushed for a model that takes traumatic injuries, amputations, and strokes into account.
The Ukrainian delegate pushed for a model that takes traumatic injuries, amputations, and strokes into account.

The publication of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first “Global Status Report on Rehabilitation” has been effectively paused after the Executive Board concluded that the proposed methodology for measuring progress failed to capture the complex realities of health systems, particularly those in conflict zones.

In a politically charged debate on Thursday, member states argued that simplifying global rehabilitation metrics to “chronic low back pain” as a primary tracer condition could inadvertently distort health priorities and funding allocations.

The Secretariat had proposed low back pain as a reasonable proxy due to its status as the leading contributor to years lived with disability. Delegates contended that this indicator was insufficient for measuring the diverse and acute needs found in crisis regions and many low- and middle-income countries.

Accepting the limitations of its approach, the WHO Secretariat had asked the Board to approve postponing the report’s publication, originally mandated for release before the end of 2026.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Chief Scientist, conceded that while low back pain was a reasonable starting point, member states had raised valid concerns regarding “more complex issues to take on.”

Distorting priorities in war zones

According to critics, the rehabilitation report must adhere to the complex realities of crisis and war-torn regions.
According to member states, the rehabilitation report must adhere to the complex realities of crisis and war-torn regions like Syria.

The most significant critique focused on the “complexity gap” between the proposed metric and the reality of trauma care.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing war, the Ukrainian delegate warned that a target focused on low back pain might incentivise health systems to prioritise low-intensity services over the complex, multidisciplinary care required for crisis and war-torn regions. A multi-tracer model that includes stroke, traumatic injury and amputation would be more appropriate, he argued.

This position was reinforced by Israel, whose delegation noted that while the low back pain indicator might suit community care settings, it is “less applicable to hospital care” and fails to capture the realities of acute and complex disorders requiring specialized rehabilitation.

For the Eastern Mediterranean Region, an area where an estimated 190 million people require rehabilitation, delegates highlighted that technical guidance must address fragmented governance and weak information systems.

They stressed that in crisis regions, resource-constrained and fragile settings, indicators must be feasible to integrate into existing health information systems.

Calls for ‘evidence-based’ and flexible approaches

This infographic illustrates the updated schedule for the WHO’s rehabilitation reporting framework.
The WHO has postponed the publication of its first Global Status Report on Rehabilitation to ensure metrics accurately reflect the needs of conflict zones and complex trauma care.

Beyond conflict settings, a broader coalition of member states questioned the readiness of the data. Thailand advocated for postponing the report, insisting that indicators must be “evidence-based and adaptable to national contexts”.

Nigeria, aligning with the African region, supported this delay. The delegation argued that the collection of more complete and robust baseline data would ultimately strengthen the “credibility and usefulness” of the global monitoring framework.

While the delay was driven by a desire for better data, Ethiopia expressed concern regarding the loss of political momentum, and proposed establishing a “clear timeline” instead of “indefinite postponement.”

The Handicap International Federation, supported by the World Rehabilitation Alliance, warned that funding cuts and reduced engagement are already threatening progress in low- and middle-income countries.

They urged member states to ensure that the delay in reporting does not lead to a delay in investment.

The Executive Board formally noted the report without objection. However, the debate resulted in a clear directive to the Secretariat to refine its data collection before going to print.

Isolation declared a structural rather than individual failure

The Chair of the Executive Board formally notes the report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection.
The Chair of the Executive Board formally notes the report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection.

In a parallel discussion regarding the report on the “Outcome of the WHO Commission on Social Connection”, the board moved decisively to reframe loneliness from a personal struggle to a structural failure of governance and modern technology.

In the debate, the European Union and its member states declared social isolation an “urgent public health issue.” They emphasized that the issue affects “people across all ages and demographic categories” and is inextricably linked to mental health problems.

The Brazilian delegation asserted that digital technologies must be regarded as a “new determinant of health.” They argued that algorithmic management and the spatial separation of workers are actively weakening social bonds, urging the WHO to monitor the relationship between digital transformation and isolation.

However, the consensus was challenged by Movendi International. The civil society organization criticized the Secretariat’s report for framing alcohol merely as a “coping mechanism” for loneliness.

They argued that the alcohol industry’s products and practices are structural drivers of social disconnection, demanding that alcohol be explicitly recognized as a risk factor interacting with loneliness across the life course.

The board formally noted the report without objection, endorsing the Secretariat’s roadmap for the next phase of implementation.

Image Credits: Felix Sassmannshausen, Pexels/ali Saleh.

WHO Member States pack Executive Board meeting for a grueling debate over procedures for reporting on health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Thursday morning.

A contentious debate at the World Health Organization’s Executive Board exposed the continued deep divisions between Israel and most other member states over the health situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory, with delegates trading starkly different assessments of humanitarian conditions, access to aid, and the reliability of WHO reporting.

Saudi Arabia’s delegate, speaking on behalf of Eastern Mediterranean member states, described a catastrophic death toll from the two-year Israel-Hamas conflict, saying, “More than 70,000 killed and more than 170,000 injured. Over 18,000 patients are left with life threatening conditions. 4000 of them children, and they await medical evacuation.”

Gaza tent camp amidst rain and rubble in January 2026.

Israel countered that the reporting on aspects of the Gaza situation was outdated as well as distorted, asserting it had approved the exit of thousands of injured Palestinians for medical treatment but there were insufficient places in countries abroad to receive them. Hungary echoed those concerns, with its delegate stating it did “not consider the report comprehensive, as it does not include statistical data beyond September 2025 and does not meaningfully assess the impact of the ceasefire.”  The US-brokered Israeli Hamas ceasefire entered into force in October 2025. A second phase was announced by the United States in January, which is supposed to lead to the demilitarization of the enclave, a new technocratic governance authority, and ultimately physical reconstruction.  

