Syria is looking to rebuild its healthcare system after a 14-year long civil war that left at least 300,000 dead and 70% of its population dependent on humanitarian aid. But the new government faces a major challenge in ensuring the safety of minority groups, along with access to healthcare and humanitarian aid. The primarily Druze […] Continue reading ->
Plastics are a “grave, growing and under-recognised danger” to people and the planet, causing “disease and death” from infancy to old age, a landmark review has found. The Lancet Plastics Countdown, published as diplomats from around the world arrived in Geneva on Monday for the overtime round of talks on a global plastics treaty, estimates […] Continue reading ->
As South Africa marks Women’s Month this August, the global health community is preparing to spotlight the vital role women play in tackling tuberculosis—often in overlooked and underfunded areas of research, care, and advocacy. A special webinar, hosted by Global Health Strategies, the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, and Health Policy Watch, will recognize and […] Continue reading ->
Delhi and other Indian cities should replace the one-size-fits-all air quality index (AQI) with a city-specific health index focused on premature death risks, a new study recommends. NEW DELHI – Almost three-quarters of the world’s top 100 most-polluted cities are in India, but does its widely used air quality index (AQI) adequately warn people of […] Continue reading ->
A clear global strategy is needed to “counter vaccine misinformation from the United States” (US), Heidi Larson and Simon Piatek write in The Lancet this week. This should be based on ensuring the independence of scientific institutions that deal with vaccines and the regulation of digital platforms to “address cross-border health harms”, they argue. Global […] Continue reading ->
Amid protests over the weakening of the political declaration for the UN High Level Meeting on NCDs, one huge issue was omitted from the start: oral health. As United Nations (UN) Member States navigate negotiations for the political declaration of the 2025 United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), a familiar and […] Continue reading ->
Uganda has been hard-hit by the withdrawal of aid by the United States, but women’s groups are helping to support crucial gender-based violence initiatives in refugee settlements. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. The small clinic in northern Uganda’s Obongi District sits at the end of a dusty road, its tin roof […] Continue reading ->
As health actors meet this week in Brasilia to refine a Health Action Plan for COP30, ending relationships with PR firms that engage with fossil fuel producers is one concrete step both civil society and UN actors could take now, two leading global health actors argue. The call is the more urgent in light of […] Continue reading ->
Taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks offer African countries the opportunity to regain their “sovereignty” in response to the collapse of donor funding, according to a new report on health financing compiled by Vital Strategies. Vital CEO Mary-Ann Etiebet described the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) fueled by these unhealthy products as a “burning […] Continue reading ->
Digital tests based on speech and smell are being developed to screen for cognitive decline, researchers told the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto. Two speech apps are already some way down the road, testing several markers including speech speed, vocabulary and rhythm in different languages to establish a baseline for testing, a session convened […] Continue reading ->