States that eliminated nonmedical exemptions (California, Connecticut, Maine, New York) saw declines, highlighting the potential role of policy in stabilizing immunization coverage. #Vaccination #PublicHealth #Epidemiology #HealthPolicy #ChildHealth

US completes WHO withdrawal process, ending 30-year relationship with global health body. Trump administration's move follows longstanding criticism of WHO's handling of pandemic response and funding. The decision could impact global health coordination and future pandemic preparedness efforts.

#WHO #HealthPolicy #GlobalHealth #PandemicResponse #USPolitics

https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/united-states-completes-who-withdrawal.html

U.S. Formally Withdraws From World Health Organization

Global health experts worry that a lack of international coordination will lead to death and disaster.

The New York Times

Tobacco companies targeting gen Z through social media
By Charlotte Wilkes

Experts say Australia risks becoming complacent in the war against tobacco, with big companies pivoting to social media to "greenwash" their products to generation Z.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-22/calls-to-bring-back-hard-hitting-anti-smoking-campaigns/106076928

#Smoking #Nicotine #HealthPolicy #FederalGovernment #CharlotteWilkes

Calls to bring back hard-hitting anti-smoking campaigns to warn off gen Z

Experts say Australia risks becoming complacent in the war against tobacco, with big companies pivoting to social media to "greenwash" their products to generation Z.

ABC News

"President Donald Trump announced his 'Great Healthcare Plan' to little fanfare on Capitol Hill last week.

The question now is how willing and able congressional Republicans will be to actually pass any of it into law after stumbling for years over politically toxic plans to undo Obamacare. The prognosis is not encouraging for the White House."

https://archive.ph/1JHC6#selection-755.0-763.238

#healthcare #insurance #ACA #obamacare #HealthPolicy #UScongress #USpol

Africa: How the U.S. Withdrawal From WHO Could Affect Global Health Powers and Disease Threats: [The Conversation Africa] Hours after Donald Trump began his second term as United States president on Jan. 20, 2024, he signed an executive order to end American membership in the World Health Organization (WHO) after one year. This restarted a process that the first Trump administration initiated in July 2020… http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TQSrgc #GlobalHealth #WHO #HealthPolicy #PublicHealth #DiseasePrevention

"As 2026 begins and Congress is once again negotiating healthcare plans, it is time to face a hard truth: we are reaching the mathematical limit of what level of 'coverage' policy can achieve under our current system. It is time to close the final chapter on coverage gaps and flip the policy coin to the side that threatens every American family: cost."

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/119473

#healthcare #ACA #obamacare #insurance #medicaid #HealthPolicy #opinion #USpol

Opinion | Is it Time to Cut Our Losses on Healthcare Coverage?

Congress should solve the Medicaid gap and prioritize cost

Our new chapter 'Understanding emerging digital health disparities'. Sadly, paywalled (but available through most institutional libraries). #digitalhealth #healthpolicy #qualitativehealthresearch www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

22 Understanding Emerging Digi...
22 Understanding Emerging Digital Health Disparities

22 Understanding Emerging Digital Health Disparities was published in De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Health and Society on page 401.

De Gruyter Brill
Africa: Africa Pushes Back On Us Health Deals Over Data, Power: [SciDev.Net] Kampala, Scidev.Net -- A new wave of bilateral health deals with the United States is facing growing resistance across Africa, as courts, civil society groups and public-health experts question how the deals reconfigure control over health data, pathogen samples and national priorities. http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TQS70z #Africa #HealthPolicy #DataControl #PublicHealth #HealthEquity
Zahawi defection pushes Reform’s vaccine scepticism into spotlight

The views of the former Tory vaccines minister clash with those of high-profile members and the party faithful

The Guardian