The Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response was not approved by consensus by the United Nations General Assembly, and is likely to be put to a vote at a later stage on the UN calendar. Objections by the United States and a few other states appeared to block a consensus agreement on the […] Continue reading ->
World leaders on Thursday approved the first United Nations declaration on sea level rise, affirming that nations losing land to the ocean will keep their statehood and maritime rights, as a new UN report warned that up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050. Championed by small island states, the declaration affirms a […] Continue reading ->
Following the statutory WHO nomination deadline for the next Director-General, six candidates have now been publicly declared on the agency’s prospective candidate page. While oncologist Dr Gevorg Tamamyan has been proposed in a cross-regional nomination by Botswana, sources with knowledge of the process said Gavi CEO Dr Sania Nishtar was reportedly not nominated by Pakistan. […] Continue reading ->
New research found that after the US administration suspended its embassy air pollution monitoring initiative, air pollution increased by 23-33%, particularly in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where reliable monitoring data is scarce. The US’s abrupt shutdown of its embassy air pollution monitoring program in 2025 hit regions with little publicly available data the hardest, […] Continue reading ->
Climate change and deforestation have intensified wildfires in the Amazon. Volunteer brigades have become an essential part of integrated fire management. The loud crackles of burning twigs are the first to hit. Then, the scorched smell. Soon afterwards, columns of white and yellow smoke emerge, so thick they look solid. On the ground, flames as […] Continue reading ->
With Thursday’s 24 September deadline looming, international scientific societies and civil society leaders are pushing Spain to sponsor a last-minute nomination of Dr María Neira as candidate in the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General election. Neira is WHO’s former Director for Environment, Climate Change and Health, and her nomination has been endorsed by Nobel Peace […] Continue reading ->
A new CDC research center aims to better understand the possible health effects of those 21 years or younger at the time of their 9/11 exposure. For the past two decades, the World Trade Center (WTC) health program has pioneered research exploring the health effects of people exposed to the toxic dust and trauma of […] Continue reading ->
Record heat in August this year has made it the joint warmest month alongside July 2023. It was also the first month since November 2025 when global temperatures were 1.65°C higher than the pre-industrial level baseline, shooting the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C yet again. In its latest update, Copernicus, the […] Continue reading ->
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 ->
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 ->