Paul Belcher FRCP MFPH Hon 🇪🇺🇬🇧

What went right this week: the good news that matters Renewables overtook coal, a report revealed how to feed 10 billion, and the ‘European green capital’ was revealed, plus more good news

#PositiveNews: What went right this week

🍃 #Renewables overtook coal for the first time representing a “historic shift” in the global #Energy transition.

🥗 New #Food report says it is possible to feed 10 billion people while keeping within planetary boundaries.

www.positive.news/environment/...

Commission to probe reports that Orbán’s spies targeted EU officials in Brussels Hungary’s current European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi was in charge of the country’s embassy at the time of the allegations.

#EU to probe #spying allegations involving Hungarian EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi

www.politico.eu/article/orba...

Worth your time, this

US ‘undermining global health’ by threatening to strip funding from aid projects that do not fit its political agenda Trump administration reported to be planning expansion of ‘global gag rule’ to halt any initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion

🇺🇸US ‘undermining #globalhealth’ by threatening to strip funding from aid projects that do not fit its political agenda

Plan to expand #GlobalGag rule to halt any initiative promoting #diversity, #equity and #inclusion “to include vast swathes of #healthcare”

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

The far-right and health: an evolving political crisis Across Europe and North America, racism, xenophobia, and far-right nationalism have become normalised in public and political discourse, leading many people to feel anxiety and fear of violence, discr...

📝 Editorial - The #FarRight and health: an evolving political crisis

“This developing political crisis is having a pervasive and devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of health workers and scientists, as well as the general population.”

@thelancet.com

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Extra year delay to EU law will increase deforestation, chocolate firms warn A group of Europe's leading chocolate makers — including Nestlé, Mars and Ferrero — have condemned the EU Commission’s plans to delay the bloc’s landmark anti-deforestation law by another year, warnin...

🇪🇺 Chocolate manufacturers join opposition to #EU’s new #Deregulation agenda

Industry warns that delaying the bloc’s landmark anti-deforestation law would “put forests worldwide at risk.”

euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...

@olivierhoedeman.bsky.social @corporateeurope.org

The far-right and health: an evolving political crisis Across Europe and North America, racism, xenophobia, and far-right nationalism have become normalised in public and political discourse, leading many people to feel anxiety and fear of violence, discr...

📝 Editorial - The #FarRight and health: an evolving political crisis

“This developing political crisis is having a pervasive and devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of health workers and scientists, as well as the general population.”

@thelancet.com

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Mum's anti-chemotherapy views influenced Paloma Shemirani's death Paloma Shemirani died after refusing chemotherapy despite a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

🇬🇧 UK Coroners Court rules that a mum’s anti-chemo views influenced daughter's death

A high-profile #conspiracy theorist and #anti-vaxxer influenced her daughter to reject chemotherapy in favour of #alternativemedicine treatments, which ultimately led to her death

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

EHFG 2025 - Live streaming Join us at the hybrid EHFG 2025 from 30 September - 3 October, and let's explore together how we can heal Europe's fractured social contract for health and well-being!

📺 Live now at #EHFG2025

✅ Unlocking Europe’s leadership in healthcare - Can patient empowerment be the ehfg.live/stage/confer...

Sign in to watch with your email and password ehfg25

#SolidarityInHealth #PatientEmpowerment #DigitalHealth

Indoor Wood Burning in Affluent Areas Problematic for Lung Health Indoor wood burning is linked to declining lung function, with UK data showing rising emissions, increased use among older adults, and concerning health risks for vulnerable populations.

🪵 Affluent effluence: #AirPollution caused by indoor #WoodBurning in wealthier urban areas is increasingly linked to declining #Lung function

New findings presented at @europeanrespsoc.bsky.social congress suggest a rising #PublicHealth threat in Europe

www.emjreviews.com/respiratory/...

‘Planetary health diet’ could save 40,000 deaths a day, landmark report finds Diet allows modest meat consumption and would also slash food-related climate emissions by half, says report by 70 leading experts from 35 countries

The good news: we can pretty much stop the biodiversity crisis and give a massive contribution to dealing with climate change if we moved to a healthy diet. And it would save millions of human lives beside that.

How can policies to help it be contentious?

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

EHFG 2025 - Live streaming Join us at the hybrid EHFG 2025 from 30 September - 3 October, and let's explore together how we can heal Europe's fractured social contract for health and well-being!

📺 Live now at #EHFG2025

✅ Health for people in vulnerable situations: ehfg.live/stage/kursaa...
✅ Defining unmet medical need: what counts? ehfg.live/stage/confer...

Sign in to watch with your email and password ehfg25

#SolidarityInHealth

⏰TODAY at @gasteinforum.bsky.social - High level discussions on:

🔷 Investing in #healthsecurity

🔷Public #healthdiplomacy

With @charlottemar.bsky.social of @eupha.bsky.social

💻 Follow the discussions free online: www.ehfg.org/conference/r...

@fphuk.bsky.social @socsocmed.bsky.social #EHFG2025

🌇 0900 CET TODAY at European Health Forum: #ClimateChange and #HealthInequalities

@eurohealthnet.bsky.social urgently calls for an EU Strategy on Climate and Health which “robustly protects the most vulnerable”

@carocostongs.bsky.social

eurohealthnet.eu/publication/...

