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The WHO learned to love ‘anti-obesity’ jabs in 2025. I don’t fully agree, but I get it | Devi Sridhar https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/31/world-health-organization-anti-obesity-jabs-2025 #Obesity #PharmaceuticalsIndustry #Health #Diabetes #Drugs #WorldHealthOrganization #FoodDrinkIndustry #DietsAndDieting #Science

The Guardian view on antibiotics: recent breakthroughs are great news, but humanity is losing the bigger race | Editorial https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/29/the-guardian-view-on-antibiotics-recent-breakthroughs-are-great-news-but-humanity-is-losing-the-bigger-race #Antibiotics #Drugs #Science #DrugResistance #Health #InfectiousDiseases #Gonorrhoea #MedicalResearch #PharmaceuticalsIndustry #Doctors #WorldHealthOrganization #ArtificialIntelligenceAi #...

Tens of thousands are fleeing violence in oil-rich Kordofan, where the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces — locked in a brutal war since April 2023 — are vying for control. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/29/world/politics/sudanese-escape-kordofan-fighting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #sudan #rapidsupportforces #kordofan #darfur #civilwar #internationalorganizationformigration #worldhealthorganization #un

One Gazan Girl’s Fight to Survive Extreme Hunger

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/26/world/middleeast/hoda-gaza-malnutrition-israel.html

Sumaya Abu al-Naja with a photo of her daughter, Hoda.

‘A potential treasure trove’: World Health Organization to explore benefits of traditional medicines https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/20/who-traditional-medicine-alternative-remedies-mainstream-healthcare-evidence #WorldHealthOrganization #Alternativemedicine #SouthandcentralAsia #Globaldevelopment #Health&wellbeing #Medicalresearch #Globalhealth #Lifeandstyle #Acupuncture #Homeopathy #Worldnews #Society #Science #Health #India

New flu strain sweeping across Europe is putting pressure on healthcare, says WHO https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/17/new-flu-strain-sweeping-across-europe-is-putting-pressure-on-healthcare-says-who #WorldHealthOrganization #Worldnews #Society #Europe #Health #UKnews #Flu

New antibiotics hailed as ‘turning point’ in treating drug-resistant gonorrhoea https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/16/health-antibiotic-resistance-drugs-superbugs-sexually-transmitted-gonorrhoea #Pharmaceuticalsindustry #WorldHealthOrganization #Infectiousdiseases #Globaldevelopment #Fertilityproblems #Medicalresearch #Drugresistance #Globalhealth #Sexualhealth #Microbiology #Gonorrhoea #Worldnews #Business #Society #Science #Health #USnews #Drugs

Malaria deaths, cases surged in 2024 with gains at stake - Report http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TPdS1h #Malaria #HealthCare #WorldHealthOrganization #PublicHealth #Africa

WHO says weight loss drugs are ‘new chapter’ in fight against obesity https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/01/who-says-weight-loss-drugs-are-new-chapter-in-fight-against-obesity #WorldHealthOrganization #Worldnews #Obesity #Society #Science #Health #Drugs

Trump Administration Will No Longer Commemorate World AIDS Day

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/health/trump-us-world-aids-day.html

An event was held on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate World AIDS Day in 2024.

The Guardian view on devastation in Gaza: the world wants to move on, but Palestinians can’t | Editorial https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/20/the-guardian-view-on-devastation-in-gaza-the-world-wants-to-move-on-but-palestinians-cant #MiddleEastandnorthAfrica #WorldHealthOrganization #Trumpadministration #USforeignpolicy #Israel-Gazawar #UnitedNations #DonaldTrump #USpolitics #Palestine #Worldnews #Israel #Gaza

Africa: More Countries Report Rising Levels of Drug-Resistant Gonorrhoea, Warns WHO: [WHO] The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, according to new data from its Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP), which monitors the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhoea. http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TPLyTr #Gonorrhoea #DrugResistance #STI #WorldHealthOrganization #Antibiotics

New drug could be a breakthrough in treatment for killer TB, trial suggests https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/nov/19/new-drug-could-be-breakthrough-killer-tb-tuberculosis-sorfequiline #WorldHealthOrganization #Infectiousdiseases #Globaldevelopment #Medicalresearch #Globalhealth #Tuberculosis #SouthAfrica #Worldnews #Society #Science #Health #Africa

Subnational tailoring of malaria strategies and interventions: bridging the gap between planning and implementation

The global malaria response is currently navigating a convergence of crises. Epidemiologically, the reduction in mortality has plateaued. Biologically, threats from Anopheles stephensi and partial artemisinin resistance are accelerating. Financially, the 2025 landscape is defined by a severe contraction in foreign assistance, necessitating a radical optimization of resources. In this context, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidance, Subnational tailoring of malaria strategies and interventions (2025), offers a necessary technical framework.