The EB debate culminated in a failed Israeli proposal to consolidate reporting on health conditions in the occupied Palestinian Territories back into one annual WHO report – instead of two – a situation that evolved since the start of the 7 October 2023 war.  

After a long roster of procedural disputes — including a rejected attempt to hold a secret ballot — the proposed Israeli amendment to cancel the second annual report was defeated, and the Executive Board approved the existing two-reportframework by 26 votes to one with four abstentions.   The mandate is unique among WHO health emergencies, where a dedicated report on Ukraine has been produced since 2022, but otherwise, WHO’s emergencies work in 72 other countries and territories, including about 18 other conflict zones, is consolidated into one single annual report. 

Health system remains in shambles  

Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, Palestine’s representative to the Executive Board.

Delegates from member states in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, as well as Europe, painted a dire picture of Gaza’s health sector, repeatedly emphasizing the widespread destruction of hospitals and clinics in the 365 square kilometer, repeated displacement of most of the population to tent camps cluttered with rubble, waste and inadequate sanitation, and a wide range of infectious disease and chronic disease risks with which the crippled health system cannot effectively cope.

While massive aid deliveries have resumed since the October cease-fire, it remains “humanitarian access remains dangerously constrained” the Saudi delegate said, adding: “In the 80 days following the ceasefire, only 19,764 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip. That’s fewer than half of the 48,000 that were agreed upon.”

Added Palestine’s delegate to the EB, Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, “It’s difficult to describe the catastrophic health situation in Palestine…More than 1600 health workers killed,  over 90% of hospitals destroyed by Israel. More than 200 ambulances attacked.”

Describing living conditions, Saudi Arabia stated, “Over 80% of all infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is damaged. People are living in flooded tents without clean water, sanitation or heating.” Disease risks were described as “extremely high, including acute respiratory infections, hepatitis and measles.”

The report also cites problems with physical barriers and restrictions on movement hindering access to health care for West Bank Palestinians, particularly for specialized services mostly available in East Jerusalem.

Calls to Israel for free access to health facilities in Jerusalem and West Bank

A Palestinian girl on bus from Gaza to Israel’s Ramon airfield for a medical evacuation to the United Arab Emirates in July 2024.

Palestine’s Khraishi also underscored evacuation constraints, stating, “More than 18,000 patients are in need of medical evacuation. Just about five every day are allowed to be evacuated.”

Bulgaria, speaking on behalf of the European Union and eight other member states, called for Israel to expedite medical evacuations via all available routes, saying, “Medical evacuations of patients from Gaza should be facilitated, which requires additional evacuation routes to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the ability for patients to voluntarily return to Gaza.”

Norway added, “Patients requiring treatment in East Jerusalem and Ramallah should be provided with access in and out of Gaza.” It added, “Also, patients in the West Bank should be granted safe and unhindered passing to health facilities.”

Now that the Rafah border crossing to Egypt has reopened, medical evacuations also must be expedited via that route Canada said, saying it, “welcomes the reopening of the Rafah border crossing, a key element under the gas at peace plan, their crossing must remain open without undue restrictions to enable freedom of movement for Palestinians.”

The appeals were also echoed by the African Group of 47 member states that called for “setting up permanent, safe, predictable mechanisms… to ensure rapid evacuation of patients and critical situations, particularly children, on the basis of medical conditions,” and for “setting up coordinated medical transport system supported by the international community.”

Israel says WHO report is outdated and misleading 

Waleed Gadban, political counselor at Israel’s Mission in Geneva

Israel argued that the report, which only covers January-31 August 2025,  failed to reflect changing realities following the October 2025 ceasefire – which included a dramatic increase in aid deliveries, and just this week, a reopening of the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt.

“By focusing largely on the first half of 2025 the report is irrelevant to the current needs,” said Israel’s political counsellor in Geneva, Waleed Gadban. “It fuels yet another politicized discussion, while deliberately ignoring crucial facts on the ground.” 

Gadban insisted that Israel had continued to facilitate medical assistance and patient evacuations: “In relation to the facilitation of the departure of patients from Gaza Strip… this claim is a clear distortion of fact,” the delegate said, arguing that “thousands of patients have been cleared for exit to Gaza the delays occur on the receiving side.”

With respect to food security, hunger and malnutrition, he also criticized the WHO report for relying on data from earlier in 2025, before aid deliveries increased.  “Most bluntly, it ignores the most recent UN publication confirming that 100% of food needs are met.” In a 5 January statement by UN Spokesperson Stephané Dujarric stated:  “The January round is the first since October 2023, in which partners had sufficient stock to meet 100 per cent of the minimum caloric standard.”

Finally, as the cease fire enters a second phase, he called for attention to “demilitarization, de radicalization, allowing the reconstruction of Gaza.” 

Egypt’s heated rebuttal 

Egypt’s delegate in the EB discussion Thursday on health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Egypt, meanwhile, forcefully rejected Israeli suggestions that the continued slow pace of medical evacuations were largely related to “delays on the receiving side” – an allusion to Egypt, which shares Gaza’s Rafah border crossing. 

“Egypt rejects in the strongest terms, the allegations made by the delegation of Israel regarding Egypt’s position on humanitarian evacuations from Gaza,” Egypt’s representative said. “These claims are not only factually incorrect, but represent a deliberate attempt to deflect responsibility.

