Latest Health News
WHO reflects on 2025: Pandemic agreement, emergencies and funding threats
WHO Director‑General Tedros said 2025 saw major multilateral gains — notably the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement — alongside responses to 48 emergencies and validation of 13 countries for disease elimination, but warned that aid cuts threaten progress and could reverse decades of gains.
WHO issues updated HIV clinical management recommendations
WHO published updated recommendations for HIV clinical management adopting a public‑health approach to improve treatment and prevention delivery worldwide, aiming to simplify care and expand access.
New infectious disease alert raises global concern (WHO statement)
WHO issued an urgent alert on Dec 23 about a rapidly spreading novel infectious disease affecting multiple continents and calling for international cooperation, enhanced surveillance and rapid response measures.
MERS‑CoV cases and deaths continue to accumulate, WHO global update
WHO reporting shows ongoing Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‑CoV) activity in 2025 with hundreds of cases and clusters mostly on the Arabian Peninsula; zoonotic spillover and occasional healthcare clusters remain key concerns.
Cholera and dengue epidemics severely impact health services in Sudan
Conflict in Sudan left many hospitals out of service and fuelled large cholera and dengue outbreaks in 2025, with reports of more than 123,000 cholera cases and roughly 3,500 deaths, overwhelming local health systems.
Global surveillance network ProMED reports multiple regional outbreaks and alerts
ProMED continues to post frequent alerts in late‑Dec 2025 covering hepatitis B/C surges, hantavirus in the Americas, H5N1 poultry events, cholera in Malawi and rising malaria in Sudan, underscoring ongoing diverse infectious threats.
Nepal achieves global vaccine coverage target seven years early
Nepal reported halving its zero‑dose child population and is on track for 90% coverage of DPT3, PCV3 and second measles dose, though officials warn financing gaps and dependence on donors threaten sustainability.
UNAIDS and partners warn funding cuts are devastating HIV prevention programmes
WHO and UNAIDS commentary in 2025 stressed that cuts to international aid risk reversing HIV prevention progress and could increase childhood and other preventable mortality without renewed financing.
US healthcare costs and ACA subsidy uncertainty could raise uninsured numbers
Analyses in December 2025 noted congressional inaction on ACA subsidy extensions may increase healthcare costs and the number of uninsured Americans in 2026, with potential adverse public health effects.
Evidence links tanning‑bed use to tripled melanoma risk — public‑health advisory
New research highlighted by health outlets reports that tanning‑bed users face nearly three times higher risk of melanoma, reinforcing calls to restrict indoor tanning and improve prevention messaging.
WHO validates new health innovations including Lenacapavir and GLP‑1 guidance
WHO in 2025 issued guidance on new health innovations — including long‑acting HIV prevention agent lenacapavir and guidance on GLP‑1 therapies for obesity — aiming to guide safe, equitable rollout.
Eswatini becomes first African country to roll out twice‑yearly HIV prevention injection
Reports indicate Eswatini started national delivery of a twice‑yearly injectable HIV prevention product in 2025, marking a major programmatic milestone in delivering long‑acting prevention tools in Africa.