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Presented by EVO Green Village | New UN Treaty to Protect Older People | WHO Tests New Global Health Emergency Response System | Maternal Mortality Increases Post-Pandemic
Wednesday, 9 April, 2025
A big thank you to our sponsors and subscribers, that is how this newsletter can be free to all. Please become a paid subscriber so we can continue to tell the world about the tireless work of the UN and its agencies in the capitals and in the field. Check EVO Fitness Green Village offer, time to get in shape for those Summer outings, garden parties, and barbecues by the lake in Geneva.UN Human Rights Council Interview with Claudia Mahler, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Older Persons on a big win for the Human Rights Council: the development of a legally binding instrument to protect civil and political rights of the aging population worldwide.How old is old? 65? 85? 45? Yes, ageism is rampant in many labor markets around the globe, the elderly (I am told we should avoid the word as it denotes frailty) but in reality the treatment of older people in many societies fragilises them. From pushing-out older women from the labor markets, to the patronizing of the above 55 in matters of embracing new technologies. That contributes to health problems, depressions, and a lower quality of life overall. Perhaps now that Millennials are getting older there will be changes on the way societies perceive the older, the experienced, the eager to share their wisdom.Listen:Related ContentUN: Discrimination of Older Women in the Workforce Leads to Poverty Longevity: The Science of Healthy AgeingInterview with UN Special Rapporteur Dr. Claudia MahlerInterview Ambassador Federico VillegasUN Human Rights Report: Data GapIndependent Report Points to Data Gap on Older PopulationTHE BRIEF is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.Presented by EVO Green VillageA great place to work-out a few steps away from the UN, ILO, WHO, UNICEF.Chemin du Pommier 42, Kyoto Building, Grand-Saconnex, GenèveSign up nowGet THE BRIEF special offer with promo code 26DBecome a paid subscriber.WHOGlobal Maternal Mortality Falls, Yet Progress Stalls, Warns WHOBy Agostina CerisoliThe World Health Organization (WHO) has released their first report on Global Maternal Mortality since COVID 19, revealing that while there has been significant progress since 2000, there is a warning of a worrying slowdown.Especially in low-and-middle income countries, and conflict areas. With the most affected areas being Sub-Saharan Africa - accounting for 70% of maternal deaths globally, followed by Central South Asia - accounting for 17% of maternal deaths. WHO calls for collective and systematic change, where “maternal health is a human right and must be a lived reality for women everywhere,” says Dr Pascal Allotey, Director at the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research program at the WHO. The report tracks maternal mortality, covering data from 195 countries and territories nationally, regionally, and globally - between 2000 and 2023. It makes one thing clear, the world has made clear strides on maternal mortality, yet not fast enough. “Women today are far more likely to survive pregnancy, and that is thanks to research, investment, and action,” said Bruce Aylward, senior advisor to the WHO Director-General. “At the same time, we are still losing over a quarter of a million women every year to maternal mortality related causes that are preventable.”On a positive note, the report revealed that since the year 2000, maternal mortality has dropped globally by 40%. Additionally, while in the year 2000 half a million women died of pregnancy related causes, by the year 2023 this number has decreased to a quarter of a million. For the first time, this report presents that no countries were estimated to have extremely high levels of mortality. Moreover, over a third of countries, specifically 74, had extremely low levels of maternal mortality. It further revealed that the most significant progress has been in Sub-Saharan Africa- the region with the highest overall burden of maternal mortality - with an almost 40% decline since the year 2000. After 2015 this region was one of three seeing statistically significant declines. The data also demonstrated that the COVID 19 pandemic had setbacks to their progress. In 2021 alone it spiked up to 322 000, up from 280 000 the previous year. This upsurge is not only linked to direct complications caused by COVID 19, but also due to widespread disruptions to maternity care. WHO affirms how critical it is to ensure maternity services are protected during any emergency. At the same time, the Report also disclosed that there are significant inequalities and gaps that remain: more than 9 in 10 maternal deaths occur in low and low income countries during 2023. They attribute these to other factors, like inequity, gender inequality, and erosion of rights, by which maternal mortality does not work in a vacuum, in fact these are all interrelated. These are “deeper, systemic drivers of maternal deaths”, explained Dr Pascal Allotey. Conflict affected areas bear the outsized share of the burden. In 2023, 37 countries were classified by the World Bank to be in conflict or in a state of institutional or state fragility, accounting for more than 3 in 5 maternal deaths. Compared to elsewhere in the world, where 1 in 193 die of maternal related causes, in conflict areas, the number is 1 in 51 women. The risks are especially stark for young 15 year old girls, says WHO. Revealing that the highest risks are in Chad and in the Central African Republic, where 1 in 21 die, in Nigeria 1 in 25, in Somalia 1 in 30, and in Afghanistan 1 in 40. The report further reaffirms what health experts and WHO have long known: maternal deaths are preventable. These include; severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications from delivery, and unsafe abortions. All which are treatable with access to quality maternal health care and which women in poor and/or remote areas