The Gates Foundation has pledged a donation of US$1 million to support the World Health Organization’s (WHO) partnership with Pakistan, aimed at strengthening preparedness and response efforts in 33 high-risk and flood-affected districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan. This initiative seeks to meet the urgent health needs of approximately 465,000 of the most… [Read More]
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Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2025: Supporting Young Warriors and Their Families
Globally, approximately 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, equating to three children every four minutes. The vast majority of these cases—90%—occur in low- and middle-income countries, where survival rates are alarmingly low, with only about 20% of diagnosed children surviving. In contrast, children in high-income countries have a survival rate exceeding 80%. This… [Read More]
Amid Localized Chikungunya Outbreaks and Oropouche Cases, PAHO Calls for Enhanced Surveillance and Vector Control in the Americas
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen surveillance, clinical management, and vector control to combat localized chikungunya outbreaks and the ongoing circulation of the Oropouche virus (OROV) across countries in the Americas. The co-circulation of these and other arboviruses raises the risk of outbreaks, severe health complications, and fatalities,… [Read More]
South Africa Marks African Traditional Medicine Day with National Celebration
On 29 August 2025, South Africa held a vibrant national commemoration of African Traditional Medicine Day in Moruleng, Moses Kotane Local Municipality. The event reaffirmed the country’s dedication to integrating traditional medicine into its national health system. It was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla, the Chairperson of the Interim Traditional Medicine… [Read More]
Rising Uncertainty in Global Trade: A Hidden Tariff Hurting Developing Economies
Global trade has long been impacted by shocks such as tariffs, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions. However, what sets the current situation apart is that uncertainty itself has become a systemic feature of the global economy. Unlike isolated incidents, policy unpredictability is now embedded within the trade landscape, altering trade patterns and slowing down investment. The… [Read More]
IOCAFRICA and South Africa Launch Floating Ocean Classroom to Train Future Marine Scientists
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) has long collaborated with the Government of South Africa to strengthen ocean science and sustainable development on the continent. This enduring partnership has supported regional capacity-building and policy engagement, exemplified most recently by SEAmester VIII — South Africa’s flagship floating classroom programme. Conducted… [Read More]
ARC Awards $18.4 Million to Fund 16 New Indigenous-Led Research Projects
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced $18.4 million in funding for 16 new projects under its Discovery Indigenous scheme. This initiative is dedicated to supporting research led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, while also building capacity among higher degree students and early career researchers from Indigenous communities. The newly funded projects will… [Read More]
Philippines Strengthens Labour Rights with New Freedom of Association Training Initiative
The Freedom of Association (FOA) Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme has been launched in the Philippines through a partnership between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), aimed at strengthening labour rights and democratic values. This pilot initiative in Luzon seeks to create a core group of trainers and… [Read More]
Jordan and ILO Collaborate on Workshop to Drive Formal Economy Transition
The Ministry of Labour in Jordan, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has launched a three-day national workshop in Amman to accelerate the country’s transition from the informal to the formal economy. The event brought together over 70 representatives from ministries, government institutions, civil society organizations, and social partners to shape a comprehensive… [Read More]
How ILO’s Systems Approach Empowers Small Businesses at the Base of Supply Chains
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a new brief advocating for a “systems approach” to improve conditions in the lowest tiers of global supply chains. Titled From Root Causes to Real Change: Using a Systems Approach to Foster Decent Work Deep in Supply Chains, the brief outlines how this methodology can unlock opportunities for… [Read More]
IOM and Robert Bosch Stiftung Collaborate to Prioritize Migrant Voices in Labour Mobility
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung have jointly launched an initiative called Amplifying Migrant Voices. This pilot project, set in Kenya and Germany, seeks to incorporate migrants’ lived experiences into policies and practices related to labour mobility. By emphasizing participatory research and dialogue, the initiative aims to ensure that labour… [Read More]
Ukrainian School Near Kyiv Reopens for New Academic Year After EU-Funded Renovation
