Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) – And good results on the vaccine

An update from Dr Jotham Musinguzi, Chair of Commat, on this type of cancer, which is preventable 

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is an abnormal growth of cells at the cervix,  the lower part of the uterus. Most cervical cancers are caused by strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The infection is acquired through sexual contact.  If the body's immune system does not overwhelm the infection, the virus survives for years, slowly causing some cervical cells to become cancer cells. 

What are the known risk factors for cervical cancer? 

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The May 2026 Ebola Epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Ebola is a serious health concern in Eastern Africa at present, Dr Jotham Musinguzi, the Chair of the Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat), writes describing the disease:

In May 2026, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Eastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Unlike the other past outbreaks of Ebola, as in Zaire, Sudan and West Africa, this was the Bundibugyo variant, the rarer type. 

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UN80 Initiative: Summary of Informal Ad Hoc Working Group (IAHWG) zero draft Mandate Creation, Implementation and Review for an Effective United Nations

It is a General Assembly draft resolution, based on resolution 79/318 and decision 79/571: 

1 Agrees the following set of principles for mandate creation, renewal and retirement:

(a)  Need for continuous improvement and “enhanced strategic coordination” across the UN system for “effective responses to global challenges”

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Update on status of UN80 Initiative

(a) Roadmap for the Production Phase of the work of the informal ad hoc working group on the Mandate Implementation Review 

In their letter of 23 December 2025, the co-chairs of the informal ad hoc working group on the Mandate Implementation Review set out the timetable below.

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UN80 – No 3 (part 2): UN Secretary-General introduces proposed 2026 programme budget in context of UN80 Initiative to General Assembly 5th Committee (17 October 2025)

As included in the Secretary-Generals statement to the General Assembly’s 5^th Committee, the Secretariat has conducted a comprehensive review of its resource requirements for 2026, to identify measurable efficiencies across the Secretariat. An advances unedited version of the revised estimates report for the proposed programme budget for 2026 and the support account for peacekeeping operations for the 2025/26 period is being consideration by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).  

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UN80 – No 3 (part 1): UN Secretary-General introduces proposed 2026 programme budget in context of UN80 Initiative to General Assembly 5th Committee (17 October 2025)

The UN Secretary-General presented the proposed 2026 programme budget in the context of the UN80 Initiative, highlighting a strong sense of urgency and the ambition to make the Secretariat more effective, agile, resilient and cost-efficient.  

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UN80 – No 2: Response from Member States and appointment of Co-chairs

The initiative for UN80 was originally in the hands of the UN Secretariat, with the establishment of the workstreams and clusters, without the involvement of either Member States or observers, such as civil society organizations, including the Major Groups and other Stakeholders. 

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UN80 – No 1: What is it and why is it important for civil society organizations?

Background

The UN80 Initiative was launched by the Secretary-General on 11 March 2025 in response to the political and financial circumstances and those in which “the effectiveness of multilateralism is [being held]up for scrutiny…”[1] The initiative is, therefore, related to the current “turbulent times”, exacerbated by the failure of the United States and other countries to pay their dues. 

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2025 ECOSOC Partnership Forum, 5 February 2025

Registration for non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders is open! 

Deadline: 17 January 2025 

The 2025 Partnership Forum of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will be held on Wednesday, 5 February, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at the United Nations headquarters in New York.  

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Summit of the Future No 50: The Summit itself – adoption of the Pact for the Future and the annexes – processes and reflections

The Pact for the Future (Pact) and its two annexes, the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the Declaration on Future Generations (DOFG), (A/RES/79/1) were adopted by consensus during the opening session of the Summit of the Future on 22 September 2024. 

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