However, the manual relies on an implementation architecture that remains fragile. To succeed, the technical rigor of subnational tailoring (SNT) should be coupled with an operational mechanism capable of mobilizing the workforce in the current context. This article examines how digital peer learning-to-action networks offer a potential mechanism to address the operational deficits of conventional technical assistance and capacity building.

Subnational tailoring of malaria strategies: moving from blanket coverage to allocative efficiency

The rationale for SNT rests on the recognition that transmission heterogeneity – driven by ecology, urbanization, and human behaviour – renders national averages insufficient for operational planning. The WHO guidance codifies a ten-step “Data-to-Action Loop,” designed to be embedded within the National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP) cycle. This process moves beyond simple risk mapping to a rigorous cycle of optimization:

Granular stratification: This involves using composite metrics (combining prevalence, incidence, and mortality) to segment operational units, rather than relying on broad national averages.
Tailoring and prioritization: This requires developing “ideal scenarios” (what is epidemiologically required) versus “prioritized scenarios” (what is financially feasible). For example, this might involve restricting expensive indoor residual spraying (IRS) to high-burden zones while deploying next-generation nets solely in areas of confirmed pyrethroid resistance.
Resource optimization: This entails using cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) to scientifically justify trade-offs, such as cutting lower-impact interventions to preserve life-saving commodities in the face of budget shocks.

The implementation gap: systemic blind spots in subnational tailoring of malaria strategies

While the WHO framework is technically robust, its execution faces systemic “blind spots” that threaten to undermine the strategy:

The private sector void: In high-burden nations such as Nigeria, the private sector acts as the primary entry point for febrile patients yet remains largely absent from national surveillance data. Without integrating these providers, SNT models risk being built on incomplete datasets, leading to flawed stratification.
The incentive crisis: The operational culture of many national malaria programmes (NMPs) relies on donor-funded per diems to motivate training and data review. As funding from major donors contracts, this transactional motivation model is fracturing, threatening workforce retention and data quality.
Centralization of analysis: There is a risk that SNT becomes an extractive process where districts feed data upwards to central planners without retaining analytical ownership. This centralization disempowers the district health teams (DHMTs) expected to execute the tailored strategies.

Operationalizing the subnational tailoring of malaria strategies: the role of digital peer networks

To operationalize SNT in a resource-constrained environment, national malaria programmes require a low-cost mechanism to drive district-level ownership and data quality that goes beyond traditional cascade training. The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) has developed a digital peer-learning model that warrants examination by technical specialists as a complement to standard capacity-building approaches.

Shifting from incentives to intrinsic motivation: Traditional training workshops often rely on per diems to ensure attendance. In contrast, the TGLF model connects health workers in digital cohorts to share problem-solving strategies without extrinsic financial incentives. Empirical data from recent cohorts involving 1,715 health workers indicate that participants report high levels of practice application (rated 5.13 on a 6-point scale) based purely on professional recognition and peer accountability. This suggests that intrinsic motivation can be sustained digitally, a critical finding as external funding for operational costs diminishes.
Validating granular data through ground-level intelligence: SNT models depend entirely on the quality of input data. Digital peer networks can serve as a listening mechanism to surface “tacit knowledge” from the frontline that quantitative surveillance misses. For instance, during recent Teach to Reach sessions, health workers provided over 400 narrative accounts of specific local barriers – such as cultural resistance to bed nets due to associations with burial shrouds – that would not appear in DHIS2 reports. This qualitative intelligence provides a necessary layer of validation for stratification maps.
Devolving analytical capacity to the district: True SNT requires districts to function as data users, not merely data collectors. The peer-learning platform employs a structured “Impact Accelerator” methodology, which guides frontline staff to conduct their own root-cause analyses (for example, using the “Five Whys” technique) rather than receiving top-down instruction. In Nigeria, working with UNICEF and NPHCDA, The Geneva Learning Foundation supported 4,300 health workers to identify and resolve local bottlenecks in a matter of weeks, effectively decentralizing the “tailoring” process to the community level.
Cost-efficiency and sustainability: Traditional face-to-face training and supervision are resource-intensive. Comparative data suggests the peer-learning model delivers capacity building at approximately 90% lower cost than traditional technical assistance methods. This is primarily by virtue of scalability: costs very little whether there are 10 or 1,000 participants. Furthermore, in a country-specific study, 82% of a cohort reported using TGLF’s peer learning model for their own needs, and 78% said they needed no further assistance from TGLF. More than half of participants stay in touch because they want to. This aligns with both the value for money and sustainability mandates of malaria partners.