“The primary obstacle to safe evacuation is not Egypt,” he underlined.  ““Egypt has consistently worked under extremely difficult circumstances to facilitate humanitarian access, protect civilians and support life saving medical evacuations.”

Militarization of health facilities 

Israel also argued that its critics had ignored evidence of Hamas militarization of Gaza’s health facilities.

“If anyone here actually cared about the health situation in Gaza, someone would surely condemn the systematic use of ambulances by Hamas to move terrorists and weapons…the deliberate strategic strategy of using medical facilities to military purposes,” Gadban asserted. 

The remarks triggered another heated response from Egypt which said it “categorically rejects allegations that hospitals and ambulances in Gaza are being used systematically for military purposes,” calling such claims “unproven, politicized.”

“Any claim to the contrary requires independent verification, which hasn’t been once provided,” the delegate said, adding, “Health care is not a battlefield.”

New Israeli requirements that Gaza NGOs register names of local staff 

Related to that, Israel’s Gadban defended its new requirement that international NGOs register the names of their local employees in Gaza, as a means of ending “the abuse of humanitarian organizations by Hamas. …We call on organizations to check who they employ.”

On Monday, Médecins Sans Frontières said it had not found a way to comply with the new Israeli rules, citing a lack of assurances that the information they might provide would not be misused.

“We were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required,” MSF said. “These included that any staff information would be used only for its stated administrative purpose and would not put colleagues at risk; that MSF would retain full authority over all human resource matters and management of medical humanitarian supplies; and that all communications defaming MSF and undermining staff safety would cease.”

MSF, which operates a network of Gaza health clinics and field hospitals, as well as supporting six public hospitals, made no statement of its own during the Executive Board debate, despite being a WHO-recognized non-state actor entitled to speak. Reached for comment by Health Policy Watch, two MSF spokespeople did not reply in time for the publication of this article. 

Member states push back

Canada’s EB delegate pushes back against new Israeli rules that NGOs in Gaza register their local employees.

During the EB discussion, however, several member states pushed back against Israel’s new requirements for NGOs operating in Gaza – requirements that have thrown the continued activities of some three dozen NGOs, as well as MSF, into jeopardy. 

Canada urged Israel “to reverse its policy on deregistration of international NGOs and its policies intended to undermine the UN’s work throughout Palestine, noting that many of these INGOs work in the health sector.” 

Added Saudi Arabia: “37 international non governmental organizations have been notified by Israel that their work will be forced to stop across the occupied Palestinian territory. The consequences are very severe, particularly for the health sector.”

Spain and Norway, meanwhile, protested the recent Israeli destruction of the Jerusalem headquarters of the UN Palestinian Refugee organization (UNRWA), saying it impinges on UN diplomatic  privileges as well as hindering Palestinian  aid relief.  

Israel decided to close down UNRWA”s operations in Jerusalem after identifying some 19 UNRWA employees alleged to have participated in the initial 7 October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israeli communities near Gaza, which triggered the wider war.  Following an internal UNRWA investigation, nine employees linked to alleged involvement were fired.   

“We have condemned the new aggressions against the UNRWA facilities perpetrated by the Israeli authorities, which are an unacceptable violation of the privileges and amenities of the United Nations,” Spain said.

Norway urged Israel “to respect the mandate of UNWRA, which was renewed by the UN General Assembly as recently as December, and to allow the organization to operate and provide services to the Palestinian people.”

Together, the statements highlighted the gap between Israel’s stated security rationale for tighter controls on UN and NGO operations – and the concerns of member states that the measures would further undermine humanitarian and health activities in the West Bank as well as Gaza.

Amendment to cancel dual Palestine reporting requirement defeated after procedural fight

As for the defeated proposal to cancel the second WHO reporting requirement on health conditions in the ‘Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’, both Israel and its challengers accused each other of wasting WHO time and resources. 

Egypt described Israel’s proposal as procedural maneuvering leading to “a waste of time, and it’s just procrastination for the whole process.”

Israel, meanwhile, said that the creation of a second report on the Palestinian territories after the October 2023 war began is redundant – in light of the fact that a dedicated report on Palestinian health conditions has been produced annually for  the World Health Assembly  – since Israel first took over the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Arab-war.

“When it comes to Israel, there are endless funds and resources for duplicity and exceed reporting,” Israel’s Gadban said. “The members of the board are saying that when it comes to Israel, they want to discuss three times rather than one.”

In his closing remarks, Khraishi came to a different conclusion:  “This reaffirms that Palestine is still in an emergency situation. We need all of you. We need your organization. We need your efforts, WHO efforts to improve the health conditions in Palestine.”

Meanwhile, the Central African Republic appealed for more understanding on all sides in the bitter conflict, Speaking on behalf of WHO Africa’s 47 member states, the delegate said: 

 “We can have various religions, various languages. I’d like too say different ideologies, different colors of skin. But we are all humans. We’re all we all belong to the human race. We all have the same royal blood in our body.”

Image Credits: Palestinian Water Authority , X/@Dr Tedros.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge addresses the Executive Board.
Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, warns that digital tools and AI may widen health gaps without proper governance and trust.

A stark debate over who owns the data in the future of AI and digital health emerged at the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board on Wednesday.

Low and middle-income countries warned that the rapid deployment of new technologies risks accelerating data extraction and increasing inequality, cautioning that – without strict AI governance, sustainable financing and equitable guardrails – the implementation of AI in health systems would compromise “data sovereignty”.

The debate centred on a WHO report outlining the framework for a digital transformation strategy spanning 2028 to 2033. Highlighting the profound shifts driven by AI and genomics, the report notes that many member states remain paralysed by “fragmented systems with limited interoperability.” And it warns that without reliable, representative data, AI risks amplifying biases and inefficiencies.

“Innovation alone is not enough,” stated Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “Without skills, governance and trust, digital tools widen gaps instead of closing them.”

Kluge also warned that “the risk of a new digital divide is real”.

Based on the deliberations, the Secretariat will continue its technical work on the strategy. To this end, the WHO has established a tripartite collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The board also decided to move forward on consultations to strengthen the global health workforce code, while the fight against substandard medicines moves to a new operational phase under an approved work plan. 

Closing the rift in AI regulation

A male delegate representing Cameroon speaks into a microphone at a World Health Organization Executive Board meeting.
The representative from Cameroon, speaking for the African Region, shifted the focus from technical standards to ownership at the WHO Executive Board session on Wednesday.

Regarding AI and digital health, a regulatory rift is opening as high-income regions press forward. While the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have established guiding principles on AI, a formal global standard remains elusive.

The European Union, represented by Bulgaria, argued that health data and information systems are the “essential foundation”, calling for the WHO to lead harmonisation efforts. These ought to focus on autonomy, safety, well-being of patients and health care professionals. Israel supported this, proposing “regulatory sandboxes” to test technologies safely while integrating economic considerations.

However, the African Region and other LMICs shifted the focus from technical standards to ownership. Cameroon, speaking for the region, called for rigorous ethical governance. The prevailing fear is that international companies will harvest data from the Global South to train AI models or develop products that are then sold back for profit.

Barbados reinforced this, rejecting the model of “donor-funded surveys”. The delegate argued that health data must be treated as a “national asset” under local control.

Positioning the country as a “living laboratory” for digital innovation, Barbados demanded sustainable financing models to advance universal health coverage rather than short-term extraction.

Rich nations urged to ‘pay up’ for imported health talent

The representative for Zimbabwe sits at a WHO conference table behind his country's nameplate, speaking into a microphone to demand co-investment from wealthy nations.
Zimbabwe’s representative calls for co-investment from rich nations to address the crisis of health worker migration.

The board also confronted the escalating crisis of health worker migration, reviewing new data confirming that active recruitment from nations with fragile health systems is intensifying ‘brain drain’ to plug staffing gaps in the Global North.

Zimbabwe, speaking for the African Region, issued a sharp rebuke of current practices. “Targeted recruitment continues to strain our fragile health systems,” the delegate warned. The region demanded that development banks and donor agencies move beyond rhetoric to “co-invest” in the education and retention of the workforce in source countries.

Pakistan amplified this, arguing that while the principle of co-investment is recognised, there is currently a lack of “binding commitment to deliver it”.

The United Kingdom, a major destination country, maintained that the Global Code of Practice remains “central to ethical international recruitment.” However, the UK acknowledged the need for clearer guidance on safeguards and supported a process to refine the Code’s application.

To bridge this divide, the Secretariat, and member states agreed to launch informal consultations to draft a decision for the World Health Assembly in May. The talks will focus on specific additions to the Code, such as co-investment mechanisms and protections for care workers.

Debate on ‘scourge’ of substandard medicines ongoing

A clear plastic bottle containing orange liquid medicine stands in sharp focus in the foreground, with several amber glass medicine bottles blurred in the background.
The WHO is intensifying surveillance of medical products following a deadly spike in contaminated products containing toxic chemicals like cough syrups.

On a last item, the board confronted the lethal proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products, a crisis described by delegates as a critical threat to both public health and economic security. The WHO’s surveillance system has recorded over 10,000 suspect products since 2013, with the Secretariat highlighting a recent, deadly spike in contaminated medical products containing diethylene glycol, like cough syrups.

Togo, speaking for the African Region, characterised the issue as a “scourge,” exacerbated by open borders and informal markets. The region called for “innovative financing” to support regulatory authorities in resource-poor settings, where the risk of infiltration into public supply chains remains high.

Ukraine shifted the focus to modern distribution channels, warning of the specific threat posed by “unregulated online sales.” The delegate urged the WHO to help secure supply chains for high-risk excipients – inactive ingredients often implicated in contamination cases.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation backed these concerns, emphasising that the workforce must be trained to detect fakes before they reach patients. “Protecting patients requires safeguarding the quality of medicines,” the Federation argued.

To close the detection gap, the Board noted the urgent need to roll out market surveillance technologies, specifically the Epione reporting tool, to track suspect products in real-time.

The Secretariat will now develop the draft global strategy for 2028 to 2033, which is scheduled for submission to the board at its 160th session in January 2027 before final consideration by the 80th World Health Assembly.

Image Credits: Felix Sassmannshausen, WHO/Christopher Black , Pexels/Towfiqu barbhuiya.

WHO Diector-General Dr Tedros and IGWG co-chair Matthew Harpur (right)

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General expressed confidence that member states would agree on the last outstanding part of the Pandemic Agreement by the “absolute deadline” of May at the body’s Executive Board meeting on Wednesday.

“This year’s World Health Assembly [in May] must receive a text that member states can consider and act upon. There is no scope for delay because the next pandemic will not wait,” Tedros urged.

But questions by Pakistan, part of the Group for Equity negotiating bloc in the negotiations, indicated a lack of agreement on several key issues relating to how pathogens should be shared.

Member states only have two more weeks of formal negotiations before the deadline – with the next round starting on Monday. However, the talks are also affected by WHO budget cuts which have limited their access to translators.