A secondary school in Hatne, near Kyiv, Ukraine, has reopened for the new academic year after undergoing extensive renovations supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The upgraded school now provides improved facilities for over 1,300 students, including nearly 300 children from displaced families, as well as almost 100 teachers. Renovations included reinforcing the building… [Read More]
EU Backs Confidence-Building Initiatives with EUR 320,000 Funding
Within the regional project “EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans,” funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), nine civil society organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina have been awarded grants. These selected projects focus on key areas such as promoting transitional justice, addressing past conflicts, strengthening… [Read More]
From Seeds to Strength: How Rwanda’s Model Villages Build Lasting Resilience
In Rwanda’s Mukindo Sector, Gisagara District, daily life revolves around livestock and community cooperation, exemplified by a livestock-sharing programme where families pass the first offspring of animals to neighbors in need. This practice is part of the broader “Model Village” initiative by the Rwanda Red Cross, which empowers vulnerable communities to collectively build resilience against… [Read More]
Confronting Alarming Food Insecurity Trends in Africa: Expert Analysis and Solutions
Africa is facing its most severe hunger crisis in decades, with over 282 million people affected as of July 2025—more than one in five across the continent. The crisis is driven by a combination of climate shocks, economic instability, and ongoing conflicts, severely impacting regions from drought-ridden Southern Africa to famine-threatened communities in the East…. [Read More]
Nigeria Scales Up Mpox Prevention with Targeted Vaccination in High-Burden States
Nigeria has launched a targeted vaccination campaign across 12 high-burden states to curb the spread of mpox, focusing on protecting vulnerable populations and strengthening outbreak response mechanisms. This ten-day campaign, coordinated by the Federal Government through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and supported by State Ministries of Health, WHO, and UNICEF, is utilizing… [Read More]
UK Provides Emergency Aid to Afghanistan Earthquake Victims
The UK has announced emergency funding to support families affected by the devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, killing over 800 people and injuring thousands. This funding aims to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, including essential healthcare, with a special focus on women. The UK’s response underscores its longstanding commitment to the Afghan people during this… [Read More]
ADB Approves $125 Million Loan to Enhance Urban Infrastructure in Assam, India
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $125 million loan to improve urban livability and enhance climate resilience in six district headquarters and the city of Guwahati in Assam, India. The Assam Urban Sector Development Project aims to benefit 360,000 residents by providing continuous metered water supply and upgrading stormwater management systems. Additionally, the… [Read More]
ADB Approves $106.9 Million to Boost Secondary Health Care Services in Sri Lanka
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $106.9 million financing package aimed at strengthening Sri Lanka’s secondary curative care services, enhancing communicable disease prevention and control, and improving governance and management within the health care sector. This funding, part of the Strengthening Integrated Health Care and Governance for Universal Health Coverage Program, includes a… [Read More]
Deadly Earthquake in Afghanistan: Rescue Efforts Underway as Children Among Thousands Affected
Rescue teams are urgently heading to Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake that has killed at least 600 people and injured more than 3,000, many of whom are children. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue amid difficult conditions, according to Save the Children. The earthquake struck during… [Read More]
Protecting Nature Fuels Economic Growth and Jobs, Finds New Global Report
A new World Bank report reveals that 90% of the global population lives with at least one major environmental challenge—degraded land, unhealthy air, or water stress—while in low-income countries, 80% of people lack access to all three. The report, Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet, highlights how these environmental deficits are not just… [Read More]
Unlocking Private Sector Investment to Boost Job Creation and Sustainable Growth
Togo has experienced steady and robust economic growth over the past decade, but it now faces new challenges amid increasing regional and global uncertainties, according to the World Bank’s latest economic update. To navigate these uncertainties and accelerate development, the report recommends that Togo deepen structural reforms, implement its fiscal consolidation strategy, and attract greater… [Read More]
Thailand’s Blue Economy Boosted by World Bank Support and Coastal Protection Funding
Thailand is intensifying its efforts to harness the potential of its blue economy with significant technical support from the World Bank. A key part of this initiative includes plans to issue the country’s first sovereign blue bond, which will finance sustainable, ocean-based development. Given Thailand’s 23 coastal provinces and over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, marine… [Read More]
