Global Health Policy and Diplomacy
PAHO Directing Council Concludes in Washington, D.C.
The 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) concludes today in Washington, D.C. The final morning of the annual meeting is expected to focus on the formal adoption of key resolutions and commitments.
- Key Commitments: The main resolutions expected to be adopted include the Action Plan 2025–2030 on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), a policy on equitable access to high-cost health technologies, and the final reports on the Strategy on Health and Migration 2026–2031. These documents will set the regional health agenda for the coming years.
Source: PAHO/WHO
WHO Focuses on Big Data in Cancer Research
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is a key participant in the Big Data Forum for Life and Health Sciences today.
- Key Focus: The agenda includes a keynote on “Cancer Epigenomics: Unravelling Molecular Mechanisms to Advance Treatment and Prevention,” which highlights how environmental and lifestyle factors influence cancer risk through changes in the epigenome. This event is part of the global effort to leverage massive datasets to improve cancer prevention and treatment strategies.
Source: IARC/WHO
Infectious Disease & U.S. Public Health
Measles Outbreak Confirmed in South Carolina
The South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed a measles outbreak in the Upstate region, involving eight cases that are epidemiologically linked, with five occurring within the past month.
- Public Health Concern: Officials are concerned by the unknown source of two cases, which suggests unrecognized community spread among communities with low immunization rates. With the U.S. already experiencing its largest measles case count in 25 years (over 1,544 cases nationwide this year), this outbreak underscores the critical threat posed by declining vaccination rates.
Source: Greenville Journal, CDC
Pertussis Resurgence Highlights Infant Risk
Public health experts and infectious disease specialists are raising alarms about the reemergence of pertussis (whooping cough), with current incidence rates now surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
- Vulnerability: The renewed focus is on infants under two months old, for whom the illness can be fatal and often presents as apnea (interrupted breathing) rather than the characteristic “whoop,” leading to delayed diagnosis.
- Prevention Strategy: Experts are strongly reiterating the necessity of maternal immunization (Tdap vaccine) during pregnancy as the most effective strategy to provide passive immunity and protect newborns before they are old enough to receive their first vaccines.
Source: Bioengineer.org
Continuing Confusion Over U.S. Vaccine Guidance
Following recent meetings of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), physicians and public health experts continue to express concern over what they describe as conflicting and confusing guidance for respiratory vaccines (COVID-19, flu, RSV).
- The Issue: The lack of clear, universal recommendations, especially regarding which age groups should receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the split-shot approach for the MMRV vaccine, is feared to fuel vaccine distrust and could further hinder vaccination uptake rates.
Source: Infectious Disease Special Edition
This video discusses the need for global health cooperation to tackle pressing challenges like infectious diseases, a major theme of the recently concluded PAHO Directing Council. World Health Summit – Key issues to be tackled in global health (Ilona Kickbusch).
The mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is showing a significant resurgence globally in 2025.
- Case Count: Between January 1 and September 30, 2025, a total of 445,271 suspected and confirmed CHIKV disease cases and 155 deaths have been reported from 40 countries.
- Geographic Hotspots: Major outbreaks are ongoing in the Indian Ocean region (including Mauritius and La Réunion), parts of Africa (Comoros, Kenya), and Europe, where locally acquired cases have been confirmed in France and Italy.
- Risk: The resurgence is driven by an expanded range of Aedes mosquitoes, in part due to climate change, increasing the risk of transmission in previously non-endemic areas.
Source: Chikungunya virus disease: Global situation – ReliefWeb
