Global Health

By: Shyam Bishen Health was a major focus in 2024, shaping global news and driving key discussions at the World Economic Forum. From climate change health impacts to the rise of antimicrobial resistance and improving health equity for women, here are 6 top health stories of the year. 1. The impact of climate change on health Our 2024 report Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health, in association with Oliver Wyman, explored how climate change will reshape global health over the next two decades. Failing to mitigate and adapt to climate change will pose our greatest global risk, according to the report, with shifting climate and weather patterns already causing alarming trends. These include rising pathogens, increased pollution, worsening extreme ...

GHealth News - The World Health Organization said on Friday it is deploying experts to support health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate an as-yet undiagnosed disease linked to multiple deaths in a remote area of the country. The WHO experts are on their way to Panzi, a locality in the southwestern Kwango province, where they will deliver essential medicines and diagnostic kits to help analyse the cause of the illness. Laboratory tests are being conducted to determine the cause, the WHO said, adding that it would share more information as soon as it was available. "Our priority is to provide effective support to the affected families and communities," said Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa. "All efforts are underway to identify...

Bill Gates is constantly asked for his thoughts on big topics like artificial intelligence, climate change and pandemics. But there are other topics the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist finds just as interesting and important — and he’s “surprised” more people aren’t asking about them. “When I first said, ‘What do kids die of?’ I had a hard time finding out, and I would have thought, ‘Shouldn’t we all be asking that kind of thing?’” Gates, 69, told LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman during an episode of the “Possible” podcast that published on Wednesday. “It’s more important than GDP (Gross Domestic Product)." Similarly, Gates said, he often thinks about questions like “How does malnutrition work?” and “What’s the best way to understand diseases?” — even though th...

In a powerful demonstration of high-level support, the World Health Organization (WHO) received nearly US$ 700 million in new funding commitments from European countries, foundations and others, and another US$ 300 million in reaffirmed commitments. Announced at the WHO Investment Round Signature Event at the World Health Summit in Berlin hosted by Germany, France, and Norway, the commitments highlighted the urgent need for investments in the Organization’s mission to improve health outcomes worldwide. The world’s global health strategy, WHO's Fourteenth General Programme of Work 2025-2028, was approved by WHO’s 194 Member States at the World Health Assembly in May. The Organization’s first ever Investment Round, also launched at the Assembly, aims to ensure that WHO has the predicta...

Violence is a reality for half of the world’s children; 1 billion experience physical, emotional, and sexual abuse every year. Experiencing violence is not only a violation of children's rights, it also increases the risk of mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, and social problems such as criminal activity and substance abuse.  Violence does more than harm individual children; it undermines the fabric of our society. It makes it harder for children to build happy, healthy lives and costs the global economy billions of dollars each year. To address this global tragedy, the Governments of Colombia and Sweden, in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretar...

The WHO Regional Committee for Europe is WHO's decision-making body in the European Region. It comprises representatives of each Member State in the Region, and meets in October each year. At these annual sessions, Member States: formulate regional policies; supervise WHO/Europe's activities; comment on the regional component of WHO's proposed programme budget; every five years, nominate the Regional Director for Europe and transmit their decision to the WHO Executive Board for endorsement. Link: https://www.who.int/europe/about-us/governance/regional-committee

GHealth News - From 13-15 October, global health experts from around the world are gathering in Berlin to attend the World Health Summit under the motto: "Building Trust for a Healthier World". The annual summit is organized in Germany every year discussing different global health issues, where ministers, government officials and youth come to share their thoughts and ideas for a better future for all. Below are different photos that were taken for the 1st day. For more photos and info, just visit the link below: https://www.worldhealthsummit.org/

By: Damien de Walque Obesity is a major risk factor for a range of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and various types of cancer. Worldwide, its prevalence has been growing, becoming a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in countries of all income levels, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.  Figure 1 Figure 2 A new generation of diabetes drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), including semaglutides such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been clinically proven to help with weight loss and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These drugs have been described as game changers. Despite supply constraints and their high prices (ranging from $215-1300/month in the US, depending on rebates and insurance cove...

GHealth News - The World Health Organization is taking part in the Paris Olympics in multiple fields, supporting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and France to help make the world’s leading sport spectacle, which officially starts this Friday, healthy and safe for spectators and athletes alike. “Just as athletes and fans around the world have been preparing for the Paris Olympics, WHO has been working with the IOC and the Government of France to make sure these Games are healthy and safe for everyone involved,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “From promoting physical activity to protecting people from a range of health threats, WHO has been proud to play its part in making the Paris Olympics a success.” WHO and the IOC, close partners through a memor...

Shedding light on issues ranging from childhood survival to educational attainment and exposure to violence, a global dashboard will help policymakers, the health community and the public track progress on some of the critical factors influencing children’s health and their futures. Currently, 4.9 million children aged under 5 years die every year, with nearly half of these babies in their very first month of life. Based on current trends, 59 countries will miss the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target for under-5 deaths. During the 77th World Health Assembly, noting these statistics, countries committed to accelerate actions to improve maternal and child health and survival (Resolution WHA 77/5). Data is critical for these efforts, helpi...