Countries are hammering out a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, deciding on how materials and sequence information from pathogens with pandemic potential can be shared fast and fairly – and how countries sharing this information can also benefit from any products that are developed as a result.

The Group for Equity and Africa Region want draft contracts to be included as part of the deal to set out the terms for those who want access to pathogen information – for example, pharmaceutical companies in order to make vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostic tests.

The Pakistan delegate said that the two groups – representing 80% of the world’s population – had come up with a standard material transfer agreement based on other international agreements, and a draft contract for digital sequence information.

“We have had only one informal discussion on the draft contracts,” said Pakistan, urging those in charge of the process to organise more consultation on the contracts.

“In order to complete the exercise, to have full legal clarity and certainty we would like to have a pandemic agreement with draft contracts.”

Three key areas for talks

Matthew Harpur, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) overseeing the negotiations, outlined the three key areas for the talks.

“Firstly, we have the scope and objectives and the use of terms,” said Harpur, who added that by last meeting, “it was really good to see some progress”. 

“Secondly, we have the implementation and the operation of the PABS system,” he added. This includes the issue of “equal footing” – namely, that rapid access to pathogens information and how the benefits deriving from this sharing are of equal importance.

“How do we how do we swiftly share that information that keeps us all safer and but how do we also ensure equity,” said Harpur, adding that issues such as monetary contributions had to be agreed on to ensure equity. 

The third part is “governance and enforcement”. 

“You can have the best words on paper, but if they’re not enforceable, if they don’t work in practice, it is meaningless,” said Harpur.

“So how do we ensure an effective governance system, with the advisory group, the role of the [Conference of the Parties] and, of course, the role of the Secretariat.”

The next IGWG meeting runs from 9-14 February.

Polio
Polio cases are falling, but persistent transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan, vaccine-derived outbreaks elsewhere, and funding gaps keep global eradication at risk.

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, down from 62 during the same period in 2024. All cases occurred in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.

Environmental sampling has continued to detect the virus beyond core transmission areas, including during the low-transmission season, suggesting silent spread even where no clinical cases are immediately visible.

Transmission concentrated in endemic reservoirs

WPV1 cases in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Wild poliovirus type 1 persists in a small number of reservoirs, particularly in southern Afghanistan, and the southern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, the report notes. 

In Afghanistan, operational and communication strategies are being adjusted to improve coverage. Supplementary immunization improved markedly in the eastern region in early 2025, contributing to reductions in transmission. Vaccination teams continue to use site-to-site approaches in the south, supported by transit posts and advocacy for house-to-house vaccination to reach missed children.

Pakistan is implementing the Polio National Emergency Action Plan 2024–2025 with a phased strategy aimed at restoring an emergency posture, closing operational gaps and sustaining high immunity. While high-level political commitment and intensified supervision have improved performance, subprovincial variation persists in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta and Karachi.

Both countries are applying risk-categorization models to identify and reach migrants, mobile groups and other missed children, while strengthening coordination along virus corridors and addressing surveillance gaps. Microplanning, targeted campaigns, fractional-dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine and expanded subnational surveillance are part of these efforts.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), which leads implementation with national authorities, says its 2026 Action Plan will prioritize the low-transmission season to interrupt remaining chains of spread and close immunity gaps among persistently under-immunized populations.

Vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks in low-coverage areas

polio vaccine
Vaccine-derived polio persists in low-coverage regions, with cases across 13 countries and new detections signalling ongoing cross-border spread.

Beyond the two endemic countries, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus remains a persistent challenge where routine immunization coverage is weak.

WHO reported 151 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 across 13 countries as of late October 2025, compared with 182 cases across 16 countries a year earlier. Despite the decline, transmission continues in northern Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin, the Horn of Africa, particularly south and central Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen.

Health experts say these outbreaks occur when weakened strains of the oral polio vaccine circulate for prolonged periods among under-immunized children, allowing the virus to mutate and spread.

Some countries have recorded progress. Madagascar’s outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 was declared closed in May 2025. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cases have fallen sharply in recent years following targeted responses, dropping to a single case in 2025. 

Limited detections of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 were reported in Guinea, Cameroon and Chad, with outbreak responses underway.

New environmental detections, including in Papua New Guinea and several European countries, underscore the risk of international spread through travel, population movement and surveillance gaps.

Vaccination tools and integration expand

Polio efforts are shifting toward new vaccines and integrated routine immunization to reach zero-dose children and strengthen health systems.

While the standard oral polio vaccine remains the primary tool in eradication efforts, new products include the expanded use of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 and combination formulations.

With support from Gavi, the vaccine alliance, Senegal and Mauritania became the first countries to introduce the hexavalent vaccine into routine immunization schedules this year.

WHO partners are also emphasising the integration of polio activities into broader health services. Coordination between GPEI, the Essential Programme on Immunization and Gavi has been strengthened to reach zero-dose children with multiple vaccines and to align polio assets with routine immunization systems.

Addressing the Executive Board, a Gavi representative urged countries to promote integrated approaches to reaching zero-dose and under-vaccinated children with life-saving vaccination and primary health care, particularly in humanitarian and complex emergency settings, and to accelerate the transition of polio programme infrastructure into national systems to ensure long-term resilience.

Humanitarian pressures complicate delivery

In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes both the endemic countries, ongoing crises continue to strain health services. 

Regional Director Hanan Balkhi told the board that the region carries nearly half of the world’s humanitarian burden and accounted for 40% of attacks on health care last year.

