EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up to 25% of Staff by June 2026 – But ‘Shadow Workforce of Consultants’ Is Unreported 18/11/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 – shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered 9,457 in December 2024 – a 15-year peak. That’s according to a new report that is to be presented and discussed with WHO member states on Wednesday. Despite the huge […] Continue reading -> African Countries Affirm Support for Multilateral Pandemic Agreement Amid Pressure to Make Bilateral Deals with US 11/11/2025 Kerry Cullinan African countries want information about pathogens with the potential to cause pandemics to be shared “exclusively” through a global system currently being negotiated at the World Health Organization (WHO) – yet at the same time, their governments are under pressure to agree to bilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the United States that will trade […] Continue reading -> Working to Make Africa Attractive for Global Clinical Trials 31/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan Although 18% of the world’s population lives in Africa, only 3% of clinical trials are conducted on the continent – and the ambition is to increase this percentage to 15% by 2035. But this requires substantial improvements across several aspects – including more innovative trial designs and better use of digital tools – the subject […] Continue reading -> Drive to Include Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women and Children in Clinical Trials 17/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan The first pregnant woman with malaria was enrolled in a clinical trial in Mali to compare three different malaria treatment regimens earlier this month – a historic event as pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies are seldom included in clinical trials despite being more vulnerable to several illnesses. But there is growing momentum for including […] Continue reading -> International Development Assistance for Fossil Fuel Projects Surged 80% in 2023 08/10/2025 Stefan Anderson Development funding for fossil fuel-based energy projects jumped 80 per cent in 2023 to $9.5bn, up from $5.3bn in 2022, even as toxic air causes more than 8m premature deaths annually, according to a new report. Governments continue to channel billions more in international aid into projects that prolong fossil fuel use than into tackling […] Continue reading -> ‘Critical’ to Complete Pandemic Agreement by UN Meeting in 2026 15/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Amid rising disease threats, it is “critical” that the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a completed pandemic agreement to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in 2026, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom told member states at the start of negotiations on the final outstanding annex to the […] Continue reading -> New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
African Countries Affirm Support for Multilateral Pandemic Agreement Amid Pressure to Make Bilateral Deals with US 11/11/2025 Kerry Cullinan African countries want information about pathogens with the potential to cause pandemics to be shared “exclusively” through a global system currently being negotiated at the World Health Organization (WHO) – yet at the same time, their governments are under pressure to agree to bilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the United States that will trade […] Continue reading -> Working to Make Africa Attractive for Global Clinical Trials 31/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan Although 18% of the world’s population lives in Africa, only 3% of clinical trials are conducted on the continent – and the ambition is to increase this percentage to 15% by 2035. But this requires substantial improvements across several aspects – including more innovative trial designs and better use of digital tools – the subject […] Continue reading -> Drive to Include Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women and Children in Clinical Trials 17/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan The first pregnant woman with malaria was enrolled in a clinical trial in Mali to compare three different malaria treatment regimens earlier this month – a historic event as pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies are seldom included in clinical trials despite being more vulnerable to several illnesses. But there is growing momentum for including […] Continue reading -> International Development Assistance for Fossil Fuel Projects Surged 80% in 2023 08/10/2025 Stefan Anderson Development funding for fossil fuel-based energy projects jumped 80 per cent in 2023 to $9.5bn, up from $5.3bn in 2022, even as toxic air causes more than 8m premature deaths annually, according to a new report. Governments continue to channel billions more in international aid into projects that prolong fossil fuel use than into tackling […] Continue reading -> ‘Critical’ to Complete Pandemic Agreement by UN Meeting in 2026 15/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Amid rising disease threats, it is “critical” that the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a completed pandemic agreement to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in 2026, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom told member states at the start of negotiations on the final outstanding annex to the […] Continue reading -> New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Working to Make Africa Attractive for Global Clinical Trials 31/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan Although 18% of the world’s population lives in Africa, only 3% of clinical trials are conducted on the continent – and the ambition is to increase this percentage to 15% by 2035. But this requires substantial improvements across several aspects – including more innovative trial designs and better use of digital tools – the subject […] Continue reading -> Drive to Include Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women and Children in Clinical Trials 17/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan The first pregnant woman with malaria was enrolled in a clinical trial in Mali to compare three different malaria treatment regimens earlier this month – a historic event as pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies are seldom