More dedicated to scientific research and much more “colourful” than the World Health Summit were descriptions for the 14th Global Grand Challenges Meeting 2018 that ended last night in Berlin and brought together some top researchers, policymakers and civil society. Like the WHS, the Grand Challenges Meeting focused on antimicrobial resistances and pandemic pathogens. But it also talked a little more on the issue of how better to incentivize R&D to fulfil SDG3, the UN Sustainable Development Goal on health, according to participants. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: WHS 2018.

BERLIN — Answering the call by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg for a global action plan for pushing global health, heads of 11 major health organisations today signed “a commitment to find new ways of working together to accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals” at the close of the World Health Summit in Berlin. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Monika Ermert.

The United Nations late last month sought to hold landmark high-level meetings on ending tuberculosis and fighting noncommunicable diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease, with mixed results. Now a Swiss-based expert is looking at the outcomes and what comes next, and in a webinar talked about the political trade-offs resulting from the meetings, the need to push for an integrated agenda on Universal Health Coverage, and how the private sector should be engaged. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: The Graduate Institute, Geneva.

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.