She said WHO responded to 62 outbreaks in 2025 and delivered supplies to crisis settings, including Gaza and Sudan, but funding cuts have reduced the regional health emergency workforce by about half. 

Millions of treatments are now at risk, while clinic closures in Afghanistan and disruptions in Sudan have limited access to essential services.

Cross-border collaboration between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues, supported by regional oversight and diplomatic engagement, to sustain polio eradication activities.

Although the Polio Eradication Strategy has been extended through 2029, financing remains a constraint. Donors have pledged $ 4.7 billion of the $ 6.9 billion required, leaving a $ 2.2 billion shortfall.

The Director-General’s report cautions that sustained political commitment, stronger routine immunization systems and adequate resources will be essential to interrupt remaining transmission and secure a lasting polio-free world.

 








 



































Image Credits: GPEI, RAJA IMRAN BAHADR / Unsplash..

Ukraine: Russia is systematically attacking healthcare.

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 on,” said Ukraine’s delegate to the EB. 

“….But hospitals are no target, and a maternity ward is not a battlefield,” he added, noting that as of January 2026, more than 2500 attacks on health care workers and facilities had been verified in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. 

Ukraine’s remarks were echoed in another joint statement by 40 other allied nations, led by Bulgaria and other European front-line states but also including Canada, Australia and Japan. Together, as well as individually, a long list of member states denounced the prolonged crisis in Ukraine, and its impacts on public health, mental health and women’s health services, in particular. 

Attacks on energy are an attack on health systems: Bulgaria.

“While Ukraine continues to tirelessly work for peace, Russia continues its aggression and is even intensifying its deliberate attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure, violating international law,” said Bulgaria in its joint statement.

“We commend WHO’s efforts in maintaining and strengthening the health system in Ukraine under these extremely challenging and dangerous circumstances.” 

Russia – debate is a ‘negative backdrop’ to peace talks

Russia, meanwhile, said that the bitter criticism  provided a ‘negative backdrop’ to the second round of US-brokered negotiations that began Wednesday in Abu Dhabi between the warring nations.

“A few hours ago in Abu Dhabi, once again, we saw trilateral negotiations that began. They involved Russia, the US and Ukraine. But the EB discussions create “a very negative backdrop to those negotiations,” the Russian Federation delegate charged. “This clearly demonstrates that there is a wish on the part of some to drag out this war.”

Russia also protested the annual Member State practice of producing a separate WHO report devoted to the Ukraine conflict since the war began in 2022. That’s distinct from the combined treatment of most other health emergencies, Russia noted.

“It is not clear what criteria were used to cluster all health emergencies the world into a single group, whereas item 20 [the war in Ukraine] is worthy of a standalone discussion,” said the Russian delegate.  “The regular specific discussion on this should take place on the basis of the work of the WHO standing committee on health emergencies.”  His remarks made no reference to the other exception – the occupied Palestinian territories – which has been the focus of two annual WHO reports to member states, since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023.

Iran conflict another political subtext 

Israel calls for a report on WHO’s response to the bloody protests in Iran.

In a discussion officially focused on Ukraine, debate also veered into other geopolitical fracture points, including the Gaza humanitarian crisis, Taiwan and the recent Iranian civil uprising – triggering fierce exchanges between Iran, Pakistan and Israel, as well as between China and allies of Taiwan. 

At the outset of Wednesday’s discussions, Israel’s EB delegate called for the WHO to produce a detailed report for the May World Health Assembly on the bloody protests in Iran, and specifically “the organization’s activities in support of medical care for those affected by the recent events – including access to emergency health services and treatment of the injured.”   

According to Iranian opposition accounts, regime members invaded hospitals to arrest or execute injured protestors. And some three dozen medical professionals who treated protestors have reportedly been detained.  Iranian opposition media has put the overall death toll from the January protests at over 36,000 people, ten times the 3,117 fatalities reported by the regime. A recent Wall Street Journal article, meanwhile, cited a death toll of at least 10,000. 

Last week, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued his first social media message on the disturbances – although that came several weeks after the protests had peaked. 

Pakistan – standing “in solidarity with Iran”

Iran protests Israeli initiative, supported by allies in regiong.

Iran’s humanitarian crisis, however, has also become entangled by the broader geopolitical situation in the region – with critics and allies of the regime lined up accordingly. And the debate at the EB was no exception. 

Israel’s call to WHO for a report was therefore immediately reubuffed by Pakistan and others in the region as a political maneuver aiming to deflect attention from Israel’s record in Gaza –  where where two years of war have reduced the enclave to rubble and intermittent attacks continue despite a cease-fire declared last October. 

“This is a clear attempt to abuse this forum for political point scoring and to divert attention from the catastrophic consequences of Israel’s own conduct in the occupied Palestinian territory and across the Arab region,” said Pakistan,  speaking on behalf of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Pakistan rebuffs calls for a report on Iran.

“The OIC stands in solidarity with Iran against these politicized accusations and calls on who to reject Israel’s malicious proposal and any attempt to instrumentalize the organization for narrow political purposes.” 

Added Egypt, asking WHO to detail its response to Iran’s recent civil uprising would not be “in line with the technical aspect of the [WHO] reports. We must adopt unified criteria that are applicable to all. Therefore, we would like to ask the secretary to make sure that the reports are purely technical.” 

In just the past 24 hours Israeli airstrikes and shelling of alleged Hamas targets have led to the deaths of some 21 Gazans, including several children, added Palestine’s representative to the EB, citing media reports.

Meanwhile, European member states that have recently been critical of Iran’s human rights abuses, as well as of Israel’s, remained largely aloof.

