Health Policy Watch - Global health news reporting

EXCLUSIVE: WHO Cutting Up To 25% Of Staff By June 2026 - But ‘Shadow Workforce Of Consultants’ Is Unreported   - Health Policy Watch WHO will have terminated, retired or separated by agreement an estimated 2371 staff worldwide by mid-2026 - shedding about 25% of a workforce that numbered

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: @who.int plans to cut 25% of its staff by mid-2026 — while a massive, unreported “shadow workforce” of 8,000+ consultants continues operating in parallel.

💰 Even with deep staff cuts, WHO still faces a $1.05B funding gap for 2026–27.

✍️ Elaine Ruth Fletcher
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Exploring New Frontiers In The Fight Against Malaria - Health Policy Watch This week, the world marks World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and malaria parasites, though often forgotten, are part of the range of microbes preventing us

🦟In the face of rising drug-resistance and climate threats, #malaria elimination is no longer just an African problem—it’s a global health security imperative.

Elimination progress hinges on North-South collaboration, capacity strengthening, knowledge exchange & fair access to new tools.
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Delhi’s Air Pollution Rises While Trust In Official Data Falls - Health Policy Watch NEW DELHI - Farmers burning their fields near India’s capital city have caused air pollution in New Delhi to become even worse than it was on Diwali night, 20

💨Delhi can’t clean the air without clean data.

Conflicting satellite estimates, agency claims & ground-based monitors leave residents & policymakers confused while respiratory & cardiac cases climb.

✍️ @cbhattacharji.bsky.social
@timesofindianews.bsky.social
@thehindu.com
@climate.noaa.gov
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Smarter Local Medicine Choices Can Save Countries Millions Of Dollars - Health Policy Watch Ministries of health, funders, and technical partners need to make regular smart reviews of Essential Medicines Lists the norm.

🩺 When health budgets are under strain, smarter medicine lists matter.

By replacing two costly diabetes drugs in #Uganda with older @who.int -recommended ones, the government could save up to US $2.65 million annually 📉

INSIDE VIEW: Tracy Kuo Lin & Atousa Bonyani
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Former DOGE Official Driving US Bilateral Health Agreements With African Countries - Health Policy Watch Some commentators have described the terms of the bilateral MOUs as "extractive" as they fail to offer African countries access to the health products that

💥 The US is pushing new bilateral health MOUs in #Africa — offering 5 years of aid in exchange for 25 years of pathogen + health data access.

Critics warn the terms are “extractive” and risk undermining global equity.

✍️ @kerrycullinan.bsky.social
@ranafrica.org @aidshealthcare.bsky.social
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'One Decision, Millions Of Lives:' Nanushyan On Cutting Smoking And Out-Of-Pocket Costs - Health Policy Watch Armenia’s first deputy health minister, Lena Nanushyan, says the country’s tougher tobacco controls, and a coming universal health insurance reform, are

🎙️Lena Nanushyan, Armenia’s First Deputy Minister of Health, talks universal health coverage, tobacco control, and the power of partnerships & inclusive leadership.

Join Dr. @garryaslanyan.bsky.social in the latest Trailblazers with Garry episode!

@ghm-podcast.bsky.social @who.int
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South Africa Launches Trial Of First African-Made Cholera Vaccine - Health Policy Watch South Africa aims to become the first African country to manufacture a cholera vaccine with the launch this week of a clinical trial of an oral vaccine

🌍 South Africa launches the first African-made cholera vaccine trial, led by Biovac.

A historic step toward ending global shortages driven by climate-related cholera outbreaks.

✍️ @kerrycullinan.bsky.social
@gavi.org @wellcometrust.bsky.social @healthza.bsky.social
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Brazil Wins Limited Backing For COP30 Climate-Health Plan, But Nations Commit No Finance - Health Policy Watch Brazil launched a sweeping climate-health action plan on Thursday, named after the COP30 host city in the Amazon, winning initial endorsements from roughly

🌍 Brazil launches the Belém Health Action Plan at @cop30brazil.bsky.social — a roadmap to protect 3.3B people from climate-driven health threats.

