“I’m concerned that the narrative now around ageing populations is one of doom and gloom. But long-lived populations are not the problem. The problem is that we haven’t allowed people to get to an older age healthy”, says John Wong, Executive Director of the Centre for Population Health at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Executive Director of The Yong Pung How and Yong Wei-Woo Centre at the National University Health System (NUHS), Singapore. “Two-thirds of the world is now below

The Kenyan Government has agreed a deal with Pfizer that could reduce the price of selected cancer medicines by seven times. Costs are expected to drop from as much as 1 million Kenyan Shillings (KSh; US$7725) to below KSh50 000 ($386) per treatment

Critics are calling for the IMA to be suspended from the World Medical Association over its stance on Gaza. Udani Samarasekera reports.

An open letter calls for an end to a recent agreement with the UN University, based on Nestlé's history of promoting infant formula. Udani Samarasekera reports.

An 11-year civil war continues to drive infectious disease, malnutrition, and maternal mortality. Udani Samarasekera reports.

WHO is calling on governments to raise taxes on alcoholic beverages and sugary drinks after two new reports show both have become cheaper over the past few years. National tax policies should ensure these unhealthy products become less affordable over time, highlights WHO. However, the reports released on Jan 13, 2026, reveal that only 37 countries have achieved this trend for beer and only 34 for sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks. Allowing sugary drinks and alcohol to become more affordable wil

A new global initiative aims to ensure diagnostics are at the forefront of the strategy to address antimicrobial resistance. Udani Samarasekera reports.

A new US$50 million Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and women's cancers will begin by supporting the elimination of cervical cancer in Indonesia. The initiative was launched by the Women's Health and Economic Empowerment Network (WHEN) and the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) on Sept 24, 2025, in New York, NY, USA, at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “Cervical cancer elimination is a ‘best buy’ in NCD contro

Four European countries have reported increases in hepatitis A virus (HAV) incidence in 2025, prompting the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to declare a multi-country outbreak. In a Rapid Risk Assessment published on June 18, 2025, the agency called for coordination, collaboration, timely detection, and targeted interventions in affected countries.

A new report by the UK's Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) calls on clinicians, clinical services, and the government to tackle poor housing and air pollution to improve children's respiratory health. The report, released on June 24, shows how clinicians in two cities have spearheaded Clean Air Clinics to improve environmental health factors for patients. Around 1·5 million children in England, mostly in deprived areas, live in homes with mould, damp, and overcrowding, increa

Globally, 6·1 billion people, three-quarters of the world's population, are now protected by at least one effective tobacco control measure compared with 1 billion in 2007, according to the WHO's 10th report on the global tobacco epidemic released on June 23 at the World Conference on Tobacco Control 2025 (WCTC; Dublin, Ireland; June 23–25). Despite the progress achieved, WHO says urgent action is needed to maintain and accelerate the gains made because of increasing industry interference in tob

Progress in reducing neonatal and under-5 mortality has stalled as experts call for greater investment in services. Udani Samarasekera reports.

Women and girls will lose access to essential health services should the incoming US President cut funding. By Udani Samarasekera.

On Aug 14, 2024, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the emergence of the new clade Ib of monkeypox virus and its rapid spread in DR Congo and neighbouring countries, along with other mpox outbreaks in Africa, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 3 months on, more than 40 000 mpox cases have been reported in 19 African countries and clade Ib monkeypox virus has spread to at least two other regions. On Nov 22, WHO confirmed that mpox continues to constitute a PHEIC.

A HIV programme designed for adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa celebrates its tenth anniversary on World AIDS Day this year. Udani Samarasekera reports.

On Oct 24, 2024, the interim Government of Bangladesh launched the final phase of its vaccination campaign against human papillomavirus (HPV), aiming to protect 6·2 million girls aged 10–14 years from cervical cancer.

A new analysis suggests air quality and children's respiratory health in England has improved. The Nuffield Trust found that urban background air pollution (a mean average of PM2·5 concentration) in England declined from 2013 to 2022

Public health experts say that substantially curbing opioid deaths demands comprehensive policy on prevention, harm reduction, and treatment. Udani Samarasekera reports.

International health organisations are struggling to respond to an alarming epidemic of hepatitis C in Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. 20% of Rohingya adults, an estimated 86 000 people, in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar have active…