Africa and other developing regions appeal for more attention to health emergencies in their corner

But the headline-grabbing flashpoints in Europe and the Middle East, should not be allowed to obscure health emergencies elsewhere in the world, other member states emphasized, a theme underlined by WHO’s broader reporting on health emergencies. 

Africa, for instance, faces crises including infectious disease outbreaks such as mpox, climate-linked drought, foods and food insecurity, and conflicts that have displaced millions of people, driving disease, hunger and sexual abuse. Long-burning conflicts include the Sudan crisis, driven by UAE-backed RSF rebels, and a civil war in eastern DR Congo, led by Rwanda-backed M-23 fighters, who have taken over the regional capital of Goma.  

“The African region knows through experience that humanitarian crises as well as the massive displacement of populations weaken health care systems,” said the delegate from Comoros, speaking on behalf of 47 African member states.  “They worsen inequalities and threaten the progress that has been made towards universal health coverage.

Even so, “health crises that are linked to conflicts that should not draw attention away from other global health emergencies, especially such as those in Africa, recurring epidemics, climate change as well as food insecurity,” she stressed.

But against the backdrop of the United States’ withdrawal from the global health agency  “the African region would like to rereaffirm its commitment to work with the WHO, as well as all member states, to make sure that health remains a fundamental right that is protected everywhere at all times,” the Comoros delegate added.

“We call on reinforced international cooperation. We call on unwavering solidarity as well as concerted action so that no one is left behind.” 

A baby is being weighed, measured and vaccinated in the health center of Gonzagueville, a suburban of Abidjan, in the South of Côte d’Ivoire. The US is the largest single contributor to global health funding.

The US House of Representatives passed a more than $1 trillion spending package, bringing an end to a five-day partial government shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding.

Among the allocations is a $9.42 billion package for global health programs – signaling strong bipartisan support and maintaining significant global health aid. 

The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Security-State Department Appropriations Bill maintains funding for global health at a substantially higher level than envisaged by the Trump administration, in an apparent bipartisan rejection of the administration’s proposed cuts. 

The $9.42 billion package agreed to by the US House and Senate, and signed into law by the President, is lower than the $12.4 billion allocation in 2024 and 2025 – but it is still $5.7 billion more than requested last September by US President Donald Trump in his America First Global Health Strategy.

Although the administration requested major cuts to foreign aid, Congress’s version of the bill preserves flagship global health programs like President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight TB, AIDS and Malaria, and HIV/AIDS programs previously administered through USAID – and reasserts Congress’s role in government spending. 

The global health allocations are part of a larger $51.4 billion foreign aid spending package for the 2026 fiscal year. That foreign aid bill, while a 16% cut from 2024, is nearly $20 billion more than what the Trump Administration initially requested.

The broader bill also includes $5.4 billion in funding for humanitarian assistance and comes as the Trump administration moves forward on a $11 billion plan for direct bilateral assistance to developing country governments – some of which would also be dedicated to health. 

Funding for HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, family planning

US Senate 2026 global health bill
Of the $9.4 billion, some $5.88 billion is dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS – with about $4.5 billion allocated to PEPFAR (not named here), and the rest to Global Fund, UNAIDS, and related activities. (This chart is from the Jan 2026 Senate version of the Act.)

Of the $9.42 billion earmarked in the bill specifically for global health programs, some $5.9 billion would be allocated to HIV/AIDS – with $1.25 billion channeled through the Global Fund, $45 million for UN AIDS, and $4.6 billion through PEPFAR, the flagship US program founded in 2003. This represents $200 million more for PEPFAR, and a $400 million decrease (24%) for the Global Fund from FY25 levels. 

And while less than the $7.1 billion level of support to these organizations under the Biden administration in FY24, it’s a major increase from the $2.9 billion for HIV/AIDS requested by Trump. At the same time, the Bill also calls for PEPFAR, founded by former US President George Bush, to transition to a largely self-reliant program of national governments over the coming years. 

Other global health priorities still see strong funding: $795 million is dedicated to malaria, and $379 million for tuberculosis; $85 million is earmarked for polio.

Some $575 million for family planning and reproductive health services are also included in the funding package – despite the historic reticence of some conservatives to fund such programs, and the fact that the Administration requested no funds for these programs.  

And although the administration has ordered a US withdrawal from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Congress allocated $32.5 million for the organization, as part of the family planning funds. The bill does stipulate that the agency cannot spend these funds on China – and that if the Trump administration makes good on its plan to withdraw from UNFPA, the money should then be transferred to other global health programs. 

Allocations earmarked for “Global Health Security,” are $615.6 million for organizations like Pandemic Fund and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). While global health security overall was cut by about 12% from FY25, these funds could also be used in the event of a public health emergency.

Funds will also go to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs; $109 million) and nutrition ($165 million).

US to continue funding Gavi despite federal anti-vaccine rhetoric

Over 1.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in Ghana during the pandemic as part of the Gavi-organized Covax program.

In late January the US froze all funds to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, over concerns that the organization, which procures and delivers life-saving vaccines, provides vaccines with the preservative thimerosal. 

And while the US FDA has stated that the preservative “has a long record of safe and effective use preventing bacterial and fungal contamination of vaccines,” the US plans to withhold the $300 million already allocated by the Biden administration but not yet paid, as well as any new funds. 

Despite this, the newly passed FY26 bill does include another $300 million for a US contribution to Gavi. The Administration had requested Gavi funds be eliminated. 

