EU is Failing to Stem Illegal Tobacco Trade and Rising Health Risks, Auditors Warn 08/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Fragmented enforcement and uncoordinated policies fail to stem the illegal tobacco trade in Europe, a new report by the EU Court of Auditors finds. The surge of unregulated novel nicotine products and a shift toward illegal manufacturing sites expose significant regulatory gaps. The auditors demand that Brussels take a more active role to establish a […] Continue reading -> US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> More Evidence of Link Between Smoking and Infertility 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The risk of infertility is 1.4 times higher in women who smoke, according to a systematic review of studies conducted between 2000 and 2026, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released on Tuesday. “This means that if the risk of infertility is 15% for women who do not smoke, then 21% will experience […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> As Fires Increase, It Will Be Harder to Meet WHO Clean Air Standards 07/09/2026 Disha Shetty Meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines will become progressively more difficult, as fires are expected to increase in the future, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report also draws attention to the complex relationship between air quality and climate change, showing how poor air quality – […] Continue reading -> The World Has Better HIV Tools Than Ever. So Why Is Ending AIDS Getting Harder? 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “We have better tools now. We can, if we work together and work better, we can conquer AIDS.” For Dr. Magda Robalo, a public health physician and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau, the science behind the HIV response has advanced dramatically, but the social and political environment surrounding the disease may be moving in […] Continue reading -> Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
US to Phase Out HIV Support for Namibia After Data-Sharing Impasse 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The United States will no longer fund Namibia’s HIV programme after 2027, following an impasse over data- and information-sharing terms required by the US for a longer aid package. The joint US-Namibia announcement frames the one-year aid phase-out as “recognition of Namibia’s historic achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control and surpassing global targets”. The US will […] Continue reading -> More Evidence of Link Between Smoking and Infertility 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The risk of infertility is 1.4 times higher in women who smoke, according to a systematic review of studies conducted between 2000 and 2026, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released on Tuesday. “This means that if the risk of infertility is 15% for women who do not smoke, then 21% will experience […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> As Fires Increase, It Will Be Harder to Meet WHO Clean Air Standards 07/09/2026 Disha Shetty Meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines will become progressively more difficult, as fires are expected to increase in the future, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report also draws attention to the complex relationship between air quality and climate change, showing how poor air quality – […] Continue reading -> The World Has Better HIV Tools Than Ever. So Why Is Ending AIDS Getting Harder? 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “We have better tools now. We can, if we work together and work better, we can conquer AIDS.” For Dr. Magda Robalo, a public health physician and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau, the science behind the HIV response has advanced dramatically, but the social and political environment surrounding the disease may be moving in […] Continue reading -> Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
More Evidence of Link Between Smoking and Infertility 08/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The risk of infertility is 1.4 times higher in women who smoke, according to a systematic review of studies conducted between 2000 and 2026, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released on Tuesday. “This means that if the risk of infertility is 15% for women who do not smoke, then 21% will experience […] Continue reading -> Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> As Fires Increase, It Will Be Harder to Meet WHO Clean Air Standards 07/09/2026 Disha Shetty Meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines will become progressively more difficult, as fires are expected to increase in the future, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report also draws attention to the complex relationship between air quality and climate change, showing how poor air quality – […] Continue reading -> The World Has Better HIV Tools Than Ever. So Why Is Ending AIDS Getting Harder? 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “We have better tools now. We can, if we work together and work better, we can conquer AIDS.” For Dr. Magda Robalo, a public health physician and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau, the science behind the HIV response has advanced dramatically, but the social and political environment surrounding the disease may be moving in […] Continue reading -> Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Sexual and Reproductive Health is ‘On the Frontline’ of Anti-Science Attacks 07/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan The defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are on the frontline of the “heightened hostility to science, fact, and truth, directly facing the anti-science toxic tangles of racism, sexism, and homophobia,” asserted Professor Kate Gilmore, co-chair of the Human Reproduction Programme’s (HRP) Gender and Rights Advisory Panel. HRP is the United Nations instrument […] Continue reading -> As Fires Increase, It Will Be Harder to Meet WHO Clean Air Standards 07/09/2026 Disha Shetty Meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines will become progressively more difficult, as fires are expected to increase in the future, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report also draws attention to the complex relationship between air quality and climate change, showing how poor air quality – […] Continue reading -> The World Has Better HIV Tools Than Ever. So Why Is Ending AIDS Getting Harder? 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “We have better tools now. We can, if we work together and work better, we can conquer AIDS.” For Dr. Magda Robalo, a public health physician and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau, the science behind the HIV response has advanced dramatically, but the social and political environment surrounding the disease may be moving in […] Continue reading -> Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
As Fires Increase, It Will Be Harder to Meet WHO Clean Air Standards 07/09/2026 Disha Shetty Meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines will become progressively more difficult, as fires are expected to increase in the future, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report also draws attention to the complex relationship between air quality and climate change, showing how poor air quality – […] Continue reading -> The World Has Better HIV Tools Than Ever. So Why Is Ending AIDS Getting Harder? 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “We have better tools now. We can, if we work together and work better, we can conquer AIDS.” For Dr. Magda Robalo, a public health physician and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau, the science behind the HIV response has advanced dramatically, but the social and political environment surrounding the disease may be moving in […] Continue reading -> Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
The World Has Better HIV Tools Than Ever. So Why Is Ending AIDS Getting Harder? 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “We have better tools now. We can, if we work together and work better, we can conquer AIDS.” For Dr. Magda Robalo, a public health physician and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau, the science behind the HIV response has advanced dramatically, but the social and political environment surrounding the disease may be moving in […] Continue reading -> Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control 05/09/2026 Health Policy Watch “When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.” That is how Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication, explains why eliminating a disease requires a fundamentally different level of ambition than simply controlling it. Speaking on […] Continue reading -> BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
BREAKING: Germany Declines to Nominate Candidate for Upcoming WHO Director-General Election 04/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Germany has declined to put forward a candidate for the election of the next WHO Director-General. With Spain also reportedly ruling out a bid, the global field of candidates has only four official nominees just a few weeks before the deadline. Germany will not nominate a candidate for the post of WHO Director-General, Health Policy […] Continue reading -> Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Controversy Over Merger Between UN Women and UNFPA Continues 04/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Women’s organisations are anxious that Secretary-General António Guterres will push the controversial proposed merger of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women at the UN General Assembly later this month. Guterres proposed the merger as part of his UN80 initiative, aimed at streamlining and cutting costs as the global body tries to recover from […] Continue reading -> Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Indonesian Wildfires Cause Air Pollution Levels to Rise to Hazardous Levels in Southeast Asia 04/09/2026 Disha Shetty Millions of people in Southeast Asia are currently exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution as the large-scale haze caused by Indonesian wildfires crosses boundaries, leading to cancelled outdoor activities and school closures. Indonesia alone has recorded 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August this year, according to […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts