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The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu, warned that the closure of key maritime routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, is severely disrupting global energy supplies, fertilizer flows, and agricultural inputs, with wide-ranging implications for food security. He stressed that peace and stability are essential for ensuring the right to food,… [Read More]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated a network of regional training centres for biomanufacturing across all six WHO regions, marking a significant step toward strengthening the global workforce required to produce vaccines, biotherapeutics, and other essential biological products. The announcement was made in Geneva on 29 April 2026 as part of WHO’s broader effort… [Read More]

Global efforts to combat viral hepatitis are showing measurable progress in reducing infections and deaths, but the disease continues to pose a major public health challenge, according to a new WHO report launched at the World Hepatitis Summit. Hepatitis B and C, which account for 95% of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide, caused about 1.34 million deaths… [Read More]

The HRP learning programme, developed under the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction and delivered through the WHO Academy, is designed to help health workers provide abortion care that is safe, respectful, and of high quality. It brings together key elements of comprehensive abortion care into a structured… [Read More]

Translating national commitments into measurable progress requires Cambodia to move beyond policy ambition and focus on strong delivery systems that can track results and align institutions around shared priorities. In April 2026, the Royal Government of Cambodia, together with the United Nations, held a technical consultation in Phnom Penh with over 90 stakeholders from government… [Read More]

Exercise Polaris II was conducted on April 22–23 with participation from Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Paraguay, and Suriname to assess and strengthen national pandemic response capacities across the Americas. Coordinated by the World Health Organization with support from the Pan American Health Organization, the simulation tested how countries respond to a rapidly spreading novel pathogen… [Read More]

The Pan American Health Organization, in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, hosted a technical webinar titled “Strengthening Medicines Quality through Laboratory Testing: The Indian Pharmacopoeia,” aimed at improving medicines quality assurance systems across the Caribbean. The session brought together nearly 100 participants from 16 countries and territories, reflecting strong regional engagement on pharmaceutical… [Read More]

Jamaica has launched the first Basic Emergency Care (BEC) Hybrid course in the Americas Region in Kingston from April 21 to 24, led by the Ministry of Health and Wellness with technical support from the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. The initiative is funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund… [Read More]

The Kansas legislature, along with Governor Laura Kelly, has enacted a new incentive aimed at encouraging fuel retailers to sell E15, a fuel blend containing 15% American-made ethanol. The move has been welcomed by the biofuels industry, as it is expected to expand access to lower-cost fuel that is compatible with about 96% of vehicles… [Read More]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced $52 million in funding to expand public access to private lands for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-related recreation. The funding will be provided through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), which is managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and supports cooperation between landowners… [Read More]

A new climate-resilient classroom built from container architecture has been opened in Vanuatu to help ensure children can continue learning even during disasters. The initiative comes amid increasing climate-related threats such as cyclones, earthquakes, rising sea levels, and flooding, which have repeatedly disrupted education and endangered children’s rights to safety, health, and learning in the… [Read More]

The World Bank Group, in partnership with the Government of Morocco, has released two new analytical reports highlighting that Morocco could generate 1.7 million additional jobs by 2035 and increase its real GDP by nearly 20 percent above current trends. However, achieving this potential will require a strong and coordinated programme of structural and policy… [Read More]

The World Bank Group has approved the first phase of the Cambodia Regional Connectivity Improvement (CRCI) Program with $150 million in financing as part of a broader $300 million initiative. The program aims to strengthen resilient transport infrastructure and logistics systems in Cambodia to improve trade, regional connectivity, and economic growth. The initiative focuses on… [Read More]

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved $250 million in financing for the Kinshasa Urban Transformation and Jobs Program, also known as “Kin la Belle.” The initiative aims to improve solid waste management in Kinshasa while creating inclusive job opportunities, particularly for youth and women. It forms part of a broader World Bank… [Read More]

The World Bank Group’s latest Commodity Markets Outlook projects a sharp rise in global energy prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Energy prices are expected to increase by 24% in 2026, reaching their highest level since the 2022 Russia–Ukraine war, while overall commodity prices are forecast to rise by 16% due… [Read More]

The World Bank Group has approved $200 million in financing for the Madagascar Multimodal Transport and Logistics Project to improve the country’s transport infrastructure and strengthen its resilience to climate shocks. The initiative focuses on enhancing connectivity, safety, and efficiency across key economic corridors that support trade, food supply chains, tourism, and exports, while addressing… [Read More]

A new partnership between the European Investment Fund (EIF) and national promotional institutions from Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia has been announced to strengthen infrastructure investment across Central and Eastern Europe. The agreement was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Dubrovnik, with the aim of mobilising… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide advisory support to Ukraine to help develop and prepare key infrastructure projects under the Ukraine FIRST initiative. This programme, jointly developed with the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), aims to turn large-scale infrastructure plans into fully prepared, finance-ready projects that can be… [Read More]

The article follows Shihab Mohamedali, a Senior Programme Manager with Islamic Relief in Sudan, who was forced to flee Khartoum at the start of the ongoing conflict that has devastated the country. After three years of displacement, he is returning to the capital, reflecting on both the personal and collective losses experienced during the war… [Read More]

The Ontario government has launched a 30-day consultation to explore the potential sale and use of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The proposal aims to expand access to more convenient and affordable hearing support for Ontarians with mild hearing loss as part of the province’s Health Innovation Pathway, which focuses on accelerating the adoption of new… [Read More]

The Ontario government has launched the Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, a 10-year strategy aimed at strengthening the province’s forestry industry, protecting jobs, and supporting communities that rely on the sector. The plan responds to growing global trade pressures and U.S. tariffs by improving competitiveness, expanding market access, and reinforcing Ontario’s position as a… [Read More]

The Ontario government has announced a $1.6 billion investment in 79 school construction projects across the province to expand and modernise educational infrastructure. The funding is aimed at supporting growing communities by creating more than 29,000 new student spaces and over 1,900 licensed child care spaces, ensuring students have access to updated learning environments that… [Read More]

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reported that it met or exceeded all statutory targets in 2025/26 to improve access to medicines and medical devices for UK patients, according to its latest Results and Forecast report published on 28 April. The agency continues to strengthen its role as a leading global regulator… [Read More]