included in clinical trials despite being more vulnerable to several illnesses. But there is growing momentum for including […] Continue reading -> International Development Assistance for Fossil Fuel Projects Surged 80% in 2023 08/10/2025 Stefan Anderson Development funding for fossil fuel-based energy projects jumped 80 per cent in 2023 to $9.5bn, up from $5.3bn in 2022, even as toxic air causes more than 8m premature deaths annually, according to a new report. Governments continue to channel billions more in international aid into projects that prolong fossil fuel use than into tackling […] Continue reading -> ‘Critical’ to Complete Pandemic Agreement by UN Meeting in 2026 15/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Amid rising disease threats, it is “critical” that the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a completed pandemic agreement to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in 2026, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom told member states at the start of negotiations on the final outstanding annex to the […] Continue reading -> New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Drive to Include Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women and Children in Clinical Trials 17/10/2025 Kerry Cullinan The first pregnant woman with malaria was enrolled in a clinical trial in Mali to compare three different malaria treatment regimens earlier this month – a historic event as pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies are seldom included in clinical trials despite being more vulnerable to several illnesses. But there is growing momentum for including […] Continue reading -> International Development Assistance for Fossil Fuel Projects Surged 80% in 2023 08/10/2025 Stefan Anderson Development funding for fossil fuel-based energy projects jumped 80 per cent in 2023 to $9.5bn, up from $5.3bn in 2022, even as toxic air causes more than 8m premature deaths annually, according to a new report. Governments continue to channel billions more in international aid into projects that prolong fossil fuel use than into tackling […] Continue reading -> ‘Critical’ to Complete Pandemic Agreement by UN Meeting in 2026 15/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Amid rising disease threats, it is “critical” that the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a completed pandemic agreement to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in 2026, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom told member states at the start of negotiations on the final outstanding annex to the […] Continue reading -> New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
International Development Assistance for Fossil Fuel Projects Surged 80% in 2023 08/10/2025 Stefan Anderson Development funding for fossil fuel-based energy projects jumped 80 per cent in 2023 to $9.5bn, up from $5.3bn in 2022, even as toxic air causes more than 8m premature deaths annually, according to a new report. Governments continue to channel billions more in international aid into projects that prolong fossil fuel use than into tackling […] Continue reading -> ‘Critical’ to Complete Pandemic Agreement by UN Meeting in 2026 15/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Amid rising disease threats, it is “critical” that the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a completed pandemic agreement to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in 2026, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom told member states at the start of negotiations on the final outstanding annex to the […] Continue reading -> New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
‘Critical’ to Complete Pandemic Agreement by UN Meeting in 2026 15/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Amid rising disease threats, it is “critical” that the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a completed pandemic agreement to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in 2026, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom told member states at the start of negotiations on the final outstanding annex to the […] Continue reading -> New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
New Proposal to Empower Developing Country Manufacturers During Pandemics 02/09/2025 Kerry Cullinan Regulating pharmaceutical companies that manufacture essential health products during a public health emergency is a key flashpoint between developed and developing countries ahead of the final round of talks on the pandemic agreement. This is evident in some of the 17 submissions made to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Working Group (IGWG), which is coordinating the final […] Continue reading -> WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
WHO Junior Staff at Risk as Pressure Mounts to Protect Top Jobs In Budget Cuts 26/08/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher There is mounting rage amongst World Health Organization’s (WHO) staff about planned workforce reductions, as new financial data suggests that low- and mid-level personnel are bearing the brunt of cuts—while high-ranking executives, whose real costs far exceed their published salaries, remain largely protected. In an email to WHO staff last week, WHO Director General Dr […] Continue reading -> China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
China Ties Manufacturers’ Access to Pathogen Information to Host Country’s Commitment to Pandemic Agreement 19/08/2025 Kerry Cullinan China has suggested that the access pharmaceutical manufacturers get to information about dangerous pathogens should be “contingent” on their home country being a party to the Pandemic Agreement recently adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This will encourage World Health Organization (WHO) member states to ratify the agreement in their respective countries, but it […] Continue reading -> UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail Again After Overnight Deadlock 15/08/2025 Stefan Anderson GENEVA — Negotiations over a United Nations (UN) treaty to combat the plastic pollution crisis ended in failure early Friday morning, as 183 nations were unable to bridge vast divides over production limits, toxic chemicals and financing after three years of diplomacy. Norway officially announced the failure at 7am Geneva time after a final overtime […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts