- Global Health Funding Crisis: Bill Gates announced a $912 million pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, urging governments to reverse significant cuts to global health aid. The pledge comes as global development assistance has fallen to a 15-year low, threatening to undo decades of progress in child mortality and disease prevention. The Times of India
- WHO Warns on Hypertension: A new WHO report, the “Global Report on Hypertension 2025,” has sounded the alarm on a worsening global hypertension crisis. It warns that millions will die prematurely without urgent action and investment in low-cost interventions. The report highlights that many countries, particularly low- and middle-income nations, lack the infrastructure and political will to effectively address the issue. The Times of India
- U.S. Shifts Foreign Health Aid Strategy: The U.S. government has announced a new global health aid strategy that will focus on bilateral, time-limited deals with individual countries. This approach, a significant shift from traditional multilateral funding, aims to give recipient countries more “skin in the game” and align aid with American priorities. Associated Press
- Public Health Agencies Rebut Vaccine Claims: Global health agencies and regulators, including the WHO and health agencies from the UK, Spain, and Australia, have issued strong rebuttals to unproven claims about vaccines and common painkillers. They have reaffirmed that there is no scientific evidence to support a link between these and autism, warning that such misinformation can put lives at risk. The Guardian
- CDC Advisers Change COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance: A panel of advisers to the CDC has changed the official guidance on COVID-19 shots, deciding not to recommend them for anyone and leaving the choice to individuals. This move, which comes amid pushback from outside medical groups, also included a decision to postpone a vote on ending a long-standing recommendation for newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Associated Press
- Major Cuts to the Affordable Care Act (ACA): New federal legislation is set to make significant changes to the ACA, including eliminating the low-income special enrollment period and prohibiting marketplace insurers from covering gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit. The new policies will also make it more difficult for some lawfully present immigrants to access subsidized health coverage. Health Reform Beyond the Basics
- Ebola Outbreak in DRC: The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading, with a rising death toll and an increasing number of identified contacts. Health officials are facing challenges in containing the virus due to difficulties with infrastructure and logistics. Health Policy Watch
- Rise in Drug-Resistant Bacteria: A new CDC report has found a sharp rise in dangerous drug-resistant bacteria. The report highlights the urgent need for new strategies to combat this growing public health threat and prevent the spread of infections that are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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