Global Health Initiatives

#AntimicrobialResistance (AMR) threatens to send the world back into the era before antibiotics and other antimicrobials, when a routine infection could be deadly.     Already, an estimated 5 million people die every year from infections associated with AMR.    Over the next decade, AMR could reduce global life expectancy by 1.8 years and cost the global economy more than $800 billion annually, due to additional health costs and lost productivity.     It’s fueled by many factors:  1. Poorly functioning health systems 2. Weak regulation 3. Sub-standard practices in industrial farming and agriculture 4. Poor management of waste and wastewater      AMR disproportionately affects people in low and middle-income countries, and is closely linked to poverty and a lack of access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene.     Later this month, the World Health Assembly will consider how to accelerate action in the human health sector, as part of a multi-sectoral #OneHealth approach.     The World Health Organization has outlined six recommendations for consideration: 1. Leadership and governance, based on effective and well-resourced coordination that includes all relevant stakeholders, and high-level oversight.   2. Allocation of domestic and international funding for accelerated national, regional and global action.   3. Evidence for action through strengthening AMR and antimicrobial use surveillance, strengthening bacteriology laboratory systems, research and sharing and use of data.    4. Accelerated implementation of a people-centred public health approach to address AMR, with a core package of interventions at all levels of health systems.    5. Scaling up learning, experience sharing and technical support for countries;    6. Promotion of science, research, and innovation, targeted to public health needs and to ensuring equitable access.   From communities to health workers. From youth organizations to parliamentarians.     From the private sector to people directly affected by drug-resistant infections and their consequences.    By working together, we can chart a clear path towards a safer world for all. 

This is why vaccination matters. Denmark’s achievement in effectively eliminating the main cancer-causing HPV strains (HPV16 and HPV18), with prevalence in vaccinated cohorts falling to below 1%, is a powerful milestone for public health. It shows what is possible when vaccination is delivered at scale, underpinned by strong surveillance, clear communication, and sustained public trust. Other countries are moving in the same direction. Australia’s evidence and modelling indicate that cervical cancer elimination is achievable with consistently high vaccine uptake combined with effective screening. This reinforces an important truth: elimination is not just a scientific possibility, it is also a policy and delivery choice. So where does the UK stand? England’s HPV vaccination coverage has fallen from earlier highs, and London has experienced some of the largest declines, with recovery still uneven. Rebuilding coverage will require renewed focus on school-based delivery, effective catch-up programmes, and tackling the persistent inequalities in uptake. This milestone also comes at a fragile moment globally. WHO, UNICEF and Gavi have warned that immunisation gains are increasingly threatened by misinformation, conflict, economic pressures and declining trust. The call to action is clear. We must protect prevention, rebuild confidence, and use high-quality data to drive equitable delivery. Elimination is possible, but progress is not guaranteed. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eXAERhFT 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eWrZ643z 🔗: https://lnkd.in/e4zHhe3e #PublicHealth #VaccinesWork #HPV #CancerPrevention #CervicalCancer #HealthEquity #Immunisation #Prevention #HealthPolicy #GlobalHealth

The World Health Organization Hub in #Berlin: driving innovation to make the world safer from health threats WHO is developing new tools and innovative partnerships to boost countries’ defenses against future #pandemics, including real-time #threat #detection and #genomic analysis of #viruses In today’s interconnected world, health threats spread faster than ever. A new virus can cross continents in hours. An outbreak in one country can escalate into a global crisis in days. This reality requires constant innovation to protect lives and prevent the next pandemic Building on lessons learned from the #COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin leverages innovative tools and collaborations for more effective disease surveillance worldwide. Just over three years after its inauguration, the Hub now supports over 150 countries in detecting health threats more effectively and rapidly The Hub’s latest annual report highlights the growing impact of this work and provides key insights into progress made in 2024 As no country can tackle the next pandemic alone, WHO is supporting countries to implement Collaborative Surveillance, a new collaborative approach to disease surveillance that promotes data and information sharing so that outbreaks can be detected and controlled faster The early warning system hosted at the Hub, called Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources, scans online sources in real time and uses #AI technology to identify #publichealth threats more efficiently “The Hub is ensuring that the most robust tools and analytics are available to enhance early threat detection and rapid response and support decision-makers around the world,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO DG. “I have urged all WHO Member States to work closely with the Hub, not only to strengthen their own national and regional health security, but also to contribute to global preparedness and response.” Pathogen genomics, which analyses the genetic material of viruses and other pathogens, has become a powerful tool to track and predict outbreaks. The Hub’s International Pathogen Surveillance Network connects over 235 organizations and countries to expand genomic surveillance more equitably around the world, including through a US$ 4 million fund for low- and middle-income countries To help decision-makers better understand an emerging #health #emergency and plan an effective response, the Hub is developing a cutting-edge platform that will visualize disease transmission and simulate the impact of different countermeasures. Once launched, the pandemic simulator will provide actionable insights to policy-makers and support them in responding to a health #crisis WHO remains at the forefront of developing tools, building partnerships and strengthening public health intelligence and surveillance capacities worldwide