We need more than technical precision to overcome operational inertia

The WHO’s Subnational tailoring of malaria strategies and interventions guidance provides the necessary technical standards, stratification algorithms, and modeling tools for the next phase of malaria control. However, technical precision alone cannot overcome operational inertia.

TGLF’s peer-learning model demonstrates that it is possible to shift from top-down instruction to lateral learning, and from extrinsic financial incentives to intrinsic professional motivation. For technical partners and epidemiologists, integrating these two approaches – rigorous technical stratification coupled with broad-based workforce mobilization – could provide an innovative path to sustaining gains in a fragile funding landscape.

Image: “Contours of Local Knowledge”, The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2025. This installation stretches organic planes across a web of taut, intersecting lines, echoing how malaria responses must adapt to the distinct shapes of local realities. The tension between each form –sometimes pulling apart, sometimes holding together – mirrors the work of tailoring strategies to varied terrains, communities, and transmission patterns. By revealing strength in flexibility and coherence in diversity, the piece evokes a central truth of subnational action: health systems become most effective when they align with the textures of the places and people they serve.

References

Goodman, C., Tougher, S., Shang, T.J., Visser, T., 2024. Improving malaria case management with artemisinin-based combination therapies and malaria rapid diagnostic tests in private medicine retail outlets in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. PLoS ONE 19, e0286718. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286718
Sadki, R., 2024. Ahead of Teach to Reach 11, health leaders from 45 countries share malaria experiences in REACH network session. https://doi.org/10.59350/vhky9-fvf32
The Geneva Learning Foundation, 2024. World Malaria Day 2024: We need new ways to support health workers leading change with local communities. https://doi.org/10.59350/yrn1r-hpz62
Thawer, S.G., Chacky, F., Runge, M. et al. Sub-national stratification of malaria risk in mainland Tanzania: a simplified assembly of survey and routine data. Malar J 19, 177 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03250-4
The Geneva Learning Foundation. Teach to Reach 11 – Malaria: Turning the tide. Listening and Learning report 19, 2025. The Geneva Learning Foundation, 2025. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15126588.
Venkatesan, P., 2025. WHO world malaria report 2024. The Lancet Microbe 6, 101073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101073
World Health Organization. Guiding principles for prioritizing malaria interventions in resource-constrained country contexts to achieve maximum impact. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09044
World Health Organization. Subnational tailoring of malaria strategies and interventions: reference manual. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240115712
World Health Organization. World Malaria Report 2024. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024.

#globalHealth #guideline #implementationGap #learningStrategy2 #malaria #peerLearning #snt #theGenevaLearningFoundation #worldHealthOrganization

Subnational tailoring of malaria strategies and interventions

WHO to lose nearly a quarter of its workforce – 2,000 jobs – due to US withdrawing funding https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/19/world-health-organisation-to-cut-jobs-due-to-us-withdrawing-funding #WorldHealthOrganization #Trumpadministration #USpolitics #Health #USnews

From 619 Drugs to 1: Researchers Uncover Hidden Risk

Originally Published on November 18th, 2025 at 08:00 am

Introduction: Addiction Risk in Commonly Prescribed Drugs

When you think of medication side effects, your mind probably goes to the warnings listed in commercials. Drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, etc. These are common, often manageable, and generally expected side effects of drugs.

But what about far more profound ones that can alter your behavior, strain your relationships, and impact your life?

A recent study delved into this very issue, analyzing VigiBase®, the World Health Organization’s global pharmacovigilance database, containing over 36 million adverse event reports, to uncover surprising links between everyday medications and the development of behavioral addictions.

The research sought to identify drugs where these life-altering risks are not officially listed, leaving us in the dark. This post will break down the most impactful findings from that detective work.

Takeaway 1: It’s Not Just the Usual Suspects Anymore

For years, the primary link between medication and behavioral addiction centered on a specific class of drugs: dopaminergic antagonists used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

The connection was so well-established that it was considered the main, and for many, the only, example of this phenomenon. This new study dramatically broadens that scope.