New ‘National Security Fund’ also includes health components

In another twist, support for family planning, reproductive health and countering child marriage is also supported through a new National Security Fund of $6.77 billion that Congress aims to create – to “combat China’s influence” among other things. 

The fund, which also includes monies for clean cook stoves, a Young African Leaders Initiative, peace process monitoring, trade capacity building, and assorted other priorities, specifies that at least 15% of the fund should go to the African continent. 

This story is a follow up to a 15 January piece, which can be found here:

US Congressional Leaders Agree to $9.4 Billion for Global Health – Countering Trump Proposal for Deeper Cuts

Image Credits: UNICEF, Senate Appropriations.

The delegate from Nepal addresses the WHO Executive Board during negotiations over the Global Action Plan on AMR. Nepal, alongside Ethiopia, successfully proposed a compromise to reopen specific talks on technology transfer rights before the World Health Assembly in May.
Nepal, alongside Ethiopia, successfully proposed reopening talks on technology transfer rights, addressed in the WHO’s Global Action Plan on AMR.

A dispute over technology transfer rights pushed the World Health Organization (WHO) to delay its Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) for further informal talks.

Instead, the Executive Board approved a compromise drafted by Nepal and Ethiopia on Wednesday to reopen negotiations on intellectual property, specifically regarding “voluntary and mutually agreed technology transfers.” This procedural shift prevented the adoption of the draft plan, delaying final consensus until the specific language on intellectual property (IP) and manufacturing rights is resolved.

Voluntary and mutually agreed technology transfers are non-coerced, negotiated agreements where the owner of technology shares expertise, skills, or IP with another party based on freely agreed-upon terms, such as licensing, joint ventures, or technical collaboration.

In contrast, international law allows governments to issue compulsory licenses to manufacturers without the patent holder’s consent in certain situations, such as health emergencies.

Brazil ignited the stand-off by challenging the draft, arguing that “voluntary” transfer rules would trap developing nations in a cycle of dependency. Delegates from Colombia and Indonesia added that the plan could strip governments of their legal power to demand local manufacturing under international trade law.

Switzerland pushed back, describing the text as a merely “technical document” already shaped by experts, warning against reopening a file that addresses an urgent global concern. Brazil retorted that the implications of the language were far from technical.

To break the deadlock, Ethiopia proposed an amendment to limit the new consultations strictly to the contested technology transfer language, rather than reopening the entire document. The board adopted this compromise, ensuring the broader technical work remains intact while reopening the specific political debate before the World Health Assembly in May.

A blueprint to counter AMR

A microbiologist prepares a sample. Rapid identification and testing are powerful tools to ensure patients receive the correct antibiotics, preventing the further spread of resistance.
The Global Action Plan on AMR focusses on equitable access and diagnostics. Patients receiving the correct antibiotics helps to prevent the spread of resistance.

The draft plan for 2026-2036 aims to preserve the efficacy of medicines by reducing bacterial AMR-associated human deaths by 10% by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline. The strategy addresses the economic fallout of resistance, warning that without robust action, global treatment costs could reach $412 billion annually by 2035.

AMR occurs when pathogens evolve to withstand medicines, threatening to reverse decades of medical progress by rendering standard treatments ineffective. Health experts classify AMR not merely as a disease issue, but as a “significant threat to global health security” that transcends national borders.

Critical objectives of the plan include ensuring equitable access to antimicrobials and diagnostics, alongside stronger governance to track national progress and minimise environmental pollution.

It promotes a “prevention-first” approach, emphasising infection control, vaccination, and biosecurity across human, animal, and environmental sectors to curb the need for antimicrobials. And it highlights a “One Health” approach, integrating agricultural and environmental data to detect hotspots and guide pollution prevention.

Divide between donor countries and Global South

South African delegates aligned themselves with Brazil, rejecting the current draft regarding technology transfer.
South African delegates aligned themselves with Brazil, rejecting the current draft regarding “voluntary” technology transfers.

High-income nations, including the United Kingdom and Japan, urged the board to adopt the plan without further delay, citing the extensive consultations already conducted over the past year. Spain, speaking for the European Union, specifically welcomed the text’s “balanced approach” in ensuring public-private cooperation remains on mutually agreed terms to incentivise innovation.

Conversely, Indonesia and South Africa aligned with Brazil, warning that the current specifications on technology transfer restrict the policy space for developing nations to manufacture essential health tools.

The African Region, represented by Cameroon, did not explicitly align on the issue of technology transfer. Their statement emphasised the need for “stable and sustainable financing,” because national action plans would otherwise fail to transform into tangible action.

Non-state actor Médecins sans frontières (MSF) urged member states to match implementation with sustainable financing strategies, particularly for conflict-affected settings. MSF added that the plan must move beyond tracking biological resistance patterns to generating evidence on where and why patients cannot obtain treatment to ensure equity.

Market failure spurs intellectual property dispute

A compromise proposed by Ethiopia opened the path to informal negotiations before the WHA in May.
A compromise proposed by Ethiopia opened the path to informal negotiations before the World Health Assembly in May.

The market for antibiotics faces a unique failure that spurs the intellectual property dispute. While new drugs are essential, regulation demands they be used sparingly, cutting the link between sales and revenue and deterring investment.

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) echoed the call for support of the original draft for the Global Action Plan on AMR, reiterating that “effective R&D incentives” remain critical to nurture the research expertise required to tackle future threats.

Low- and middle-income countries contend that this restricts their policy space to manufacture affordable generics, thereby entrenching inequity and denying access to life-saving tools.

Image Credits: Felix Sassmannshausen, European Union/José-Joaquín Blasco Muñoz.