The Government of Ontario is launching the next phase of its Road Safety Initiatives Fund (RSIF), a $210-million program designed to support municipalities in enhancing road safety without relying on speed cameras. Beginning February 19, 2026, eligible municipalities can apply for funding to implement measures in school zones and community safety zones that focus on… [Read More]
EIB Invests €34 Million to Expand Romania’s Solar Energy Capacity
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed €34 million to support the development of three new solar parks in southwestern Romania. These photovoltaic plants, located in the Oltenia region across Olt and Dolj counties, will have a combined capacity of 190 megawatts (MW), enough to provide electricity for over 160,000 homes. Construction is set to… [Read More]
PAHO and CARPHA Partner on New 2026–2030 Regional Health Collaboration Framework
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) have strengthened their longstanding partnership with the signing of a 2026–2030 Framework Agreement, demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing public health priorities across the Caribbean. The agreement provides an operational framework to support a unified regional vision for health, enhancing coordination and… [Read More]
New Global Alliance Boosts Childhood Cancer Drug Availability Worldwide
On International Childhood Cancer Day 2026, PAHO highlighted significant progress in childhood cancer care across the Americas, emphasizing improvements in early diagnosis, access to life-saving medicines, and regional cooperation. These advances, achieved through collaboration with national Ministries of Health and partners such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, have strengthened care systems, improved patient outcomes,… [Read More]
IOM Warns: Ukrainian Returnees at Risk as Winter Energy Shortages Intensify
Geneva and Kyiv, 16 February 2026 – As Ukraine approaches the fifth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February, attacks on energy infrastructure continue to severely affect living conditions for millions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that approximately 325,000 Ukrainian returnees could face displacement again in the coming months, with over… [Read More]
New Zealand Signs U=U Commitment to End HIV Stigma and Promote Health Equity
New Zealand has officially signed the global Call-to-Action on Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U), demonstrating its commitment to ending HIV transmission and ensuring that people living with HIV can lead healthy, stigma-free lives. Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey emphasized that U=U is an evidence-based principle confirming that individuals on effective HIV treatment who maintain an undetectable… [Read More]
UNICEF and NORTEC Lead Nationwide Campaign to Safeguard Vaccine Delivery for Children
In Ndola, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, on 13 February 2026, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF, Gavi, and the National Center of Excellence (CoE) for Cold Chain and Vaccine Management at NORTEC, launched a nationwide campaign to strengthen vaccine storage and delivery. The initiative celebrates newly trained and graduated technicians and marks the beginning… [Read More]
Powerful Women Leaders and Elite Chefs Collaborate for UNICEF Gala Tackling Child Nutrition Crisis
UNICEF Thailand has announced the upcoming Blue Star Gala 2026, a high-profile fundraising event bringing together four influential women leaders and Michelin-starred chefs from Thailand and abroad to address child malnutrition and promote healthy eating. Scheduled for 6 March 2026 at The Athenee Hotel Bangkok, the Gala forms part of UNICEF Thailand’s KinRaiDee #HungryForHope campaign,… [Read More]
Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccine Trial Announced in Guinea-Bissau
The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine is a proven, essential public health intervention, preventing life-threatening liver disease by blocking mother-to-child transmission at birth. Used for over three decades in more than 115 countries, the vaccine protects individual newborns and is central to national and global hepatitis B elimination… [Read More]
WHO Prequalifies New Oral Polio Vaccine to Boost Global Outbreak Response
The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), strengthening the global supply of a critical tool in combating poliovirus type 2 outbreaks and accelerating progress toward polio eradication. This prequalification confirms that the vaccine meets international standards of quality, safety, and efficacy, enabling its procurement through UN… [Read More]
Kyrgyzstan Regional Investment Councils Strengthened Through UNDP Equipment Support
In Bishkek on 13 February 2026, UNDP delivered office equipment to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center at the National Investment Agency and the Secretariat of the Council for Business Development and Investments to strengthen the Regional Investment Councils (RICs) across Kyrgyzstan. This support aims to enhance the operational efficiency and institutional capacity of the RICs,… [Read More]
Cyclone Gezani Strikes Madagascar: Assessing the Humanitarian Emergency
