New Conspiracy Theory: WHO Pandemic Plans Will Steal Government Power

The Washington Post: World Health Assembly Clouded By Pandemic Treaty Backlash
Global health leaders gathered in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the pandemic are facing another viral problem: a visceral, passionate online backlash that falsely accuses the World Health Organization of conspiring to take power from national governments. The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO’s 194 member states, is holding its first fully in-person event in two years as some coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted. While the assembly, now in its 75th year, is usually considered a dry, technocratic event, this year it is being framed by conspiracy theorists as a key moment in the battle between democracy and tyranny. (Taylor, 5/22)

Politico: 4 Things To Watch As Countries Meet For The World Health Assembly 
The pivotal meeting in the global health calendar starts Sunday with representatives from health ministries around the world descending on Geneva to take decisions on health policy. While much of the diplomacy will happen at receptions and private meetings, the first fully in-person World Health Assembly in two years is expected to adopt several resolutions that will start to shape how the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHA is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization’s 194 members. (Furlong, 5/20)

Reuters: WHO Chief Says It Must Take Central Role In Global Health 
The head of the World Health Organization said on Monday that it must be “at the centre” of a global healthcare system, while also acknowledging the need for internal reforms. … The WHO is under scrutiny after an independent panel described it as “underpowered” when COVID-19 struck, with limited powers to investigate outbreaks and coordinate containment measures. (5/23)

In other global developments —

Stat: European Regulator Suspends Generic Drugs After Finding Flawed Studies
In the latest dust-up over the safety of medicines, the European Medicines Agency recommended suspending marketing authorization for dozens of generic drugs after finding problems with tests conducted by a contract research organization. Specifically, the regulator pointed to “serious concerns” about the quality and reliability of data in bioequivalence studies run by Synchron Research Services, which is based in Ahmedabad, India. Bioequivalence studies are conducted to show that a generic medicine releases the same amount of an active ingredient in the body as a brand-name medicine. (Silverman, 5/20)

Fox News: British Health Report To Recommend Raising Smoking Age To 21
English health officials have suggested the country should raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 as part of an initiative to discourage smoking and mostly eliminate it by 2030. The British government in 2019 set the new deadline after a green paper report indicated that the then-current timeline of ending smoking by 2025 seemed unlikely. The report found that 14% of adults smoked. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that the goal is to bring that number to below 5% over the next eight years, and raising the legal age for smoking to 21 could prove a crucial part to that plan. (Aitken, 5/21)