News to 6 February 2026
UK activists oppose Palantir’s access to NHS data
National Health Service (NHS) England is facing pressure from the UK Government to use a Palintir data platform but researchers and activists are wary of risks to data protection and access to care. Palantir is a US-based tech company that has a US $30 million contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and another with the Israeli military.
See also: VIEWPOINT From Information to Valuable Asset: The Commercialization of Health Data as a Human Rights Issue, Amy Dickens, Volume 22/2, December 2020
Medicaid data sharing with ICE
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to share Medicaid data (including identifying number, addresses, citizenship, and immigration status) with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Leonardo Cuello, Research Professor at the Georgetown University commented that HHS sharing Medicaid files with ICE is problematic because it is in direct violation of a judge’s order. “More importantly, it’s also horrendous health policy. The data sharing will scare a large group of people from accessing health care—including the US citizen children of immigrants and many lawfully present immigrants.”
Measles cases in ICE detention center
Two detainees in a family detention facility in Texas have contracted measles, causing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to impose quarantines. The New York Times reported, “The incidents bring together two of the most contentious issues of President Trump’s second term: his aggressive effort to deport undocumented immigrants and the rise of measles as his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., installs vaccine skeptics in the government.”
People in Minneapolis afraid to seek healthcare
The Guardian UK reports that a public health crisis is unfolding in Minnesota as people targeted by federal agents are afraid to seek healthcare while some healthcare staff are also fearful for their safety at work. Community organizations and health providers are now arranging home visits, telehealth appointments, and other alternate care.
See also: Viewpoint, Disaster Epidemiology: Human Rights and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Siege of Minneapolis, Joseph J. Amon, 28 January 2026.
UN experts urge Israel to withdraw death penalty bill
UN experts, including Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, called on Israel’s Knesset to reject a proposed bill that would make the death penalty mandatory for anyone deemed a terrorist, warning that this would violate the right to life and discriminate against Palestinians. “In the occupied West Bank, the death penalty would be imposed by military courts under military law for terrorist acts causing the death of a person, even if not intended.” The experts urged Israel to end use of the death penalty.
WHO: Solidarity is the best immunity…
Global health funding cuts are disrupting health systems and services worldwide, warned World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Organization’s Executive Board meeting this week. He outlined WHO’s successes, ranging from the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s entry into force in 2025 and stressed that global solidarity is the best immunity. He emphasized the need for continued collaboration and evolution of WHO’s governance, saying, “WHO’s superpower is its convening power”.
…Do not drop the ball on pandemic preparedness and prevention
Marking six years since it declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, WHO has warned that a funding shift away from health toward defence and national security is placing at risk the very systems that were strengthened during COVID-19 to protect countries from future pandemics. WHO called on nations and other stakeholders to continue collaborative efforts to protect the world from pandemics.
See also: The Right to Science as a Guidepost for Fair Access to COVID-19 Vaccines: Investigating the Interpretive Role of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Katrina Perehudoff and Jennifer Sellin, Volume 24/2, December 2022
Renewed commitment to One Health
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing the implementation of the One Health approach in the renewal of their memorandum of understanding. The MoU recognizes “inherent interconnectedness of the health of humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, and the broader environment,” and pushes forward cooperation to strengthen global health systems across key priorities.
See also: One Health, COVID-19, and a Right to Health for Human and Nonhuman Animals, Kimberly Bernotas, Laurie Sellars, and Jeff Sebo, Volume 23/2, December 2021
Talks on crimes against humanity treaty begin
Preliminary talks on the creation of a convention on crimes against humanity are underway, and UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk is calling on States to be ‘ambitious’ in its design and definitions. “The delegates should make a future-proof Convention, one that addresses deep historical injustices that continue to affect our world today, but also one that takes into account contemporary forms of grave attack on our common humanity and looks to protecting a future of dignity and justice for our children and grandchildren.”
Cholera vaccination back after three years
Preventative cholera vaccinations are restarting as the global vaccine supply is now sufficient after a three year hiatus. In 2022, a surge in cholera cases pushed global efforts towards treatment and away from prevention, leading to shortages in vaccine stock. “The multi-year surge in cholera cases and resulting unprecedented demand for vaccines were stark reminders that sustainable, accessible vaccine supply is a global public good – and the world cannot afford complacency,” said Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Gambia reconsiders FGM ban
A 2015 ban on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Gambia is being threatened by a case in Gambia’s Supreme Court, endangering the rights and health of girls and women. Human Rights Watch describes the case as not just a setback for one West African country—it’s part of a global backlash against women’s rights that threatens to unravel decades of progress protecting women and girls from a widespread form of gender-based violence. Over 230 million girls and women have undergone FGM.
Health care workers under fire in Iran
Health care workers in Iran are reportedly being targeted by Iranian security forces while they work to provide medical assistance to injured protesters. “Despite the significant communication blackout imposed on Iran, evidence regarding the massive scale of the crackdown is now trickling out and there must be no impunity for the extreme violence being inflicted upon protesters and the health care workers tending to them across the country,” said Physicians for Human Rights. The World Health Organization has confirmed that Khoomeini Hospital and other health facilities have come under attack, and health workers have been detained by authorities while treating patients.
WHO: Prevention is key to fight against cancer
Up to four in ten cancer cases globally could be prevented, according to a study released by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer. The study examined 30 preventable cancer causes across 185 countries and 36 cancer types, and found that 37% of all new cases in 2022 were linked to preventable causes, with tobacco being the leading cause. The UN agency stressed that addressing preventable risk factors not only reduces cancer incidence but also lowers long-term healthcare costs and improves population health and well-being.
Cancer patients die waiting in Gaza
Thousands of cancer patients in Gaza are unable to access life-saving treatments and surgeries locally. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Gaza’s Ministry of Health has recorded more than 1,200 patient deaths while they were waiting for medical evacuation. Around 4,000 cancer patients remain on critical waiting lists, trapped between closed crossings and a health system pushed beyond its limits.
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