Hantavirus, the WHO, and the Conflicts in Weighing Mortality
On May 12, 2026, almost 2,000 people, mostly young children, died of malaria because they could not access effective and relatively cheap treatment quickly enough. About 4,000 people died of tuberculosis (TB), including many young adults leaving orphans. This happens every day. Progress in reducing these numbers is stalling, as partly due to the continuing […]
The Right to Health Sovereignty
International cooperation on health is a widely accepted global good. Capacity building and development assistance reduce historic health inequalities and, as a result, strengthen economies. Management of cross-border infectious disease threats is best done through joint surveillance, data sharing, and response. Collaboration on norms and standards provides efficiencies and facilitates trade in health products. However, […]
Flu Vaccine Only 36 Percent Effective This Year
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the 2025–2026 influenza vaccine showed reduced effectiveness compared to previous seasons. Researchers linked the lower performance to the emergence of a new influenza A(H3N2) subclade that differed from the strain used to manufacture the vaccine.1 The CDC reported overall flu shot effectiveness at 36 […]
How to Build a Post-WHO Global Health Architecture
The United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) is more than a diplomatic rupture. It creates a unique opening to rethink how global health cooperation should actually work. The real question is not whether countries should cooperate. They must. Humans matter. Health brings economic stability. Pathogens cross borders. Data sharing matters. Standards matter. […]
Nipah Virus Cases in Asia Increase Pressure to Develop a Vaccine
On Jan. 26, 2026, the government of India confirmed two cases of Nipah virus (NiV) infection in its state of West Bengal. Both cases involved health care workers in a hospital in the district of North 24 Parganas. One of the individuals died after being hospitalized on Jan. 28. Contact tracing linked a total of […]
United States Out of the World Health Organization
One of the first things President Trump did on the first day of his second term in office was sign an Executive Order giving notice that the United States would withdraw from membership in the World Health Organization (WHO). The move, which came just hours after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, had been expected.1 […]