By analyzing reports from healthcare professionals worldwide, researchers identified seven classes of drugs associated with behavioral addictions, even though this risk is not officially listed as a side effect for them. These include:

Antidepressants
Antipsychotics (specifically, dopamine antagonists)
Antiepileptics
Benzodiazepines or related drugs
Psychostimulants
Retinoids
One antidiabetic drug

This finding is significant because it suggests the problem is far more widespread than previously understood. It potentially affects patients being treated for a wide range of common conditions.

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Takeaway 2: A Widely Used Antipsychotic Emerged as a Primary Concern

From an initial pool of 619 suspect medications reported at least five times, researchers applied a rigorous filtering process to hunt for the strongest signals. Ultimately, only one drug, Olanzapine, met all of the study’s highest evidence-based criteria.

Olanzapine is a second-generation antipsychotic medication.

The study found that it had the most well-documented cases with strong evidence linking it to behavioral addiction. This evidence included reports where symptoms resolved after:

The patient stopped taking the drug (a “positive dechallenge”)
A significant statistical signal in the data
Support from existing scientific publications

The study’s authors emphasized how their multi-step analysis narrowed the field to this single, compelling candidate:

Our analysis allows to narrow down the search to include only the most thoroughly documented cases… This process culminated in reducing the initial count of 619 suspect to 1: Olanzapine.

While Olanzapine was the only drug to meet every one of the study’s strictest criteria, the researchers noted that other antipsychotics also showed significant warning signs in the data. The specific behavioral addictions most strongly linked to Olanzapine included a range of behaviors such as binge eating, compulsive sexual behavior, compulsive shopping, and gambling disorder.

Takeaway 3: This Hidden Danger Isn’t Listed on the Drugs Official Label

The core purpose of the study was to identify drugs for which behavioral addiction is not listed as a known side effect in the official Summaries of Product Characteristics (SPCs). These are the detailed documents that guide doctors on a drug’s use and risks.

The implication of this is critical: patients and even some doctors may be completely unaware of these potential risks when prescribing or taking these medications.

An individual experiencing a sudden onset of compulsive behavior might not connect it to their prescription, leading to confusion, distress, and delayed intervention. This research underscores the importance of “pharmacovigilance,” the ongoing science of monitoring drug safety after a medication is on the market.

It is a crucial tool for uncovering hidden patterns and rare side effects that may not have appeared in initial clinical trials.

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Takeaway 4: The Brain Science is More Complex Than Just Dopamine

Addiction is often explained through the lens of the brain’s reward system, which is heavily driven by the neurotransmitter dopamine.

This is why dopaminergic drugs for Parkinson’s were the first to be linked to behavioral addictions. However, the study’s findings on drugs like Olanzapine suggest a counter-intuitive possibility: the mechanism might involve a different system entirely.

Researchers theorize that for some of these medications, the effect may be caused by their interaction with the serotonergic system. Specifically, the way these drugs block certain serotonin receptors (known as 5HT2A receptors) could be responsible for inducing compulsive behaviors.

This finding deepens our scientific understanding of addiction. It demonstrates that the pathways to addictive behavior in the brain are incredibly complex and varied, and not solely reliant on the dopamine system that has long dominated the conversation.

Conclusion: A Call for Greater Awareness of Drugs Side Effects

This research serves as a powerful reminder that our understanding of medication side effects is constantly evolving. What is considered safe today may reveal hidden complexities tomorrow. Ongoing research and diligent reporting by healthcare professionals are essential tools for ensuring patient safety long after a drug has been approved.

The study’s findings highlight a potential blind spot in patient care. Life-altering behavioral changes might be mistakenly attributed to personal failings rather than a medication’s side effect.

This leads to a vital question for all of us: Knowing that these risks can go unlisted, how can we foster better conversations between patients and doctors about unexpected changes in behavior?

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Are you exploring your trauma? Do you feel your childhood experiences were detrimental to your current mental or physical health? Utilize this free, validated, self-report questionnaire to find out.

Take the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

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#addiction #addictiveBehaviors #antidepressants #antidiabetics #antiepileptics #antipsychotics #benzodiasepines #dopamine #dopaminergicAntagonists #drugAddiction #drugUse #drugs #hiddenDangersInMedications #highRiskMedications #olanzapine #prescriptionDrugs #psychostimulants #retinoids #who #worldHealthOrganization

Prescription pill bottle tipped over with pills spilling out alongside icons of a playing card, shopping bag, cake slice, and smartphone, symbolizing hidden behavioral addiction risks in commonly prescribed drugs.

UN officials warn of worsening situation in Sudan http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TPHybH #SudanCrisis #UN #Refugees #HumanRights #WorldHealthOrganization

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