EU Response to Mpox Outbreak in Africa

Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash

  Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash   The EU has moved to provide what is says is an “immediate response” to the mpox outbreak in Africa. The European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, HERA, will procure and donate 175,420 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine, the only FDA and…

EU Aid for Palestine

Photo by Michel E on Unsplash

Photo by Michel E on Unsplash The European Commission has given the green light to a second tranche of assistance of €25 million for the Palestinian Authority. It says this will contribute to the payment of salaries and pensions of Palestinian civil servants and disbursed €16 million for UNRWA to provide basic services such as health and education…

Garden Party for the Songani Centre

Songani Garden Party

We are coming up fast to the fundraising Garden Party for the Songani Centre for HIV testing and counselling Malawi on Saturday 8 June 2024 during the afternoon, so here is your opportunity to sign up! Ex-European Commission official and resident of Brussels for more than 30 years Sue Bird is organising the Garden Party. This promises to be…

Ukraine Veterans Run in Brussels 20K

Photo by Lance Reis on Unsplash

Photo by Lance Reis on Unsplash A group of Ukrainian military personnel who have lost limbs in the war with Russia are taking part in the 20km run in Brussels today 26th May. The eight Ukrainian veterans are in Brussels to raise awareness about the well-being and rehabilitation programmes for injured Ukrainian defenders.   All have sustained amputations or…

My Voice, My Choice

Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash Leading European NGOs met in Berlin on Wednesday (22 May) calling to “put reproductive rights on the ballot paper” in the forthcoming European Parliament elections.  On the heels of the recent government commissioned report calling for abortions to be legalised within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in Germany, activists from across Europe gathered…

Taiwan and the Loch Ness Monster

Taiwan’s absence from international organisations has been likened to the search for the Loch Ness Monster. The Taipei Representative Office in Brussels says the search for “Nessie” in the Scottish loch is like looking for Taiwan’s involvement in organisations like the UN.  The Taiwan Representation has collaborated with the Belgian cartoonist, Lectrr, to create a cartoon comparing finding…

My Voice, My Choice

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash Activists have launched the “My Voice, My choice for safe and accessible abortion” initiative. The “ground breaking” drive, championed by prominent figures in the fight for reproductive rights, aims to secure over 1 million signatures over the next seven weeks before the EU elections. It is said to mark the first step…

Taiwan’s Indispensability in Preparing for Future Pandemics

Dr Hsueh Jui yuan

The three years of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a terrible loss of life and exacerbated health inequalities. The global economy slumped and, worldwide, people’s lives were affected, writes Dr. Hsueh Jui-yuan This experience demonstrated that the present global health governance framework is not effective in responding to threats to global health. Although COVID-19 is…