Dr Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health, will take on an additional role in the Administration of US President Donald Trump as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long seen as a leading reference point for public health policy not only in the US but worldwide. […] Continue reading ->
As the mandate of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus approaches its expiration in August 2027, the high-stakes manoeuvring for the next Director-General (DG) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has intensified in the halls of Geneva and capital cities worldwide. While the official call for nominations is expected in April 2026 and no candidate has formally […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the decision of the US states of California, Illinois, New York and New York City to join its Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). GOARN is a global network of public health institutions, governments, academic bodies and laboratories that helps to detect and control infectious disease outbreaks […] Continue reading ->
Powerful member state blocs at the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Monday that they will not compromise on the final outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement simply to meet the May deadline. The Group of Equity and the WHO’s Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia regions stated that they wanted a Pathogen Access and […] Continue reading ->
The US House of Representatives passed a more than $1 trillion spending package, bringing an end to a five-day partial government shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding. Among the allocations is a $9.42 billion package for global health programs – signaling strong bipartisan support and maintaining significant global health aid. The Fiscal Year 2026 […] Continue reading ->
Ongoing conflicts and vaccine hesitancy are undermining efforts to immunize all children, according to a report tabled at the World Health Organization’s Executive Board meeting. Over 120 million people were displaced by conflicts in 2024 alone, according to the WHO. Countries will have to put in significant efforts to achieve the 2030 target of averting […] Continue reading ->
Countries are significantly off track in meeting global targets set to transform mental health systems, according to the latest Director-General report tabled at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Executive Board meeting. Around 1.1 billion people were estimated to be living with a mental health disorder, according to the latest WHO data available for 2021. Financial […] Continue reading ->
Israel has called for a “brave conceptual overhaul” of the World Health Organization (WHO) following the recent withdrawal of the United States, warning that it too is under pressure to leave the global body. Claiming that the WHO has become “too politicised”, Israel told the body’s Executive Board (EB) meeting on Monday that, “in Israel, […] Continue reading ->
One year after the United States announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, a former WHO Headquarters Staff Association President reflects on how presence, governance, and leadership shape influence in global health. In January 2024, I stood before the WHO’s Executive Board, chaired by Qatar’s Minister of Health, Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari. I […] Continue reading ->
The United States said Thursday that it had officially completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). But WHO member states are not obliged to accept the US departure as legally binding until it pays up on some $260.6 million in dues owed for 2024- and 2025, WHO’s Director General contends in a report […] Continue reading ->