When COVID hit, healthcare systems around the world were turned upside down. Hospitals cleared beds, routine appointments were cancelled and people were told to stay at home unless it was urgent. In England, visits to family doctors and hospital admissions for non-COVID reasons fell by a third in the early months of the pandemic. Medical…
Nairobi — Millions of Africans are unable to access essential services, including healthcare, education, social protection payments, and voting, as new biometric digital-ID systems continue to be imposed across the continent, a new report by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN) warns. The systems require citizens to provide personal and biometric information, with limited safeguards…
Statement by Maureen Magee, Global Director of Field Operations, at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), commenting on the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) for 2026: “2026 is set to stretch humanitarian responses to their limit as they seek to support people with the most severe needs around the world. “Next year, 239 million people will be…
Firefighters walk near residential buildings that continue to burn at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district on Nov. 27, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. Isaac Lawrence | Getty Images News | Getty Images Chinese private firms pledged tens of millions of dollars to support rescue and relief efforts after a deadly residential fire…
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) warn of a major hunger emergency, with acute food insecurity set to worsen in 16 countries and territories between now and May 2026, putting millions of lives at risk. A report released by the two UN agencies on Tuesday identifies six that are…
On 30 September 2025, South Africa launched its National Action Plan (NAP) to address the persistent threat of substandard and falsified medical products, marking a significant step toward safeguarding public health, protecting people’s health across South Africa and beyond, and strengthening regulatory collaboration. Unveiled by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) in partnership…
From a young age, Leah Francis Basu was fascinated by the mechanics of an aircraft. “I loved aircrafts,” she recalls, describing the moment she first discovered the science of lift. “It was surprising to me to learn the Bernoulli’s principle, where air moving faster over the top of the wing creates lower pressure, while the…
Nearly 14 million people could face severe hunger by the end of the year, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday, as slashed humanitarian funding threatens six of its most critical operations. Programmes in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are already facing major disruptions, which…
Nearly four million people across Africa’s vast semi-arid Sahel region have been uprooted by a volatile mix of conflict, hunger and climate change, the UN warned on Friday, describing an unfolding protection and survival crisis that is pushing families to flee repeatedly. The figure represents a two-thirds increase in displacement over the past five years,…
At 2025 Goalkeepers event, Gates lays out roadmap for saving millions more children’s lives by 2045 if governments stretch every dollar and scale a pipeline of affordable, lifesaving innovations Announces new pledge to the Global Fund 2026-2028 replenishment to prevent deaths from AIDS, TB, and malaria Honors President of the Government of Spain with 2025…