On Tuesday, February 10, Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Madagascar’s east coast, bringing exceptionally violent gusts of 180–200 km/h that devastated the city of Toamasina. The cyclone caused widespread destruction, submerging neighborhoods, destroying homes, cutting off roads, and leaving the region without power or telecommunications. The city was quickly paralyzed, with travel rendered dangerous by… [Read More]
2026 Bridge Funding Opportunity: Stabilizing Local Nonprofits in Bloomington
The Bloomington Health Foundation has announced its 2026 Bridge Funding opportunity, aimed at supporting local 501(c)(3) nonprofits that have experienced sudden funding disruptions jeopardizing essential programs and services. This one-time funding is designed to help stabilize established organizations in Monroe County and surrounding areas, ensuring continuity of services while they seek longer-term funding solutions. Recent… [Read More]
Turning ICJ Climate Advisory Opinion into Concrete Global Policies
Amnesty International has urged governments to use the upcoming UN General Assembly resolution to transform the International Court of Justice’s 2025 Advisory Opinion on states’ obligations regarding climate change into concrete and enforceable action. Informal consultations on the draft resolution, circulated by Vanuatu, began in February 2026, with a vote expected at the end of… [Read More]
Global Call: Stop Targeting UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, condemned recent attacks by ministers in France, Czechia, Austria, Germany, and Italy calling for the resignation of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who monitors human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967. Callamard stated that the attacks were based on a deliberately truncated video that misrepresented Albanese’s remarks… [Read More]
Seed Grant Keeps Insulin Treatment Within Reach for Vulnerable Patients
Evgenii Selikhov, founder of the grassroots initiative Just Help, has dedicated himself to ensuring that refugees living with diabetes receive uninterrupted access to insulin, regardless of paperwork, border crossings, or financial barriers. His initiative, Insulin for Life: Supporting Diabetic Refugees, was created to provide immediate, accountable delivery of essential insulin to displaced Ukrainians in Georgia,… [Read More]
AU Drives Continental Water and Sanitation Initiative for Sustainable Development
The African Union (AU) has launched its 2026 campaign focused on clean water and sanitation to advance the goals of Agenda 2063, aiming to strengthen water management and climate resilience across the continent. The initiative emphasizes sustainable water management and sanitation systems, prioritizing public health, community development, and economic growth. AU leaders have called on… [Read More]
Funding Shortfall at UN Puts Human Rights Programs at Risk
On 9 February in Geneva, the United Nations deputy human rights chief delivered a stark warning about the severe impact of the ongoing financial crisis on the UN’s ability to promote and protect human rights worldwide. She described a system “at breaking point,” with travel restrictions, halted atrocity investigations, and pro bono human rights experts… [Read More]
Green Climate Fund Commits $100M to Boost Climate Resilience in Chad
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has announced an accelerated programme to support Chad’s climate priorities, committing to mobilize at least USD 100 million, pending GCF Board approval. This funding aims to provide urgently needed support for climate action, helping Chad adapt to climate change impacts. The finance will focus on adaptive agriculture to reduce food… [Read More]
Asia-Pacific Youth Share Insights on Climate Governance and Policy
Youth across the Asia-Pacific region have increasingly shown interest in participating in political and governance processes, particularly in climate action. The region is home to approximately 1.1 billion young people, representing around 60 percent of the global population aged 15 to 29 and over a quarter of the region’s total population. This generation faces a… [Read More]
Improving Skills Transfer: IBE Supports Appropriation of Training Modules
The Educational Resources Project, aimed at supporting the production and dissemination of learning materials for primary and secondary school students in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, seeks to improve the quality of education across the region. Funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and several participating countries, the initiative focuses on strengthening national capacities for the design… [Read More]
New Agricultural TVET Facility Opens at University of Juba with UNESCO Support
UNESCO, in collaboration with the University of Juba, the Ministries of General Education and Higher Education, Science and Technology, and the African Development Bank, has marked a key milestone in South Sudan’s skills development and agricultural sector by breaking ground on a new technical and vocational education and training (TVET) center at the University of… [Read More]
AfDB Unveils $11 Billion Fund Replenishment and Vision for Africa at AU Summit
The President of the African Development Bank Group, Sidi Ould Tah, used his first African Union Summit appearance to announce a strategic pivot toward Africa-led financing. This shift is supported by a record replenishment of the Bank’s concessional resources and a new framework aimed at reducing the continent’s reliance on external aid. Tah presented a… [Read More]
