UN Declaration on Pandemic Readiness Appears Headed for General Assembly Approval 25/09/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher A High-Level Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response appeared likely to win approval by the United Nations General Assembly, but only later in the Assembly calendar. Objections by the United States and a few other states appeared to block a consensus agreement on the draft text at Friday’s high-profile UN HLM debate, pushing the […] Continue reading -> As WHO Nominations For Next Director-General Close, Six Contenders Emerge – But More May Remain Under Seal 25/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> After US Embassy Monitors Went Offline, Air Pollution Spiked in Parts of Africa and Asia 24/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy 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 -> EXCLUSIVE: Spain to Nominate María Neira as Candidate for WHO Director-General 23/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Spain has officially submitted Dr María Neira’s nomination for the WHO Director-General election ahead of Thursday’s statutory deadline, sources close to the matter told Health Policy Watch. The submission expands the candidate pool by introducing a focus on primary prevention and climate-related health risks to the race. Before Neira’s nomination, a coalition representing over 100 […] Continue reading -> As Deadline Nears, Civil Society Urges Spain to Nominate María Neira in WHO DG Election 21/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Outbreak: The Vast Mobilisation That Doesn’t Measure Itself (Part II) 21/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila The world has ridden fast to rescue DRC from Ebola. But four months on, nobody can say for sure how many agencies are responding, how many people they employ, how much money has arrived, or what it bought. There are, however, coordinators galore. But the virus is still outwitting them. Time and again, we learn […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
As WHO Nominations For Next Director-General Close, Six Contenders Emerge – But More May Remain Under Seal 25/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> After US Embassy Monitors Went Offline, Air Pollution Spiked in Parts of Africa and Asia 24/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy 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 -> EXCLUSIVE: Spain to Nominate María Neira as Candidate for WHO Director-General 23/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Spain has officially submitted Dr María Neira’s nomination for the WHO Director-General election ahead of Thursday’s statutory deadline, sources close to the matter told Health Policy Watch. The submission expands the candidate pool by introducing a focus on primary prevention and climate-related health risks to the race. Before Neira’s nomination, a coalition representing over 100 […] Continue reading -> As Deadline Nears, Civil Society Urges Spain to Nominate María Neira in WHO DG Election 21/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Outbreak: The Vast Mobilisation That Doesn’t Measure Itself (Part II) 21/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila The world has ridden fast to rescue DRC from Ebola. But four months on, nobody can say for sure how many agencies are responding, how many people they employ, how much money has arrived, or what it bought. There are, however, coordinators galore. But the virus is still outwitting them. Time and again, we learn […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
After US Embassy Monitors Went Offline, Air Pollution Spiked in Parts of Africa and Asia 24/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy 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 -> EXCLUSIVE: Spain to Nominate María Neira as Candidate for WHO Director-General 23/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Spain has officially submitted Dr María Neira’s nomination for the WHO Director-General election ahead of Thursday’s statutory deadline, sources close to the matter told Health Policy Watch. The submission expands the candidate pool by introducing a focus on primary prevention and climate-related health risks to the race. Before Neira’s nomination, a coalition representing over 100 […] Continue reading -> As Deadline Nears, Civil Society Urges Spain to Nominate María Neira in WHO DG Election 21/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Outbreak: The Vast Mobilisation That Doesn’t Measure Itself (Part II) 21/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila The world has ridden fast to rescue DRC from Ebola. But four months on, nobody can say for sure how many agencies are responding, how many people they employ, how much money has arrived, or what it bought. There are, however, coordinators galore. But the virus is still outwitting them. Time and again, we learn […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
EXCLUSIVE: Spain to Nominate María Neira as Candidate for WHO Director-General 23/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen Spain has officially submitted Dr María Neira’s nomination for the WHO Director-General election ahead of Thursday’s statutory deadline, sources close to the matter told Health Policy Watch. The submission expands the candidate pool by introducing a focus on primary prevention and climate-related health risks to the race. Before Neira’s nomination, a coalition representing over 100 […] Continue reading -> As Deadline Nears, Civil Society Urges Spain to Nominate María Neira in WHO DG Election 21/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Outbreak: The Vast Mobilisation That Doesn’t Measure Itself (Part II) 21/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila The world has ridden fast to rescue DRC from Ebola. But four months on, nobody can say for sure how many agencies are responding, how many people they employ, how much money has arrived, or what it bought. There are, however, coordinators galore. But the virus is still outwitting them. Time and again, we learn […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
As Deadline Nears, Civil Society Urges Spain to Nominate María Neira in WHO DG Election 21/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen 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 -> DRC’s Ebola Outbreak: The Vast Mobilisation That Doesn’t Measure Itself (Part II) 21/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila The world has ridden fast to rescue DRC from Ebola. But four months on, nobody can say for sure how many agencies are responding, how many people they employ, how much money has arrived, or what it bought. There are, however, coordinators galore. But the virus is still outwitting them. Time and again, we learn […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
DRC’s Ebola Outbreak: The Vast Mobilisation That Doesn’t Measure Itself (Part II) 21/09/2026 Mukesh Kapila The world has ridden fast to rescue DRC from Ebola. But four months on, nobody can say for sure how many agencies are responding, how many people they employ, how much money has arrived, or what it bought. There are, however, coordinators galore. But the virus is still outwitting them. Time and again, we learn […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum 21/09/2026 Health Policy Watch As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord’s architects warns that delays could put the process itself at risk. “I think it’s quite risky to have a too-long negotiation because that means that we will lose diplomats and public health experts who were involved at the very beginning,” said […] Continue reading -> The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
The Digital Campaigns Shaping Candidates’ Messages in Race for WHO Director-General 18/09/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen The race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) is intensifying. Early digital campaign data reveals an active contest to capture the pivotal African vote and outreach to established United States, European Union and corporate networks. While the full field of contenders is still taking shape ahead of the formal nomination deadline, digital engagement metrics […] Continue reading -> US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
US Medicare Pricing Policies Could Drive Global Costs and Hinder Access Worldwide 18/09/2026 Sophia Samantaroy A new modelling study suggests that US Medicare “Most-Favored-Nation” policies on drug prices would cut Medicare spending on brand-name drugs, but potentially incentivize companies to increase prices or delay new drug launches elsewhere. Efforts to control the cost of government spending on drugs culminated in a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) policy, a Trump administration initiative which ties […] Continue reading -> Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts
Controversy, Secrecy and Suffering after Year One of the America First Global Health Strategy 18/09/2026 Kerry Cullinan Country controversies, secret terms, opaque procurement, and massive unspent Congressional funds have characterised the first year of the America First Global Health Strategy.. “Services are weaker than they were a year ago, HIV testing is down, treatment of children living with HIV is down, and community-based prevention is gutted,” said Emily Bass, expert consultant for […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older posts