⬇️ Join #EHFG2025 online

🌇 0900 CET TODAY at European Health Forum: #ClimateChange and #HealthInequalities

@eurohealthnet.bsky.social urgently calls for an EU Strategy on Climate and Health which “robustly protects the most vulnerable”

@carocostongs.bsky.social

eurohealthnet.eu/publication/...

⬇️ Join #EHFG2025 online

📣 The new #Eurohealth issue explores how Europe can rethink solidarity in health ahead of #EHFG2025

From #genderequity & #MentalHealth to #primarycare & drug transparency ..how can inclusive, community-driven, & sustainable approaches help shape the future?

Read it here➡️ tiny.cc/EurohealthEHFG25

European Health Forum Gastein 30 September - 3 October | Hybrid Conference | Bad Hofgastein, Austria

‼️ Did you know the #EHFG2025 is 🆓 for online participants?

Join discussions on #WomensHealth, #PrimaryHealthcare, #SocialPrescribing, #HealthInequalities, #AI, #LungHealth, #NCDs, #ClimateChange, #HealthSecurity & more!

✍️ Register now: www.ehfg.org

#SolidarityInHealth

Social, green, and arts prescriptions for health

🖼️ Today at 1730 CET: #SocialPrescribing session at European Health Forum Gastein @gasteinforum.bsky.social #EHFG2025

What if your next prescription wasn’t a pill, but a painting class, a community garden, or a walking group?

Organised by @eurohealthnet.bsky.social

www.ehfg.org/conference/p...

EHFG 2025 - Live streaming Join us at the hybrid EHFG 2025 from 30 September - 3 October, and let's explore together how we can heal Europe's fractured social contract for health and well-being!

📺 Live now at #EHFG2025

✅ Women's health 2030 - Closing the gender gap 🔗 buff.ly/3zmZc2V

Sign in with your email and password ehfg25 to watch

Social, green, and arts prescriptions for health

🖼️ Today at 1730 CET: #SocialPrescribing session at European Health Forum Gastein @gasteinforum.bsky.social #EHFG2025

What if your next prescription wasn’t a pill, but a painting class, a community garden, or a walking group?

Organised by @eurohealthnet.bsky.social

www.ehfg.org/conference/p...

Beautiful

🇪🇺 Starts Tuesday: Registered and ready for 2025 European Health Forum Gastein - Are you?

Still time to join #EHFG2025 online: www.ehfg.org/conference/r...

@gasteinforum.bsky.social

🇪🇺 Starts Tuesday: Registered and ready for 2025 European Health Forum Gastein - Are you?

Still time to join #EHFG2025 online: www.ehfg.org/conference/r...

@gasteinforum.bsky.social

Trump post full of misinformation about Tylenol and vaccines

So much nonsense in one post!

Slovakia: Parliament’s approval of draconian constitutional amendments is a step towards erosion of human rights Reacting to news that the Slovak parliament voted today to pass amendments to the constitution that will lead to the recognition of only two genders (male and female), restrict comprehensive sexuality...

🇸🇰 #Slovakia: Parliament approves draconian constitutional amendments which erode #humanrights in direct contradiction with international law

“This is devastating news” for the rights of #LGBTI #Children #Women #Transgender

@amnesty.org @amnestyeu.bsky.social

www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

Slovakia: Parliament’s approval of draconian constitutional amendments is a step towards erosion of human rights Reacting to news that the Slovak parliament voted today to pass amendments to the constitution that will lead to the recognition of only two genders (male and female), restrict comprehensive sexuality...

🇸🇰 #Slovakia: Parliament approves draconian constitutional amendments which erode #humanrights in direct contradiction with international law

“This is devastating news” for the rights of #LGBTI #Children #Women #Transgender

@amnesty.org @amnestyeu.bsky.social

www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

BREAKING: UN Declaration On Noncommunicable Diseases Fails To Win Approval After US Foils Consensus - Health Policy Watch NEW YORK CITY - A painstakingly negotiated Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases with overwhelming support from UN member states failed to win

📣BREAKING: The US blocked a landmark #UN declaration on #NCDs, objecting to language on gender, taxes, and UN “overreach.”

💪But 130+ countries still back it — with goals to cut tobacco use, expand hypertension control, and provide mental health access to 150M more people by 2030.

📖⬇️ & 🙏🔁

New CDOH documentary upcoming on 3rd Nov, led by the redoubtable @maizie333.bsky.social ...

Commission eyes levy on highly-processed food | Euractiv "We can influence choices and this is what I think we should be doing," EU health chief Olivér Várhelyi said

🚨 EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi signals support for tax on highly-processed #food high in #sugar, #fat, and #salt to help finance #publichealth

Commitment made on Thursday in meeting with European Parliament health committee @sant.europarl.europa.eu

www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

🇺🇸 “Politicized” #Science and Attacks on #PublicHealth - Negative Impacts for Health and health workers

#RFKJr says his job “is to eliminate politics from science,” but his actions are the opposite

Writes @joeamon.bsky.social in @hhrjournal.bsky.social

www.hhrjournal.org/2025/09/18/p...