At a laboratory in Cameroon, technicians receive sputum samples from people suspected of having tuberculosis (TB). Until recently, each person’s sample required a separate test cartridge to detect the bacteria that causes TB. But when cartridges become scarce, the country’s National TB Program found a way to make existing resources go further: testing samples from […] Continue reading ->
A polio-free Africa is within reach, but only if we make it a priority. Ending the disease will not only protect our children, but it will also strengthen our health systems and safeguard us against future threats. The Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, with several cases of polio lurking in the shadows, remains an instructive […] Continue reading ->
On this International Day of Rural Women (15 October), countries need to commit to addressing the disparity between health services in urban and rural areas Despite significant improvements in maternal health globally over the last few decades, where a woman lives can still determine whether she gets the health care she needs. For millions of […] Continue reading ->
The WHO lists Germany as its largest donor in 2020-21 and second largest since. Those days are ending. The Bundestag is considering a 2027 budget that grows by almost 6%, mostly for defence, while cutting the health ministry’s operational fund to strengthen international health by 15.3%, from €55.9 million to €47.33 million. Of the $262 […] Continue reading ->
I sought to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) because the rules of intelligence are becoming the rules of health. My name will not be on the ballot. The responsibility remains. I will now work to organise the political and economic power needed to put intelligence at the service of humanity – and to keep […] Continue reading ->
ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK – The oxygen mask slipped from three-month-old Ahmad Zaid’s face. He was in his father’s arms, in front of a closed Israeli military gate blocking the road between Deir Ammar refugee camp, northwest of Ramallah, where the family lives, and the city of Ramallah, with a hospital the family was desperate to […] Continue reading ->
Progress towards global nutrition targets is too slow, and rising food prices threaten to put healthy diets even further out of reach for many, according to the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World published recently by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Even before delivery systems began to strain under the […] Continue reading ->
Lisa Sama is a 19-year-old medical student in Cameroon. As far back as she can remember, she has lived with asthma, and in recent years, she has turned her attention to the role that air pollution plays in her health. “From the very beginning, my life involved inhalers, medication, hospital visits, and many sleepless nights. […] Continue reading ->
As the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confronts its 17th and fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, a troubling warning is emerging from community networks in Ituri province. These networks, which support people living with HIV, are reporting an unexpected number of deaths among people living with HIV. The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) […] Continue reading ->
There have been documented decreases in female genital mutilation (FGM) rates in West Africa – declines not granted by governments, but fought for community by community by survivors, activists, and even former practitioners. In July 2025, that fight produced a landmark ruling: the ECOWAS Court of Justice found that Sierra Leone’s failure to protect girls […] Continue reading ->