Global Issues
News headlines for “Health Issues”, page 18
NATO’s Trillion-dollar Gamble: The Dangers of Defence Without Accountability
- Inter Press Service
BRUSSELS, Belgium / MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, July 14 (IPS) - Donald Trump’s bullying tactics ahead of NATO’s annual summit, held in The Hague in June, worked spectacularly. By threatening to redefine NATO’s article 5 – the collective defence provision that has anchored western security since 1949 – Trump won commitments from NATO allies to almost triple their defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035. European defence budgets will balloon from around US$500 billion to over US$1 trillion annually, essentially matching US spending levels.
Afghan Refugees Expelled from Iran and Exposed to Horrific Abuse
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (IPS) - Since early June, Afghan refugees in Iran have endured increasingly harsh humanitarian conditions, with many being forced to repatriate under conditions that violate the principles of international humanitarian law. In 2025 alone, over one million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, further stretching the limited supply of resources amid a severe and multifaceted humanitarian crisis.
UN Funding Crisis Threatens Work of Human Rights Council
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK / GENEVA, July 11 (IPS) - The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has expressed concern at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ announcement that certain activities mandated by the council cannot be delivered due to a lack of funding. The council has sought clarity on why certain activities had been singled out.
HIV/AIDS Funding Crisis Risks Reversing Decades of Global Progress
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, July 10 (IPS) - UNAIDS called the funding crisis a ticking time bomb, saying the impact of the US cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could result in 4 million unnecessary AIDS-related deaths by 2029.
Fight to end AIDS: ‘This is not just a funding gap – it’s a ticking time bomb’
- UN News
Devastating funding cuts from international donors are hitting countries hardest affected by HIV — but many are showing remarkable resilience and determination to keep progress alive.
WHO Launches Initiative to Tax Tobacco and Beverage Corporations to Boost Public Health
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (IPS) - On July 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the “3 by 35” initiative in an effort to boost public health and limit global consumption of harmful substances. By urging international governments to implement taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol, WHO seeks to reduce worldwide cases of noncommunicable disease amid heightened strains on global health systems and a shrinking supply of funding.
Preventing Pandemics Needs Every Tool in the Toolbox – Including Animal Vaccines
- Inter Press Service
LISBON, July 9 (IPS) - Just five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, another animal-borne disease is mutating and spreading across borders and species.Avian influenza has already resulted in the loss of more than 630 million birds in the last 20 years. And new figures from the inaugural State of the World’s Animal Health report find that the number of reported outbreaks in mammals, including cattle, sheep and cats, doubled last year compared to 2023.
How Global Fund is Saving Lives from Malaria, TB, & HIV across Africa
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, July 7 (IPS) - In Gabú, Guinea-Bissau, a grandmother named N’beta hesitated. Her six-month-old grandson, Seco, was healthy, so why give him medicine? But community health workers Jamilia and Amadu gently explained that the medicine wasn’t for illness, but for protection. It was part of a seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign designed to protect children during the worst malaria transmission months — the rainy season.
Sudanese Refugees and IDPs Disproportionately Affected By Crisis
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, July 3 (IPS) - Since the wake of the Sudanese Civil War in 2023, Sudan has faced a dire humanitarian crisis that has been marked by extreme violence, widespread civilian displacement, and an overwhelming lack of basic services in relation to the massive scale of needs. The latest reports from a host of United Nations (UN) organizations shed light on the rapid deterioration of living conditions for Sudanese internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.
From Parliaments to the G20: A Call to Champion Women’s Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights
- Inter Press Service
GENEVA, July 2 (IPS) - About 21 million adolescent girls get pregnant annually in low- and middle-income countries. Beyond the numbers lie lost futures and deepening cycles of poverty that undermine girls’ education, wellbeing, and, ultimately, national development.
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