Vaccines are some of humanity’s greatest achievements, but far too many children are still missing out. New data shows that progress on global immunization coverage has stalled, and in some regions—particularly those affected by conflict and instability—coverage has declined. Of the 14.5 million children who did not receive a single vaccine in 2023, more than half live in vulnerable settings. For these children, a simple vaccine could change the course of their lives—or save it entirely. But there are bright spots in the data, too. As countries introduce and scale up access to new and under-utilized vaccines, more people are protected from preventable diseases like polio, meningitis, pneumonia, and HPV. Gavi spearheaded many of these introductions, including for the HPV vaccine—which is now protecting twice as many people in Gavi-supported countries as it was in 2022. Of course, more work needs to be done. That’s why partners like Gavi are dedicated to reaching those who’ve been left behind and ensuring that all children have access to life-saving vaccines—no matter where they live.

Most healthcare AI doesn't stall because models underperform. It stalls because infrastructure is fragmented. We are no longer constrained by algorithmic creativity. We are constrained by data silos, privacy governance, interoperability gaps, compute access, and the operational friction of translating retrospective research into prospective clinical impact. This brief examines this structural bottleneck through the Mayo Clinic Platform. The authors focus on something foundational: building an AI-ready ecosystem designed to accelerate real-world clinical research at scale. The platform provides a secure, cloud-based research environment built on de-identified, standardized EHR data from more than 15 million patients. Key capabilities include: ⭐ OMOP-aligned data models for interoperability ⭐ Structured and unstructured data ⭐ Cohort-building and schema exploration tools ⭐ Integrated workspaces with scalable CPU/GPU infrastructure ⭐ Both no-code and advanced coding environments Unlike traditional institutional repositories, Mayo Clinic Platform enables access for external researchers, supports federated multi-institutional data contributions, and embeds analytics within a privacy-preserving architecture. The paper highlights four applied studies conducted within MCP: 1️⃣ RCT emulation for heart failure drug efficacy using observational data 2️⃣ Validation of antihypertensive medications and reduced dementia risk 3️⃣ Deep learning prediction of mild cognitive impairment progression to Alzheimer’s disease 4️⃣ Neural network prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events after liver transplantation Extracting a cohort of ~15,000 patients took approximately one week. Training and running a deep learning model required roughly 10 minutes on moderate compute resources. When infrastructure friction is minimized, research velocity changes materially. Competitive advantage in healthcare AI is increasingly defined by: 💫 Data harmonization at scale 💫 Federated, privacy-preserving architectures 💫 Reproducible research pipelines 💫 Integrated compute environments 💫 Lower barriers for clinician engagement The authors also point toward multimodal expansion (notes, imaging, genomics), large-scale cross-institutional validation, and “Clinical Trials Beyond Walls” models that broaden participation and diversify real-world evidence. For those shaping AI strategy in health systems, pharma, or digital health, this paper offers a concrete example of production-grade, AI-ready infrastructure. The future of healthcare AI will not be won by isolated models. It will be won by platforms that integrate data, governance, compute, and workflow into a coherent operating system for translational impact. John Halamka, M.D., M.S. and team, great work! #HealthcareAI #HealthSystems #RealWorldEvidence #ClinicalResearch #DigitalHealth #TranslationalMedicine #PrecisionMedicine #HealthData #AIInfrastructure #MedicalInnovation

The Global Fund and the Green Climate Fund are exploring an unprecedented partnership to jointly finance climate and health programs in vulnerable countries — a move that could create a new model for funding climate adaptation where it has long struggled to attract investment. The collaboration remains in early stages, but if approved, would mark the first time the two multilateral giants have jointly financed programs. Africa CDC is leading the process of proposal development on behalf of the partnership, and the Planetary Health Axis System, established at Peking University, has offered to provide data analysis through a series of AI tools to help guide interventions. “We put all of the variables in one big pot and let the system figure out what connections appear,” said Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, distinguished chair professor of planetary health at Peking University Institute for Global Health and Development. The Green Climate Fund has approved an initial grant of nearly $1.6 million through its Project Preparation Facility to support the development of a funding proposal for Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guinea-Bissau, although both the proposal and funding remain subject to the fund’s approval. But if the proposed project is ultimately approved, it marks the beginning of a really innovative partnership with a lot of potential, said Christoph Benn, executive director of the Center for Global Health Diplomacy. “It’s a different approach,” he said. https://lnkd.in/dz6PFpNa

