The Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality – a global commitment to rebalance power, resources, and accountability - was launched this week at Women Deliver 2026 (WD2026).

WD2026 brings together political leaders, activists, advocates, funders, journalists, and young people from across the globe at a time of rising conflict, shrinking civic space, mounting pressure on women’s rights, and growing questions about whether current systems are serving the people they are meant to.

A child’s early years often shape more than just memories. A new research suggests they may also shape futures  from classrooms to careers and even financial stability later in life.

More than 250,000 people died from meningitis worldwide in 2023, with children under five accounting for over one-third of the deaths, according to a major global study published in The Lancet Neurology.

Every year, as April draws to a close, the world pauses to recognise the quiet power of protection. From 24 to 30 April, World Immunisation Week shines a spotlight on one of humanity’s simplest yet most powerful shields: vaccines.

A large European study has revealed that hidden liver damage is quietly present in the general population, often without any warning signs.

Colorectal cancer is quietly becoming a growing concern in Bangladesh.

Love is often described as healing, yet not all relationships offer comfort.

In a global health landscape marked by shrinking funding and widening inequities, Orbis International is charting an uncommon trajectory—growth with a deliberate focus on equity. At the helm of this strategy is its newly appointed President and CEO, Kathleen Sherwin, who has just completed an intensive visit to Bangladesh as part of her first 90 days in office.

At the newly established Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre at the National Cancer Centre, Singapore, doctors are using cutting-edge radiation techniques such as proton therapy to target tumours more precisely while protecting healthy tissues. In this interview, she explains how modern radiotherapy is transforming cancer care and what patients should know about these advances.

Observed globally on 19 April, World Liver Day is an important occasion dedicated to raising awareness about liver health and the prevention of liver-related diseases.

A growing body of global evidence is sounding the alarm on adolescents’ diets, linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to a sharp rise in overweight and obesity.

A broken heart is often dismissed as a metaphor for emotional pain, but emerging medical evidence reveals it can be a life-threatening cardiac condition.

Binge eating is often dismissed as mere overindulgence but health experts warn it is a serious eating disorder linked to emotional distress and long term health risks.

A growing body of research is shedding light on a lesser-known risk in childhood obesity, fat accumulation in the pancreas.

A long-standing belief about childhood obesity is being turned on its head, as new research suggests that what doctors have long called the “adiposity rebound” may not be about fat at all.

Shoulder and knee pain, often dismissed as minor discomfort, may signal deeper health concerns that can disrupt daily life if ignored, experts warn.

As global leaders prepare to convene at the Women Deliver 2026 in Melbourne, a pressing concern looms large: the growing rollback of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). For Professor Sarah Hawkes—a global health expert at Monash University and co-CEO of Global 50/50—this moment is not an isolated crisis but part of a broader, deeply political global shift. In an interview with The Daily Star, she reflects on the forces driving this backlash, the limitations of data in policymaking, and why the future of global health may depend on rethinking power itself.

At 7 am, Arif (not a real name), a 21-year-old university student, finishes his workout and reaches for his protein shake.

Bangladesh is stepping up efforts to tackle a surge in measles-related child deaths, with icddr,b partnering the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to scale up an innovative, low-cost respiratory support technology known as bubble CPAP, says a press release.