WHO

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Update: Private funding of the world’s public health agency

A robust debate continues over at the journal Foreign Affairs — over how much the World Health Organization is depending on private sources of funding these days.

Flickr, Public Domain Photos

Last week, we highlighted a critique written by journalist Sonia Shah. That prompted some thoughtful exchanges over on Humanosphere’s Facebook page.

Now, Foreign Affairs has a rebuttal called “Setting the record straight …” from the WHO’s communications director Christy Feig, who says Shah made a number of “erroneous statements”:

“To set the record straight: Eighty percent of WHO’s budget now comes from governments.”

Continue reading

World Health Organization Eats Crow, Cuts Maternal Death Numbers

WHO

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization made great progress in the global campaign to reduce maternal mortality today.

The WHO has cut its estimate of worldwide maternal mortality by more than a third — from about half a million deaths to about 350,000 deaths per year.

The UN Agency didn’t make much of a public announcement but it did issue a detailed report. However, it’s still not clear based on a cursory reading why some similar findings earlier rejected are now accepted.

Oh, if only we could so easily reduce all causes of death, disease and poverty.

Numbers in global health can sometimes flow like the tide. Continue reading