What We’re Reading: WHO’s Annual Health Assembly; New Abortion Bans Passed; FDA Clears Preeclampsia Test

Preparing for Future Pandemics at the Annual World Health Assembly

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to implement necessary reforms and honor financial commitments to prepare for future pandemics during the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, according to Reuters. Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for negotiating preventive measures to tackle the next global health crisis and warned that delaying action would only invite future pandemics. Additionally, the assembly discussed negotiations for a pandemic treaty and the approval of the WHO’s 2024-2025 budget.

Abortion Restrictions Tighten in Southern US as Lawmakers Pass New Bans

As abortion options in the South grow more limited as lawmakers push for stricter restrictions, many Southerners may not have the ability to travel long distances to access abortion care in other states, according to NBC News. North Carolina is set to implement a ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, while South Carolina's House of Representatives has approved a 6-week abortion ban. Furthermore, experts fear that the departure of many physicians from states with abortion bans will further limit access to abortions and maternal health care in the South.

FDA Approves First Preeclampsia Biomarker Test by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific has received FDA clearance for a first-of-its-kind test in the United States designed to detect women at risk of severe preeclampsia, according to Reuters. Preeclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure during pregnancy and the postpartum period, is a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The biomarker test is expected to significantly improve the prognosis and treatment of thousands of at-risk women in the United States each year.