💸But nations offered zero new finance. Only a $300M philanthropic pledge vs >$11B/yr needed for basic adaptation.

@gchalliance.bsky.social
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Health Systems Are Unprepared For The Climate Crisis - Health Policy Watch Nations worldwide must finance and implement climate adaptation measures for health systems or risk losing millions of lives as extreme weather, rising temperatures, and intensifying heat.

🌡️The @cop30brazil.bsky.social report estimates health systems will need $22B in adaptation financing annually by 2035.

Today, climate-health funding reaches only a fraction of that.

🚨Without investment, millions of lives remain at risk!

@wellcometrust.bsky.social @gchalliance.bsky.social
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Global Philanthropies Commit $300 Million At COP30 Towards Climate And Health Solutions - Health Policy Watch This announcement was made at the high-level opening of the COP30 Health Day - where a new Bélem Health Action Plan was launched. The Action Plan aims to

🌫️ Air pollution, heat, climate-driven diseases — global philanthropies unite with $300M first step.

As #COP30 unfolds in Belém, the world will be watching to see whether political leaders match this philanthropic momentum with real financing & policy alignment.

@wellcometrust.bsky.social
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How Intimate Partner Violence Affects Children - Health Policy Watch Bolani is now 38, and has anxiety stemming from early childhood experiences related to growing up with an abusive father and witnessing her mother being at

💥 Violence against mothers harms children long before anyone sees the signs.

New research shows children face higher risks of infection, stunting, & long-term trauma when their mothers experience violence.

@who.int @unwomen.bsky.social @equalitynow.bsky.social
@menziesresearch.bsky.social
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Global Anti-Tobacco Summit Targets Youth Nicotine Addiction 'Epidemic' And Environmental Harms - Health Policy Watch GENEVA - Global health leaders are calling for robust new measures to combat the use of tobacco and related products, including restrictions on flavours to

♻️Cigarette filters don’t make smoking safer — but they do poison the planet.

Teen e-cigarette use is now nine times higher than among adults in many countries, driven by:
🍭Sweet flavours
💫Bright packaging
📲Social media targeting

🩻The tactics are hooking a new generation.

✍️ @fargonaut.bsky.social

New Malaria Drug Candidate Exceeds Cure Rate For Standard ACTs In Phase 3 Trial   - Health Policy Watch The 97% cure rate for the novel compound, ganaplacide/lumefantrine in a recent Phase 3 trial offers hope for continued progress rolling back malaria even as

🚨 97% cure rate.

A new antimalarial combo — GanLum — outperforms Coartem in a major multicountry trial with partners including @novartis.bsky.social & @mmv.org.

🎖️A major step forward for malaria control.

✍️ @fargonaut.bsky.social
@wellcometrust.bsky.social @astmh.bsky.social

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#EndMalaria

Brazil Wins Limited Backing For COP30 Climate-Health Plan, But Nations Commit No Finance - Health Policy Watch Brazil launched a sweeping climate-health action plan on Thursday, named after the COP30 host city in the Amazon, winning initial endorsements from roughly

🌍 Brazil launches the Belém Health Action Plan at #COP30 — a roadmap to protect 3.3B people from climate-driven health threats.

But nations offered zero new finance. Only a $300M philanthropic pledge vs >$11B/yr needed for a basic plan.

@cleanairfund.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
📖⬇️ & 🙏🔁

Aid Cuts Jeopardise 2024's Slight Global Progress Against Tuberculosis - Health Policy Watch Last year, the global battle to reduce tuberculosis infections and deaths showed small signs of recovery following three disruptive COVID-19 years – but this

💔 The world made small gains against #TB in 2024 — but funding cuts could undo them all.

Cuts to donor funding are already disrupting testing & community engagement in LMICs.

📣Sustained financing is critical to save lives

✍️ @kerrycullinan.bsky.social
@gatesfoundation.bsky.social @who.int
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