New York Times: Letter to the Editor: Fighting TB Requires Political Will Ruvandhi Nathavitharana, attending physician in the Infectious Diseases Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Philip Lederer, attending physician in the Infectious Diseases Section at the Boston University School of Medicine “…The most important intervention to decrease…

BMJ Opinion: Alma Ata, Astana and beyond — patients and communities as the core of universal primary health care Noting the 40th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care, Anya de Iongh, patient editor for the BMJ; Sarah Markham, member of the BMJ Patient Advisory Panel; and…

Financial Times: Poor countries pay up to 30 times more for medicines “…The Washington-based Center for Global Development examined billions of dollars in spending by developing countries, concluding that low- and middle-income countries were paying 20 or 30 times more for medicines such as omeprazole, for heartburn, or paracetamol, a…

Health Policy Watch: Drug R&D, Sexual & Reproductive Health Scrutinized In Draft UHC Declaration “Disclosure of costs for drug research and development (R&D) and ‘alternative financing mechanisms’ for new health products remain outstanding points to be resolved by countries in finalizing a draft United Nations General Assembly political declaration on…

Christian Science Monitor: Melinda Gates: What she’s learned (Tyson, 9/18). CNBC: Bill and Melinda Gates: No matter where you’re born, ‘life will be harder if you are born a girl’ (Clifford, 9/18). Inside Philanthropy: No Water or Toilets in Health Facilities? That’s Horrifying — And Funders Are Paying Attention (Barnett,…

U.N. News: Despite progress in childbirth safety, one woman or baby dies every 11 seconds “Childbirth survival rates are now a ‘staggering success’ compared with the year 2000, but one pregnant woman — or her child — still dies every 11 seconds from largely preventable causes, U.N. health experts said…

AFP: Indonesian forest fires putting 10 million children at risk: U.N. (9/24). Associated Press: Pakistan battles dengue epidemic, with 20 deaths so far (Ahmed, 9/24). Barron’s: Financing Global Health (Schultz, 9/23). Devex: How can private partnerships help countries meet the UHC goal? (Byatnal, 9/24). Devex: Kenya is rolling out UHC…

The Telegraph: World leaders pledge that no one will fall into poverty because of health costs “World leaders have committed to providing health care for all in what has been described as a ‘landmark’ declaration. At a high-level meeting at this week’s United Nations General Assembly world leaders signed a…

New York Times: In a Race Against Death, No Way to Call a Doctor “…Two months after the Indian government revoked Kashmir’s autonomy and imposed harsh security measures across the Kashmir Valley, doctors and patients here say the crackdown has taken many lives, in large part because of a government-imposed…

The Guardian: No woman should be slapped for screaming as she gives birth Ann Yates, lead midwife adviser for the International Confederation of Midwives “…Evidence is mounting that disrespect and abuse in maternity care is a global problem. … Woman-centered, compassionate maternal health care needs to become the international standard.…