Devex: What the WTO decision on plain packaging means for developing countries “…Tasked with delivering findings on whether plain packaging impedes intellectual property rights or creates a technical barriers to trade, [a panel of World Trade Organization judges] delivered their ruling on June 28, saying that the health outcomes of…

Associated Press: Measles spreads in Brazil after cases come from Venezuela (7/4). Devex: Nigeria tackles cholera outbreak using housecalls, jingles, and health advisories (Unah, 7/5). Devex: Cities and NCDs: Montevideo’s menu for reducing sodium intake (Ravelo, 7/4). The Guardian: Breakthrough made in fight to end virginity testing in Afghanistan (Kelly,…

Devex: Opinion: How the E.U. is battling against threats to the world’s health Neven Mimica, E.U. commissioner for international cooperation and development “…The European Union is strongly committed to playing a leading role in the global movement against [noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)]. We are supporting partner countries’ efforts to maximize health…

Borgen Magazine: The Partnership to End AIDS and Cervical Cancer Helps African Women Sanjana Subramanian, writer for the Borgen Project “…Today, AIDS and cervical cancer remain the top causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa and are disproportionally responsible for the mortality of women of reproductive age. … The [Partnership to…

WHO: Bulletin of the World Health Organization The July 2018 WHO Bulletin features articles on various issues, including an editorial on hepatitis B prevention; a news article on cholera vaccination in conflict zones; a review article on cash interventions for tuberculosis treatment; and a policy paper examining China’s 2015 tobacco…

FT Health: Battle begins over gaming disorder The latest issue of the Financial Times’ weekly global health newsletter discusses the WHO’s inclusion of “gaming disorder” in its new Classification of Diseases and features an interview with Jeffrey Moe, joint proposer of the Priority Review Voucher, “an incentive designed to stimulate…

Devex: As violence escalates in Syria, new data on disabled children caught in the crossfire “Three hospitals near the Syrian rebel-held city of Daraa were put out of commission by airstrikes on Wednesday, just as new data about the number and living conditions of children with disabilities in Syria paints…

Devex: Suffering in silence: The deadly economic burden of NCDs “…Noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, and chronic respiratory diseases, account for 41 million deaths globally each year according to the World Health Organization. Developing countries such as South Sudan, with limited access to health care and scarce resources, are…

Bloomberg: Stop Rising Tobacco Use in Africa and the Middle East: Editorial Editorial Board “…Smoking rates are rising fastest in low- and middle-income countries in [the Middle East and Africa], where control measures are relatively weak and tobacco is marketed mainly to men. To reverse this, governments need to more…

The Guardian: Misuse of opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl is ‘global epidemic,’ report finds (Beaumont, 6/27). The Guardian: Death sentence quashed for teenager who killed rapist husband in Sudan (Burke/McVeigh, 6/26). The Guardian: The Ugandan girl who trekked barefoot to escape marriage at 13 (Okiror, 6/26). The Guardian: ‘Toxic…