A draft charter on “family, sovereignty and values”, which would significantly undermine the rights of African women and girls, is not likely to be presented to the African Union (AU) General Assembly next February – despite a push from its conservative sponsors. “That draft instrument has not got to the AU yet, and it is […] Continue reading ->
A finance ministry official can now draft in an afternoon what used to take a WHO mission, a consultant and a wait of weeks. That single fact, multiplied across almost everything WHO produces, is the real story behind this year’s budget cuts — and almost nobody in Geneva is telling it yet. Picture a health […] Continue reading ->
In 1994, Manvati Nag, an indigenous woman from Bijapur district in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, married and moved to Halbaras village in the forested Dantewada region about 80 kilometres away. Although the move was relatively short, it dramatically altered her health. Before moving, Nag never got sick. But after her move, she started […] Continue reading ->
A landmark UNICEF report that maps children’s exposure to overlapping climate hazards finds that almost half the world’s children – 1.1 billion kids – now contend with at least three threats at once. To reach school each morning, 15-year-old Lorna first has to swim across the Kemp Welch River, known to locals for its strong […] Continue reading ->
What’s left to tackle in the PABS talks? As the clock ran out, and then was extended for another year, on negotiations over the Pandemic Agreement’s Annex on Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS), the diplomacy and the nitty-gritty of the issues faced were deeply linked This edition of the Governing Pandemics Snapshot of the Geneva […] Continue reading ->
As the Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda reached 608 confirmed cases and 102 deaths, global health leaders called for “an end to the cycle of panic and neglect” in response to disease outbreaks. Describing the Ebola outbreak as a “preventable disaster”, the leaders have written […] Continue reading ->
Steatotic liver disease (SLD) was recognized as a “missing piece” of the global noncommunicable disease response in a milestone World Health Assembly resolution last week. With countries making extraordinary progress in combating viral hepatitis, SLD, formerly known as fatty liver disease, is now the fastest-growing chronic liver disease – but far less recognized. Experts and […] Continue reading ->
The Commonwealth’s new strategic framework accelerates the elimination of cervical cancer, a highly preventable disease that claims hundreds of thousands of lives yearly. However, shifting global funding and major prevention gaps threaten to derail progress, forcing states to double down on shared digital resources, regional cooperation, and community engagement. Inside the wood-panelled executive boardroom at […] Continue reading ->
A stiffly-worded resolution approved this week by World Health Organization member states condemned the “wanton” destruction of Gaza’s health facilities and “extreme violence of the illegal Israeli settlers.” The decision called on Israel to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza of medicines, fuel, and other essentials, refrain from further destruction of food production and water supplies, […] Continue reading ->
The UN General Assembly voted 141-8 to endorse a landmark International Court of Justice opinion finding that states are bound under international law to curb greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis and protect states most affected by its fallout. “Climate change is an unprecedented challenge of civilisational proportions,” the resolution states. “The well-being of […] Continue reading ->