“Including the experiences and skills of people living with disabilities in the design and delivery of health systems is fundamental to achieving #HealthForAll,” wrote World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Twitter last week. Including the experiences & skills of people living with disabilities in the design & delivery of health systems […] Continue reading ->
Big pre-holiday hopes that WHO member states might agree on a sweeping financial reforms to put the World Health Organization’s $3 billion annual budget on a more sustainable foundation now seem to be foundering in the New Year. A report by the member state Working Group on Sustainable Financing, published on Tuesday, has stopped short […] Continue reading ->
On Universal Health Coverage Day – an appeal to food and health advocates to shape an agenda for ‘Universal Nutrition Coverage’ including joined-up solutions that promote sustainable agro-ecosystems producing healthier foods for people with co-benefits for the planet. Every year on December 12, the health community marks Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. While the technical […] Continue reading ->
CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading ->
While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading ->
Ahead of World AIDS Day, 1 December, UNAIDS has warned that the world could face 7.7 million AIDS-related deaths over the next 10 years if leaders fail to tackle inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19.  If transformative measures needed to end HIV/AIDS are not taken, the world will also remain dangerously unprepared for pandemics to come, said […] Continue reading ->
Some civil society organisations (CSO) are sceptical about whether a ‘pandemic treaty’ is the best way to address future global health crises, while treaty supporters say it will provide a legal framework binding countries and global health bodies to more agile and rapid responses to future outbreaks.  A session Monday sponsored by the Geneva Global […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Assembly is set to make a fateful decision in November over whether to negotiate a new international ‘Pandemic Treaty’ to improve future pandemic preparedness and response. However, major players like the United States, backed by some civil society groups, have suggested that revisions of the existing International Health Regulations (IHR) would be […] Continue reading ->
The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opens today (Tuesday 14 September). The UN’s roots lie in determination that the horrors of World War II – millions of lives lost, economic devastation and genocide – should never happen again.  This year’s General Assembly session is considering multiple global catastrophes, from climate change […] Continue reading ->