lack. The issue was framed by WHO as one not only of health, but of justice. “Maternal health is a developmental issue, a human’s right issue, and a moral imperative,” shared Dr Allotey. This issue is ever so pressing as the WHO explained that they are not on track with achieving their sustainable development goals. SDG 3 includes a target to accelerate the decline of maternal mortality by 2030: “reducing the global MMR to less than 70 per 100 000 live births.” Yet, their current goal in 2023 was to achieve a global MMR of 197 per 100 000 live births; it will require an annual rate of reduction of almost 15%. A pace which they report to be achieved rarely for any country.Another factor that affects their sustainable development goals, they explained, is the cuts to funding in 2025. Which “will affect access to life savings, supplies and medicines, treatment of some of the leading causes, access to contraception, and cuts in the area of staff personnel,” spoke Dr. Aylward.As 2030 approaches, now it is time to intensify coordinated efforts and mobilise and reinvigorate global, regional, and community-level commitments to end preventable maternal mortality.“We need to dismantle the barriers that block access to life saving qualities, sexual and reproductive healthcare various which are rooted in under sourced health systems, and discriminatory laws and regressive policy decisions,” shared Dr. Allotey. UNICEFHow Giga is Taking Action for Digital Inclusion Globally By Agostina CerisoliAccording to the latest ITU and World Bank figures nearly 1.3 billion children lack internet access at home, and half of the world’s approximately six million schools are unconnected to the internet. Some 500 million children and young people around the globe do not have access to the internet, said Sandra Bisin, Chief Communications Officer for Giga, a UNICEF and ITU platform to bring connectivity to the developing world.Giga is a joint partnership between UNICEF, the UN agency to support children, and ITU (International Telecommunication Union), the UN information technology agency. Giga’s goal is to connect each primary and secondary school in the world to the internet. This initiative is not just about providing internet access to schools, said Bisin, it also recognizes connectivity as a human right. Their goal is to transform education and stimulate economic development, and close the digital divide which separates developed and developing countries. “We believe the internet and internet access is the key to job creation and to economic development,” shared Sandra Bisin.Giga’s vision has attracted technology partners including Ericsson, Elon Musk Starlink, Meta, Boston Consulting Group, and SoftBank. These companies have brought expertise in network infrastructure, satellite connectivity, and AI-driven data mapping. Partnerships also include local telecom providers and regional governments, which have been crucial in tailoring specific solutions to aid with specific connectivity challenges in each country. All which are crucial in Giga’s mission, as they report that one of their biggest challenges in providing connectivity and internet to schools is due to the reason that most schools’ locations are unknown.Funding for Giga comes both from public and private sources. Governments, international financial institutions, and philanthropic organisations such as the Elon Musk Foundation, Ericsson, Dell Technologies, and the World Bank have contributed significant resources. IHS Towers, who in 2022 announced a three-year partnership with UNICEF has contributed $4.5 million to support Giga’s mission in mapping schools using machine learning and satellite imagery. Additionally, they have received interest from UNICEF’s Venture Fund in blockchain technology, using blockchain-based software to build capacity and empower communities. They have made up to $100K equity-free investment in cryptocurrency to provide early stage (seed) financing and mentoring.Though internet access is still out of reach for 500 million children and the exact total number of schools lacking connectivity around the world is unknown, Giga has already made strides in ensuring connectivity in underserved regions in the five years since its creation. From Africa, to South America, to remote islands in the Pacific, the initiative is actively bridging the digital divide, providing access to learning tools and resources, and opportunities which were previously unimagined. “Since lunch we have been able to map over 2.1 million schools across over 143 countries, and share this data with governments. More importantly, we have supported increasing access to connectivity to more than 4000 schools, impacting close to 11 million students,” said Bisin on the progress of Giga. In Africa, they face their biggest challenges, in terms of school connectivity and aptitude for and from governments to equip their schools. Additionally, they have made substantial progress, with rollouts in 49 countries, where the biggest successes have been in Rwanda, Kenya, Brazil, Somalia, and Kazakhstan. In order to measure this success, Giga utilises real-time connectivity mapping with AI-powered analytics. This map is available online on their website.They track internet speeds, student engagement, and educational outcomes to ensure that connectivity they have sought after transfers to learning experiences. Up to 25% of student performance has improved. “This is a major improvement and milestone, yet there is still much more work to be done,” said Sandra Bisin. Their objective is to have all schools around the world connected to the internet by 2030. To further advocate for connectivity, amplify a participatory global voice, and bring awareness to the cause, Giga has launched their first ever photo festival and contest: The Joy of Connection. It invites photographers to join and capture the essence of human connection and the transformative power of internet connectivity. They invite youth, students, professional photographers, and photojournalists globally to submit visual stories on topics such as the impact