Health

44th FAO Conference Side Event, 2 July 2025

Implementing the 2024 AMR Political Declaration: Industry Accountability and Equity in Agrifood Sector Transformation

High-Level Dialogue on AMR, with the support of South Centre

2 July 2025, 12:30 – 16:00 CEST

FAO Headquarters (Rome), Iran Room (B-116 bis)

(more…)

SC Technical Report on AMS Post-COVID-19, 26 June 2025

Policy in Practice: Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Post-COVID-19

Q&A and Commentary

By Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy

This report summarises the key questions and expert commentary for the South Centre, as well as the South Centre Policy Brief on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship and provide practical recommendations discussed during the South Centre webinar on “Strengthening Antimicrobial Stewardship: Policy Insights from COVID-19 and Future Pandemic Preparedness.”

(more…)

SC Statement to ID with SR on Right to Health, June 2025

ID with the SR on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health

South Centre Statement (Item 3)

In its 59th session of the Human Rights Council statement on the Right to Health, the South Centre addressed the Special Rapporteur’s report, focusing on the protection of health and care workers. The statement noted the challenges they face, from migration impacts to poor working conditions, and called for their protection to ensure health equity for all.

(more…)

SC Briefing Report on SRHR, June 2025

Advancing Women and Girls’ Health in a Time of Converging Crises

South Centre Briefing Session (April 2025) Report

The South Centre hosted a high-level briefing session aimed at advancing the health rights of women and girls in the face of multiple global challenges. The meeting coincided with the South Centre’s 30th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, bringing together ambassadors, health experts, and representatives of international organisations to discuss the protection and advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the Global South.

(more…)

Policy Brief 144, 18 June 2025

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Context of International Human Rights

By Carlos Correa and Daniel Uribe

This policy brief examines the growing recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) within the framework of international human rights law. It traces the evolution of this consensus through key United Nations (UN) General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions, foundational documents like the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and the Beijing Platform for Action, and the interpretative work of human rights treaty bodies. These instruments increasingly affirm that SRHR are an integral component of the right to health and are essential for gender equality. However, this brief also highlights the challenges these common efforts face in line with other views, which prioritise national sovereignty in determining policies on reproductive health. The analysis highlights the tension between the evolving international human rights framework and state-centric approaches, concluding with the imperative for ongoing dialogue to solidify and implement SRHR as universal, inalienable human rights.

(more…)

HRC59 Side Event, 23 June 2025

Upholding health equity:

Access to medical products and reproductive rights

Side Event to the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council

23 June 2025

12:00 to 13:00

Room XXVII, Palais de Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

The pursuit of health equity, encompassing fair and just opportunities for all to achieve their full health potential, remains a paramount global challenge. The right to health is a fundamental part of our human rights and of our understanding of a life in dignity. This event will explore the indivisible links between equitable access to medical products, the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and the strengthening of international cooperation as pillars for upholding this fundamental right for everyone, everywhere. The interconnectedness of these themes is central; they are not disparate issues but integral components of a holistic approach necessary to realise comprehensive health equity.

The side event is anticipated to significantly enhance participants’ understanding of the complex, intersecting challenges and opportunities in upholding health equity, particularly through improved access to medical products and the full realization of SRHR. The discussions aim to identify potential policy pathways, innovative approaches, and actionable strategies for key stakeholders to address existing inequities. Furthermore, a crucial outcome will be a reinforced commitment to multilateralism and collaborative action as essential tools for tackling global health challenges and advancing the right to health, with the dialogue contributing valuable insights to ongoing policy debates in relevant international fora, especially concerning the implementation of recent global agreements and agendas, while also strengthening networks and partnerships dedicated to health equity and human rights.

(more…)

Compulsory License & Government Use Table, June 2025

Scope of Compulsory License and Government Use of Patented Medicines

To meet public health needs governments can use compulsory licenses and government use as a tool for procurement and import of patented medicines. These mechanisms are provided for in most laws worldwide. The WTO TRIPS Agreement, as reaffirmed by the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, recognises the right of WTO members to grant compulsory licenses and their freedom to determine the grounds upon which such licenses may be granted.

This table provides information of instances of their use.

(more…)

10th Regional AMR Conference, 11-12 June 2025

ReAct Africa-South Centre Annual Conference 2025:

From global to local action: Operationalising AMR commitments in Africa and beyond

11-12 June 2025

Lusaka, Zambia

The ReAct Africa-South Centre Annual Conference 2025 aims to translate these global and regional commitments into actionable strategies for local and national contexts in low- and middle-income countries; with a specific focus on Africa’s needs and priorities. It will serve as a platform for key stakeholders from, but not limited to governments at the regional, national and sub-national levels

A great variety of stakeholders will join the conference in Lusaka: International & regional organizations (Quadripartite organs – FAO, WHO, WOAH & UNEP; Africa CDC, ECSA-HC, etc.), public health professionals and health practitioners, civil society and community organizations, academia and research institutions, youth in AMR, faith sector, private sector leaders and innovators, media and communication experts.

(more…)

Call for Interns, 28 May 2025

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME – STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT TO HEALTH

The South Centre is seeking to fill internship positions to support its activities in the area of strengthening the right to health from a perspective of countries of the Global South.

Specific intern responsibilities include, but are not limited to, supporting the Strengthening the Right to Health project.

The deadline for applications is 2 June 2025.

(more…)

SC Statement to WHA78 Agenda Item 15 – AMR, 27 May 2025

Statement by the South Centre to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly

Agenda Item 15: Antimicrobial Resistance

27 May 2025

The South Centre strongly encourages member States and the Director General to maintain antimicrobial resistance as a WHO priority, with adequate resources in headquarters and regional offices, and increased coherence as a cross cutting issue across various WHO programmes …

(more…)

SC Statement to WHA78 Agenda Item 13.9, 26 May 2025

Statement by the South Centre to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly

Agenda Item 13.9: Global strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

26 May 2025

We support the implementation of the Global Strategy 2016 – 2030, with increased and sustained financing, towards meeting the health needs and realizing the rights of all women, children and adolescents.

Key interventions include expanding immunization coverage, promoting breastfeeding, improving nutrition, advancing gender equality, and advancing sexual and reproductive health information and services for women and adolescents.

We strongly support the resolution regulating the digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes.

(more…)

SC and Cuba Side Event for WHA78, 20 May 2025

South-South Cooperation to Address Health Challenges in the Caribbean. The Role of Medical Cooperation

Side Event organized by the South Centre and the Republic of Cuba during the World Health Assembly 2025

Date and Time: 20th May 2025, 6:00 – 7:30pm

Venue: South Centre (IEV II Conference Centre, Ground Floor, room Rhin, Chemin de Balexert 7/9, 1219 Geneva)

Within the framework of the World Health Assembly 2025, this side event, organized by Cuba, will bring together distinguished Ministers of Health from the Caribbean and Latin America to exchange experiences on the current challenges facing their health systems and the solutions implemented through South-South cooperation.

The panel will focus on how to strengthen South-South collaboration in the health sector, with the aim of building more resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems in the Caribbean region.

This session will explore how collaboration between Caribbean and Latin American countries has contributed to strengthening regional health systems. Successful initiatives in medical training, professional exchange, and technical assistance will be highlighted. Additionally, innovative medical cooperation strategies that have improved access to and quality of health services for the most vulnerable populations will be discussed, consolidating an exemplary model of solidarity and mutual support.

The event will be conducted in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation into English.

(more…)