World Health Organisation (WHO)

Is the WHO pushing a Globalist agenda?

By David Shepherd|2025-01-22T14:23:36+00:00January 22nd, 2025|

Is the WHO pushing a globalist agenda? The World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations’ specialised health organisation, is under increased scrutiny for its global health policies and apparent alignment with a globalist agenda. Critics claim that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is unduly influenced by strong organisations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) and private enterprise, jeopardising its neutrality and putting profit before public health.

The WHO-WEF Connection:

The WHO and the WEF share a tight and interconnected relationship. The World Economic Forum (WEF), a prominent multinational organisation of economic, political, and intellectual elites, has actively shaped global health priorities. For example, the WEF’s “Great Reset” project, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, called for a thorough overhaul of global systems, including healthcare. Critics believe that this effort, with its emphasis on public-private partnerships and technical solutions, reflects a globalist perspective that puts corporate interests ahead of national sovereignty and individual liberty.

Evidence of Collaboration:

Shared Personnel: Several individuals have held high-level roles in both organisations, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. For example, Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a public-private partnership funded by governments and private foundations, previously worked as Deputy Director for Global Health Security at the National Security Council during the Obama administration.

Joint Initiatives: The World Health Organisation and the World Economic Forum have partnered on a number of initiatives, including the Global Health and Healthcare Platform, which aims to “improve the quality and affordability of healthcare for all.” While such collaborations have admirable intentions, opponents contend that they run the risk of prioritising corporate interests and technical solutions over fair and sustainable healthcare systems.

Corporate Influence on WHO Policies:

The WHO has been accused of being unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies and other private corporations. This influence manifests in several ways:

Funding: A large percentage of the WHO’s budget is funded by voluntary contributions, including those from private foundations and corporations. This reliance on private money raises worries about potential conflicts of interest and the possibility that corporate influence would shape the organization’s aims and practices.
“Revolving Door” Phenomenon: The mobility of staff between the WHO and the pharmaceutical industry raises concerns. Former WHO officials frequently accept high-paying jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, raising concerns about potential bias and the prioritisation of corporate interests over public health.

Intellectual Property Rights: The WHO has experienced criticism for its stance on intellectual property rights in relation to COVID-19 vaccinations. Critics believe that the organisation has not done enough to promote fair access to vaccinations around the world, particularly for developing countries, because it is unwilling to challenge pharmaceutical firms’ strong intellectual property rights.

Examples of Controversial Policies:

COVID-19 Pandemic Response: The WHO’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic has been hotly debated. Critics claim that the organisation took too long to declare a public health emergency, minimised the seriousness of the virus, and supported practices that benefited pharmaceutical corporations, such as the widespread use of PCR tests and lockdowns. There have been major concerns about the WHO’s failure to hold China to account for its early role in the origins of the Coronavirus and has been too credulous in accepting its denials of any involvement.

Vaccine Policies: The WHO’s vigorous push for mass immunisation has also been criticised. While vaccination is unquestionably important for public health, opponents believe that the organisation has failed to appropriately address concerns about vaccine safety and potential adverse effects, as well as downplaying the value of individual autonomy and informed consent.

Calls for Greater Transparency and Accountability:

Given the concerns about its close ties to the WEF and private corporations, the WHO faces increasing calls for greater transparency and accountability. Critics argue that the organization must:

Increase transparency: Publish detailed information on its funding sources, financial relationships with private corporations, and decision-making processes.
Strengthen safeguards against conflicts of interest: Implement stricter rules to prevent the “revolving door” phenomenon and ensure the independence of its decision-making.
Prioritize public health over corporate interests: Ensure that its policies are guided by the principles of equity, justice, and the highest standards of scientific evidence, rather than by the interests of powerful corporations.
Increase public participation: Provide greater opportunities for public input and engagement in the development and implementation of global health policies.

Conclusion:

The World Health Organisation plays an important role in global health governance. However, its tight ties to the World Economic Forum and private enterprises, combined with issues about transparency and accountability, call into doubt its impartiality and efficacy. To rebuild public trust and guarantee that its policies actually benefit global public health, the WHO must address these concerns and commit to increased transparency, accountability, and independence.