of the internet on education, on health care, in bridging the digital divide, accelerating participation of women and girls, and in emergency situations.It will be hosted in Geneva in collaboration with the University of Geneva, “we believe in connection through art and design,” said Aurélie Elisa Gfeller, Dean of Studies, HEAD-Genève. At the Launch on April 1st in Geneva, Daniel Ginsianmug, Giga Photo Festival Coordinator, shared that there will be submissions from over 190 countries, where UNICEF operates.Submissions will be open from April 1st to April 30th, 2025, judging will take place on May 6th and 7th, followed by an outdoor exhibition of winning images on June 12th at Parc des Bastions in Geneva. There will be three categories for submission and six jury members. The jury will be composed of all ages, “connections can also be generational connections,” expressed Aurélie Elisa Gfeller. Christopher Fabian, the Giga Co-Lead at UNICEF, expressed that connectivity is an abstract term which invites individuals to create their own meaning on what it means to be connected for them. “I really hope we discover some surprising things about how people are using connectivity or viewing them in their lives, because I think it is very easy to think we know what people need, but it is not as easy to see it unless they express it to us,” he shared. To what Sandra Bisin added, “it is a global call, and I think there is going to be an opportunity to showcase the diversity of views of what it means to be connected, from a human perspective and from a digital connectivity - a more techie perspective.”This photo contest will highlight the power of technology coupled with the power of connectivity to include the voices of marginalized or secluded communities. This was the concept shared by Misha Valleja Prut, a filmmaker and photographer, at the launch, where he presented his work “Documenting Connectivity in the Amazon,” where the power of technology in action was seen as he explained how the people of the Amazon use it to increase autonomy and resist environmental destruction.Produced, written, and reported by Agostina CerisoliEdited by Maya PlentzWHOWHO Tests New Global Health Emergency Response System By Maya PlentzThe World Health Organization (WHO) convened more than 15 countries and over 20 regional health agencies and emergency networks this week in a first-of-its-kind simulation aimed at testing a new global coordination system for health emergencies.Dubbed Exercise Polaris, the two-day simulation tested WHO’s Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) — a framework designed to prepare the world’s emergency workforce, coordinate international deployments and allow cross-border collaboration during global health crises.The exercise simulated the outbreak of a fictional virus spreading across continents, with participating nations responding through their national health emergency coordination systems and engaging in real-time information sharing and response alignment.Participating countries included Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia, Germany, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Uganda and Ukraine, with several others observing. Each nation operated under realistic conditions to assess how quickly and effectively they could coordinate with global partners.More than 350 global health emergency experts joined the simulation. Key regional and global organizations such as Africa CDC, European CDC, IFRC, IOM, UNICEF, and global networks like the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, Emergency Medical Teams initiative, and the International Association of National Public Health Institutes supported the exercise.“This exercise proves that when countries lead and partners connect, the world is better prepared,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “No country can face the next pandemic alone. Exercise Polaris shows that global cooperation is not only possible – it is essential.”Throughout the drill, countries led their own national response efforts while coordinating with WHO for technical guidance and emergency support. Officials described the exercise as a rare opportunity to test systems under conditions where trust and accountability mattered as much as speed.“The exercise sought to put into practice the procedures for inter-agency response to international health threats,” said Dr. Mariela Marín, Vice Minister of Health of Costa Rica. “Efficient coordination and interoperability processes are key to guaranteeing timely interventions in health emergencies.”“Polaris demonstrated the critical importance of cultivating trust before a crisis occurs,” added Dr. Soha Albayat of Qatar. “We’ve moved beyond reactive measures and are now proactively anticipating, aligning, and coordinating our cross-border emergency response plans.”According to WHO, the GHEC aims to provide a more robust and connected emergency workforce that can respond faster and more effectively to future global health threats. WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr. Mike Ryan said the exercise signals growing readiness.“Exercise Polaris showed what is possible when countries operate with urgency and unity supported by well-connected partners,” Ryan said. “It is a strong signal that we are collectively more ready than we were.”At a time when global cooperation in health is often challenged by national priorities and political divides, Exercise Polaris served as a reminder that pandemics do not recognize borders — and neither should the response.THE BRIEF is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.World Wildlife FoundationOcean LifeDeep-sea Mining: Distribution of Resources and Regulatory ChallengesBy Maya Plentz“There are over hundred issues that are still not settled at the International Civil Authority for a regulatory framework that would regulate deep-sea mining to be ready for adoption.” Jessica Battle, WWF InternationalListen to my interview with Jessica Battle, WWF This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theunbrief.substack.com/subscribe
