Newsletter Edition #333 [The Files In-Depth]
Why is this important for global health? Because geopolitics determines everything: from disrupting supply chains for humanitarian aid, to attacks on health facilities; from defining power narratives, to the elections at the WHO; from how alliances make or break, and their implications on women’s health and rights; and much more.
Readers,
We bring you a timely edition on the geopolitical developments in Iran and the immediate implications for global health.
There are two parts to this edition:
A WHO briefing from yesterday, March 5, 2026 that enumerated the health implications of the deepening crisis in the Middle East.
A second part with excerpts of verbatim remarks from Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, at a press briefing in Geneva at the UN headquarters earlier this week. [The briefing was organized by the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations (ACANU)]
Oue objective is to give you a straight, no-spin account from official sources. (Bear with us this edition is about 10,000 words). The briefing by WHO officials shows the extent of coordination and preparedness that goes into responding to health emergencies in conflicts. And the comprehensive remarks by the Iranian Ambassador gives a glimpse of the dynamics, considerations, and indications of how the regime is assessing the conflict.
Why is this important for global health? Because geopolitics determines everything: from disrupting supply chains for humanitarian aid, to attacks on health facilities; from defining power narratives, to the elections at the WHO; from how alliances make or break, and their implications on women’s health and rights; and much more. Top WHO official Hanan Balkhy said that half of global humanitarian needs are concentrated in the eastern Mediterranean region. Read on.
I also list a few key takeaways that we found important to note.
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Priti
Priti Patnaik, Founder & Publisher, Geneva Health Files
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Presenting our weekly in-depth analysis on global health that captures the big picture and the nuances like no one else does. This is an exclusive edition for our subscribers.
The Iran Briefing From Geneva
What we found important to note:
· The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th, 2026. On March 5, 2026, WHO put out a statement on the health impact of the “escalation of the conflict in the middle east”, after the weekly press briefing. (There is no mention of the attacks by the United States or Israel in the statement.)
· It appears there is an increasing politicisation on how we talk about attacks on health care facilities. Are healthcare facilities being instrumentalised in conflicts to justify war? These are similar to the dynamics also seen during the conflict in Gaza.
· In his remarks, Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the UN, appreciated the role of Switzerland in conducting negotiations last week (ahead of the attacks) (see more below). Read this also in the context of veiled threats Iranian and Palestinian officials faced in the context of UN meetings in New York in recent times. Is this a time for Geneva to reclaim multilateralism in the face of an all-out attack on international cooperation?