What If the Next Trillion-Dollar Healthcare Opportunity Isn’t a New Drug — But a New Mindset? A few years ago, a US-based healthcare group approached McKinsey with a critical question: 👉 Is it worth investing in the long-term prevention and management of metabolic disease—not just for patients already sick, but across an entire population? The result? A full feasibility study that started as a business case for one group… and became one of the most powerful public health reports in recent memory. McKinsey published the findings openly: 📘 “The Path Toward a Metabolic Health Revolution” — and it reads like both a wake-up call and a blueprint. What they uncovered is profound: 🔹 Path 1 – Treat obesity with drugs, surgeries, and structured weight loss programs. Important, but limited. 🔹 Path 2 – Target the root causes of metabolic dysfunction across the population, even before people are diagnosed. And the difference between the two? 📈 $5.65 trillion in annual global GDP by 2050 🧬 469 million healthy life years gained 🏥 And a total rethinking of what hospitals, investors, insurers, and public health agencies should prioritize. ⸻ The five calls to action in the report are as strategic as they are scientific: 1. Understand the full spectrum of metabolic dysfunction—not just BMI 2. Create robust measurement tools that span clinical, behavioral, and economic outcomes 3. Use AI and digital platforms to tailor care and prevention 4. Align financial incentives for long-term health (not short-term volume) 5. Engage communities to make metabolic health everyone’s responsibility ⸻ As a hospital CEO and healthcare strategist in the Middle East, I see immediate relevance here. Our region is disproportionately affected by metabolic diseases—and yet, we continue to spend most of our energy treating late-stage illness instead of preventing the early breakdowns. 💡 McKinsey’s report reminds us: Prevention is not just good medicine—it’s good economics. I highly recommend reading the full study—especially for those working in hospital planning, healthcare investment, or national health strategy. 🔗 Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/ew4SKu55 #MetabolicHealth #HealthcareLeadership #PreventiveMedicine #McKinseyHealth #HealthEconomics #PopulationHealth #MiddleEastHealthcare #GLP1Strategy #DigitalHealth #HealthPolicy

We finally built new antibiotics… and the business model tells us not to sell them. 🤯 Here’s the hard math: ◉ 1.27M people die each year directly from antibiotic-resistant bacteria; 4.95M deaths are linked. ◉ It costs ~$1B and 10-15 years to develop a new antibiotic. ◉ Stewardship (the right thing) caps volume, so first-year sales often land <$50M. ◉ VC money flows ~17× more to oncology than to antibacterials. ◉ World Health Organization says the pipeline is “not enough, not novel enough.” ⁛ Bright spots: #gepotidacin (first new oral class in ~30 years) and #sulopenem - both real wins, used sparingly by design. ⇶This is a textbook market failure: society wants “fire extinguishers” on every floor, but hopes they’re never used. So… pay for availability, not volume. What works, from the evidence-backed perspective: ⩗ Delinked “subscriptions”: pay a fixed annual fee for access/readiness. The UK model is live and working. ⩗ Push funding to de-risk early R&D (CARB-X, GARDP, REPAIR). ⩗ Blended finance: public/philanthropic first-loss + private capital for Phase II/III. ⩗ Procurement + stewardship together: guaranteed supply, guardrails on use, real-time resistance data. What to actually do next: ⇉ Adopt subscriptions at scale (EU multi-country deals; pass PASTEUR in the US). ⇉ Target the worst bugs (WHO priority list) with clear eligibility for pull rewards. ⇉ Bundle access from day one (tiered pricing, #LMIC pathways via SECURE/Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP)). ⇉ Fund the full stack (not just pills): rapid diagnostics, infection control, vaccination. ⇉ Measure value like insurance: we pay for the option to stop an outbreak fast. Strategic peek: ▸ Governments: lock in 10-15-year, delinked contracts per qualifying drug. ▸ Investors: back late-stage assets aligned to subscription criteria; use blended vehicles. ▸ Biotechs: design trials and labels around priority pathogens + access plans. ▸ Health systems: connect procurement ↔ stewardship ↔ surveillance so money buys readiness, not resistance. 🧐 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) isn’t an unsolvable science problem; it’s a solvable incentives problem. Fix the incentives, the pipeline follows! Inspired by Global Biotech Revolution's GapSummit at the University of Cambridge, where the Master of Trinity College Cambridge, Dame Sally C. Davies, gave us a mind-blowing lecture on AMR. #AMR #AntibioticResistance #GlobalHealth

Child deaths have fallen by more than half in the past 25 years, thanks in large part to vaccines. That progress is powered by people. Every day, health workers and community leaders go the extra mile—traveling long distances, working in challenging conditions, and showing up again and again to make sure children can access life-saving vaccines. Because of that work, millions of children are growing up healthy, able to learn, play, and build their futures. Vaccines have helped eradicate smallpox and brought us to the brink of ending polio. They’ve also turned once-deadly threats like measles and pneumonia into preventable illnesses. But progress like this is fragile. Setbacks in immunization coverage, driven in part by funding challenges, are putting it at risk. Now is the time to recommit, not pull back.  As #WorldImmunizationWeek comes to an end, I’m thinking about the people behind that progress and why sustaining this work matters for every child’s future.