Health Updates - Europe World

UNAIDS slams 'unprecedented' disruption to programmes due to US funding cuts

2Dec

By Europe WorldNo Comments

Health

UNAIDS slams 'unprecedented' disruption to programmes due to US funding cuts

An uncounted number of extra people have died, and 2.5 million have lost access to medicine to block the spread of HIV and AIDS. That's because of huge cuts to global aid programmes since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. UNAIDS warns that unless the situation improves, the funding cuts will mean an extra 3.3 million people will be infected by HIV over the next five years. On World AIDS Day, we spoke in Perspective to Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of the Policy, Advocacy and Knowledge Branch of UNAIDS. ]

Trump, Musk's dismantling of USAID dealt a heavy 'blow for HIV response' worldwide

2Dec

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Health

Trump, Musk's dismantling of USAID dealt a heavy 'blow for HIV response' worldwide

South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia have begun administering Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking new HIV-prevention injection, in the drug's first public rollouts in Africa, which has the world's highest HIV burden. It has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent, making it akin to a powerful vaccine. All the while, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, is warning of the dire, even deadly, consequences directly linked to the abrupt defunding from the US, and, to a lesser extent, the UK: "The complex ecosystem that sustains HIV services in dozens of low-and-middle income countries was shaken to its core." As we commemorate World Aids Day, Charles Pellegrin is pleased to welcome Vincent Leclercq, Director General of Coalition PLUS. ]

Burnout from casual sex has women rethinking hookup culture – DW – 11/27/2025

2Dec

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Health, Life Style

Burnout from casual sex has women rethinking hookup culture – DW – 11/27/2025

Casual sex isn't inherently harmful, but for some people, overlooking personal needs or emotional boundaries can take an emotional toll. Despite the promise of freedom and easy intimacy, hookups don't always feel empowering. For some women, they can lead to unexpected feelings of depletion. DW spoke to several women from North America, Europe and parts of Asia who spoke of hookups that gave feelings of short-term confidence but also made deeper intimacy harder. Heather, a 40-year-old woman from the US, describes this tension as leaving her feeling "empty, sad and temporarily empowered, but always craving more." When engaging in casual sex, she regularly tried to turn off her emotions, which felt like "cutting off a part" of herself. Her description of the negative side of hookup cultur...

Japan PM’s sleep schedule prompts concern

26Nov

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Health

Japan PM’s sleep schedule prompts concern

Japan's new prime minister says she only gets two to four hours of sleep every night. Sanae Takaichi faces criticism for setting a bad example, as her government also mulls raising the upper limit on overtime work. Report by Mélodie Sforza, Himari Semans and Laurent Berstecher. ]

MSF revives rescue mission in Mediterranean after new disaster kills 42

26Nov

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Health

MSF revives rescue mission in Mediterranean after new disaster kills 42

Last week, a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, killing at least 42 people. The incident was the latest in a series of disasters that have killed more than a thousand people in the Mediterranean this year. Humanitarian group MSF - or Doctors Without Borders - announced this week it is restarting its search and rescue activities in the Mediterranean. Details with Rositsa Atana-Sova, the humanitarian affairs coordinator for MSF's search and rescue operations. ]

Western aid cuts could cause 22.6 million deaths by 2030, study warns

26Nov

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Health

Western aid cuts could cause 22.6 million deaths by 2030, study warns

Cuts to international aid by the US and European countries could cause more than 22 million preventable deaths by 2030, including 5.4 million children under five, a new research has warned on Monday, highlighting the unprecedented global impact of simultaneous reductions in development assistance. ]

As Europe aims for 'digital sovereignty', biomedical agentic AI could be the next big field

20Nov

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Health

As Europe aims for 'digital sovereignty', biomedical agentic AI could be the next big field

"Europe does not want to be the client" of the US or China in the field of technology, French President Emmanuel Macron has told tech and political leaders at a "digital sovereignty summit" in Berlin. During the event, biotech company Owkin unveiled a new pan-European platform to make biological data "AI-ready". CEO Thomas Clozel speaks to FRANCE 24 about how new agentic and reasoning models can help take medical research to the next level. ]

China's toilet revolution: World toilet day aims to promote clean sanitation for all

20Nov

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Health

China's toilet revolution: World toilet day aims to promote clean sanitation for all

Today marks World Toilet Day, a day that seeks to inspire actions to tackle what the UN refers to as a global sanitation crisis, with some 3.4 billion people living without safe sanitation. In China this year also marks 10 years since Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a “Chinese Toilet Revolution”, aimed at upgrading the country’s bathrooms and hygiene standards. Despite large improvements, work remains to be done. Report by FRANCE 24 correspondents in China, Jan Camenzind Broomby and Eudeline Boishult. ]

'Health is the face of climate change': how can cities mitigate the impact of global warming

12Nov

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Health

'Health is the face of climate change': how can cities mitigate the impact of global warming

A Lancet report released last week found that since the 1990s, heat-related deaths have increased 23% to 546,000 annually as global temperatures rise. We speak with Emilia Carrera, Director of the Health Initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation, about how urban areas can mitigate the impact of global warming in cities and protect residents in urban areas. ]

How climate change is affecting our health, and what can be done about it

12Nov

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Health

How climate change is affecting our health, and what can be done about it

Ahead of COP30, beginning November 6 in Belém, Brazil, experts say we are seeing unprecedented impacts of climate change on people's health. In light of this, some - including billionaire Bill Gates - are calling on world leaders to focus the climate talks on improving wellbeing. Gabrielle Nadler spoke to an expert to understand how the two are related, and what can be done to mitigate the impact. ]