My seventy-year-old grandmother* had never been so seriously ill that she required hospitalisation. A slip-and-fall last year changed that. She fractured her spine and was advised to rest in bed and needed a urinary catheter. A few months later, she developed a urinary tract infection and was prescribed a widely used antibiotic for catheter-asso...

This year, I attended the 24th International Vaccinology Course (IVC) 2025 in Seoul, South Korea (8-12 September).  In this short article, I’ll focus on some lessons Africa could learn from South Korea on the journey towards more health sovereignty – more in particular on vaccines.  But let’s kick off with a bit of info on the course. As ...

On September 12, 2025, the US government announced an additional Php13.8 billion (USD 250 million) in foreign assistance to the Philippines, directed at strengthening health systems, improving disease detection and response, and enhancing maternal and child health services. This investment brings the total of newly announced U.S. foreign assista...

As the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) convenes in Geneva, political fragmentation and uncertainty define the global health landscape. Yet amid these challenges, one truth stands clear: feminist leadership is not a luxury—it is an imperative. Women in Global Health (WGH) delegates from Zambia, Nigeria and India are at the forefront of this tr...

Global health is currently facing a significant crisis. Substantial and abrupt funding cuts from both US and European donors threaten essential programs and organizations, including the World Health Organization. While private foundations like the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust have signaled their inability to fully bridge these financi...

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic as SARS-CoV-2 disrupted lives across generations, geographies, and social strata. Yet, as I sifted through both Indian and international media, and statements from major public health organizations, one group remained largely overlooked: 1.2 billion young people. True, t...

As every parent knows, communication is  crucial for developing a child’s cognitive abilities, social skills and emotional intelligence.  This has been true since ancient times. But in modern times these skills and traits have become even more important. Indeed, the 21st century requires individuals to collaborate, adapt and express their idea...

The weekly International Health Policies (IHP) newsletter is a flagship knowledge management activity of the IHP network, funded by the Belgian Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD)  and produced out of ITM Antwerp. The IHP network aims to “empower committed groups of global health experts based in the Glo...

    Over the past three decades, South Asia has significantly improved maternal health indicators. Nonetheless, the national policies are yet to acknowledge that women’s health is not limited to maternal health. Addressing women’s health requires us to negotiate with a broader spectrum of factors affecting women and girls, one of which is h...