Should Thames Water be allowed to fail ?

By David Shepherd|2025-01-02T17:00:14+00:00December 31st, 2024|

Thames Water, the UK’s largest water provider with nearly 16 million users, is currently facing serious financial issues. Should it be allowed to fall into administration?

As of December 2024, the company’s debt exceeded £19 billion, raising questions about its operational viability and the likelihood for government intervention.

It recorded an operational deficit of £189 million in the first half of 2024, attributable to pollution penalties, consultancy payouts, and losses on inter-company loans. The corporation also faced exceptional charges of £465 million, including a £104 million provision for anticipated fines and a £40 million restructuring program.

This significant debt burden has stretched its financial resources, limiting its capacity to invest in critical infrastructure projects. Thomas Water has stated that it may run out of money by March 2025.

A 40% increase in pollution events has resulted in substantial fines, severely stressing the company’s budget. Thames Water was fined £18.2 million by Ofwat in December 2024 for violating dividend regulations on payments made in 2023 and 2024. Ofwat also stated that it will “claw back value” to recover £131 million of the payments.

Should Thames Water be allowed to fail ?

Thames Water is currently seeking permission for a potential £3 billion financial rescue package to address its current financial challenges – but will a new bail-out be merely “kicking the can down the road” ?

As an alternative, going into administration would support a full restructuring of the company’s operations, allowing a greater focus on efficiency and service quality without the immediate strain of debt commitments. This procedure then gets an opportunity to fix the root causes that have hampered the company’s performance over years of managed decline.

Administration allows the opportunity to reorganise or reduce the company’s significant debt, relieving financial pressures and creating a more sustainable economic model, thus increasing the company’s capacity to invest in vital infrastructure and environmental initiative.

A government-appointed administrator would verify that the company’s activities are in the public’s best interests, potentially leading to increased environmental compliance and customer service standards. This oversight has the potential to rebuild public trust while also ensuring regulatory compliance.

The administration of such a large utility may encourage a rethinking of the regulatory and ownership arrangements in the UK’s water industry, potentially leading to broader reforms that benefit both consumers and the environment. This may involve talks on alternative ownership arrangements, such as mutual or cooperative structures.

What are the potential downsides and risks ?

Going into administration, it will be critical to provide service continuity throughout: uninterrupted water supply and wastewater services during the transition period to preserve public health and safety.

The restructuring process will cause job uncertainty for Thames Water’s personnel, needing appropriate communication and support measures to address employee concerns.

To the financial markets, allowing a large utility to fall into administration might have a broader impact on investor confidence in the UK’s regulated industries, potentially influencing future investment and financing in the sector.

It will be critical to strike a compromise between Thames Water’s immediate requirements and the industry’s overall stability but the question remains: why shouldn’t Thames Water be allowed to fail and give us an opportunity to reset and renew, as a template for the UK water industry going forward, utilising a new mutual or cooperative model ?

Potentially Harmful Environmental Factors to Keep an Eye on

By Seema Adnani|2025-01-09T12:34:01+00:00December 9th, 2020|

“It is our collective and individual responsibility…to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live” – Dalai Lama

There exists constant interactivity between humans and a wide range of environmental factors. These interactions play a major role in affecting our health and quality of life. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the environment in relation to human health is “all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related behaviors.”

The Healthy People 2020 Environmental Health focuses on six primary themes, highlighting key elements of environmental health. These include:

Ground water and surface quality
Homes and communities
Quality of outdoor air
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Infrastructure, surveillance, etc.
Global environmental health

To create a healthy environment, it is important to understand how hazardous environmental factors can potentially harm human health and wellbeing.

Importance of Environmental Health

Human wellbeing and environmental health are intrinsically associated – improving quality of life and mortality rate. According to a study, 26% of deaths in children below 5 years and 23% of all deaths are caused due to environmental factors. Inability to maintain a high quality of environmental wellbeing has a direct impact on individuals with “compromised” health.

