World Health Organisation

HealthScience & Technology

Pandemic treaty deadline nears as disputes over pathogen-sharing rules persist

Disputes over pathogen-sharing rules risk delaying the WHO pandemic treaty ahead of a May 2026 deadline
Three-dimensional renditions of three respiratory viruses: (left: SARS-CoV-2; centre: RSV; right: influenza virus).
Environment

Uganda among world’s most polluted countries as air quality worsens

Uganda ranks eighth globally for air pollution, with Kampala among the world's most polluted capitals and monitoring gaps understating the true scale
A high-angle view of a crowded Namirembe Road in downtown Kampala, featuring a dense flow of pedestrians, commuters, and vehicles amidst commercial buildings and advertising billboards.
Health

Mpox outbreak could become pandemic

There have been 15,132 confirmed cases of mpox in 16 African countries since the beginning of 2024, with six new countries affected in just 10 days
A mother, carrying a baby on her back, getting a vaccine from a USAID mobile clinic in South Africa
Health

Malaria has been around for decades. So how come Covid-19 got vaccinated first?

The WHO recently approved a malaria vaccine; a vaccine expert explains why it took so long compared to the rapid resolution of public health crises such as Ebola and Covid-19 in the West
A lit mosquito coil
Politics & Policy

How to deal with rich countries hoarding Covid-19 vaccines

Global initiative aiming to deliver 2 billion doses to mostly low-income countries by the end of 2021 is threatened by chronic under-investment, vaccine nationalism, and export restrictions by rich countries
Two masked health workers
Politics & Policy

40% of Uganda’s health centres don’t stock drugs to treat chronic diseases

Studies have shown that essential medicines used to treat non-communicable diseases are still poorly accessible to populations in low and middle income countries, yet these are where cases of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, and diabetes are rising dramatically.