The World Health Organization says it is making contingency preparations for a possible Israeli incursion into the Gazan city of Rafah. The city hugging the Egyptian border remains under the control of the militant Palestinian Hamas government, nearly four months after Israel’s devastating invasion that followed a Hamas assault October 7 on some 22 Israeli […] Continue reading ->
 Evergreening patents on medical products – extending the lifespan of patents that are about to expire – is an “abuse of the intellectual property system”, an HIV activist told the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Fair Pricing Forum on Thursday. Meanwhile, an industry representative laid out her company’s value-based, country-specific approach to improving access to medicines, […] Continue reading ->
The United Nations estimates that 363 million people are currently impacted by humanitarian crises driven by increasing fragility and conflict, the climate crisis and widening inequality. Around 108.4 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2022, meaning one in every 74 persons globally. Humanitarian crises, such as those occurring in Ukraine, Gaza, Libya, […] Continue reading ->
WHO Executive Board delegates on Thursday gave the green light to a draft proposal by Switzerland cementing the framework for a new WHO “Health for Peace” initiative. The move marked a bright spot in a day otherwise marked by heated debates over regional conflicts, including Gaza and  Ukraine.  The Health and Peace initiative was first […] Continue reading ->
Discussion about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) opened a Pandora’s Box of problems at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) executive board meeting on Wednesday. Not a single country is on track to achieve all nine voluntary global NCD targets for 2025, according to the Director-General’s report, which appealed to member countries for input on how they can […] Continue reading ->
Climate and conflict-related malnutrition in the Horn of Africa, rising gender-based violence in Haiti and attacks on medical facilities are some of the challenges facing the World Health Organization (WHO) as it seeks $1.5 billion to finance its emergency response. “For those facing emergencies, disruptions to essential health services often mean the difference between life […] Continue reading ->
The world is world is “plagued” by a duo of dangerous crises: climate and conflict, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) ahead of its annual meeting, in Davos starting on Monday. “Underlying geopolitical tensions combined with the eruption of active hostilities in multiple regions is contributing to an unstable global order characterised by polarising […] Continue reading ->