And why just humans! Poor environmental health also has a major impact on our natural resources and the society at large. Therefore, it is crucial to address the potentially risky environmental factors that accentuate the likelihood of human exposure and poor health.

5 Environmental Factors Affecting Human Health

For overall human health and wellbeing, environment matters. It is crucial for all environmental factors to be well-balanced to ensure we live a healthy, prosperous and contended life. However, there are several environmental elements that people need prevent to remain healthy and improve their quality of life. Let’s check out:

1. Water Pollution

Do you know that on average 1 in 10 people do not have basic accessibility to safe drinking water?

The current UN World Water Development Report warns that “climate change will affect the availability, quality and quantity of water needed for basic human needs, thus, undermining enjoyment of the basic rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for billions of people.”

Water quality is greatly impacted by higher water temperatures and a decline in dissolved oxygen today. This has resulted in a decrease in freshwater basins’ capacity to self-purify. Furthermore, high levels of pollutants, pathogen contamination caused due to floods, plastic pollution, etc. are significantly affecting the quality of water.

As a consequence, 2.2 billion people today have no access to “safely managed drinking water.” Water pollution has led to an increased quantity of harmful contaminants, including aluminium, lead, copper and chromium. Additionally, even trace amounts of arsenic, barium or cadmium in drinking water can result into prolonged illnesses.

2. Quality of Air

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 7 million deaths occur worldwide every year due to air pollution. Data reveals that “9 out of 10 people breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits containing high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures.”

Ambient air pollution, in addition to smoke and other pollutants inside the home, is the primary cause behind premature deaths and ecological imbalance. Mortality rate has increased considerably as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, acute respiratory infections, heart disease and even lung cancer.

According to an article published in NCBI, air pollution is regarded as one of the major environmental factors in the incidence and progression of some diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, ventricular hypertrophy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, foetal growth and low birth weight.”

Therefore, proper measures should be taken to ensure you are able to cope with the consequences of air pollution, especially if you live in a highly industrialised area or cities with smog alerts such as Delhi.

3. Asbestos

Do you live in an industrial area where asbestos is being used widely? If yes, it is time for you to consider relocating to a potentially asbestos-free region. Most industries, particularly construction, commonly use asbestos as it is resistant to heat, water, and fire. Producing asbestos is also inexpensive.

However, it is one of the most hazardous environmental factors inhaling which may result into a wide range of illnesses in human beings and animals. The fibres from asbestos are inhaled easily, reaching the lower regions of our lungs. Over prolonged exposure, this can result in fibrotic lung disease and can also cause changes in the chest cavity’s lining. Such diseases can affect your respiratory functions and even cause death.

Asbestos fibres also heighten the risk of developing mesothelioma and lung cancer. Since lungs are affected due to asbestosis, it can cause increased blood-flow resistance and enlargement of the heart as a result.

4. Homes and Communities

While homes and communities cannot be considered as direct environmental hazards but these are known to expose people to several conditions that affect their health and wellbeing. These include structural problems, indoor air pollution, noise pollution, fire and electrical hazards, improper sanitation and heating, paint hazards caused from paints, etc.

These factors can significantly impact human safety and health. Therefore, it is important to take essential measures to maintain healthy homes and communities that can help improve overall environmental health.

5. Impact of Climate Changes on Human Health

Do you know that the air you breathe is majorly affected by climatic changes? Fast-changing weather patterns and warmer temperatures can degrade air quality significantly, resulting in cardiovascular diseases, asthma and other respiratory problems. According to environmentalists, climatic impact is one of the environmental factors that can pose serious threat to human health and wellbeing.”

Rising temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air also cause a number of allergens which can affect human health. Widespread wildfires are also causing major climatic changes, resulting in smoke and other air pollutants. On the other hand, drought or flood are also known to cause serious heath hazards to human beings.

Conclusion

In addition to the above-mentioned environmental factors, there are numerous other health hazards that you should be aware of and take measures to prevent the same. It is through this approach that you can feel safe and healthy, living a more fulfilling life.

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