The United States has unlocked frozen Gavi funding, resolving a bitter political impasse in Washington while doubling down against the WHO. But can the alliance eliminate thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, from its stockpiles without leaving millions of vulnerable children unprotected? The United States will immediately release $600 million for fiscal years 2025–2026 in frozen Gavi […] Continue reading ->
Luis Pizarro, Unitaid’s newly-appointed Executive Director comes to the organization with sizeable depth and breadth of experience – as the leader of Geneva’s Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) and before that, leadership of ventures in Africa, Asia and the Americas. However, his main challenge at Unitaid will be steadying the financially troubled organization, which […] Continue reading ->
When the African Medicines Agency became operational in Kigali in October 2025, it inherited one of the continent’s most difficult health-policy problems: how to make medicines regulation faster, more trusted and less fragmented across 55 African Union member states. For years, African countries have relied on a patchwork of national regulators, regional harmonisation initiatives, WHO […] Continue reading ->
France has adopted a strict youth social media ban for minors under 15, taking effect in September. But major enforcement hurdles remain, as lawmakers stripped the bill of direct platform sanctions to avoid clashing with European Union rules. The law also faces a constitutional review over the fundamental rights of children and parents. Minors under […] Continue reading ->
World leaders recommitted to reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030 at the United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Road Safety this week – including by introducing measurable national targets, timelines and budgets.  However, the United States voted against the UN consensus progress declaration adopted on Monday afternoon, while all […] Continue reading ->
Two practical – and contrary – proposals were tabled at pandemic talks last week, detailing how information about dangerous pathogens should be shared. Health Policy Watch is sharing the two options – Africa’s Federated Model and the European Union’s Hybrid Model – to enable all interested parties to interrogate them before the next round of talks from 14-18 […] Continue reading ->
Two largely opposing proposals for a pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) system – the last outstanding piece of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Pandemic Agreement – were tabled during the seventh round of negotiations, which ended on Friday. Africa consolidated behind a “federated” model, while the European Union and its developed-country allies backed a “hybrid” […] Continue reading ->
Unitaid is quietly searching for its next leader behind closed doors amidst growing demands for transparency. Whoever takes the helm of the market-shaping agency will inherit an organisation that faces acute financial shortfalls and mounting pressure for institutional reform. As Unitaid celebrates its 20th anniversary, severe cuts to the agency’s funding threaten to disrupt the […] Continue reading ->