Jyotsna Singh of the People’s Health Movement talks about the key debates at the World Health Organization that will frame the future of health care policy and the concerns raised by countries of the Global South

Lebanon struggles with its first cholera outbreak since 1993, as poverty, poor living conditions, and a weak health system put thousands of people at risk

The World Health Organization declared the global monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, calling upon countries to roll out a public health response and ensure access to the necessary vaccines and medicines

The numbers are still rising as governments across the world have failed to create vibrant public health care systems and have left the poor and vulnerable to fend for themselves 

China and India are the only two major countries that have been willing to export vaccines while also vaccinating their own people. Meanwhile, to rich countries, the billions of dollars of vaccine market for Big Pharma far outweigh the benefits of saving millions of lives

The me-first policy on vaccine sharing will bring losses of $203 billion to $5 trillion to rich countries, while the returns are the highest if they support global universal vaccination

From medical to military, agricultural, educational, cultural support and more, the Cuban footprint in Africa dates back to the national struggles against colonialism. The work of the Henry Reeve Brigade is a continuation of this tradition

There is a huge lacuna in ensuring adequate compensation for health workers who acquire the illness, despite a broad based demand from the international trade union movement

Attempts by the US and Australia to marginalize China at the World Health Assembly failed as the resolution adopted by member states through consensus made no mention of either Wuhan or China

The number of polio cases in Afghanistan has gone up to 11 even as the vaccination drive has been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO has called on countries to not stop regular vaccination drives

WHO head for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, warned governments against ignoring other diseases, quoting a study stating that malaria deaths in Africa could double to close to 769,000 this year if preventive measures are not implemented on time

The US is currently in arrears with its assessed contributions to the World Health Organization. The Trump administration stopped paying its dues to the WHO long before this pandemic reared its ugly head