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 ->
Although global immunisation efforts have led to an 88% drop in measles deaths in the past 25 years, measles cases are surging worldwide, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Last year, 59 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks – almost triple that in 2021 and the highest since the […] 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 ->
For the first time, the G20 Leaders’ Declaration explicitly references the Lusaka Agenda – a significant milestone for developing countries that have long called for a fairer global health architecture. This acknowledgement gives political weight to an agenda that places integrated health systems, universal health coverage, and national leadership at the center of global health […] Continue reading ->
Artificial intelligence could compress years of drug discovery into months – helping to overcome growing drug resistance to existing treatments for malaria and other vector-borne diseases. But scientists in low-income countries are often left behind. Jeremy Burrows, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) vice president, head of drug discovery, explains how a new open-access, AI-powered drug discovery […] Continue reading ->
“Why is it always those who have light skin that win,” asks a young Senegalese man tasked with handing out flyers for a local beauty pageant. The setting is Dakar, where the newly-released film Timpi Tampa tells the story of a young man, Khalilou, whose mother is diagnosed with cancer, potentially from using skin-lightening products […] Continue reading ->
Abrupt funding cuts have resulted in “perilous risks” for the global HIV response that threaten the health and well-being of millions of people throughout the world, according to the 2025 UNAIDS report released on Tuesday. “People living with HIV have died due to service disruptions, millions of people at high risk of acquiring HIV have […] Continue reading ->
The UN climate summit marking the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming under 1.5 °C ended in trademark UN fashion: a text laying out next steps to speak about plans to agree to make more plans. The package of voluntary measures dubbed the “Global Mutirão,” Portuguese for collective effort, nixed any […] 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 ->
The Eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) concluded in Geneva on Saturday with calls to member states to take stronger action on reducing the environmental harm of tobacco use and increasing corporate liability. But political stand-offs between countries, along with industry interference, hindered major breakthroughs on […] Continue reading ->