COP28 Preview, Geopolitics, and the World’s Deadliest Border

Editor's Note

More than seventy-thousand people are expected to attend the twenty-eighth UN Conference of the Parties (COP28), which began this week in Dubai. David P. Fidler previews the two-week event, which will include the COP's first-ever day devoted to the relationship between climate change and health. Fidler explores the history of international policymaking at the climate-health nexus and the prospect of COP28 making health considerations more prominent in the politics of climate change now and in the future.

Next, Yanzhong Huang discusses the outcomes of U.S. President Joe Biden's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. Though the parties described the summit as "constructive" and "historic," the talks failed to address pandemic preparedness. Huang explains why that omission is particularly worrisome.

Our third piece is from Abi McGowan who discusses how European Union immigration reforms have not alleviated the plight of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, arguably the world's most dangerous migration route. This year is poised to be the deadliest for Mediterranean migrant crossings since 2017.

Three prominent labor and delivery units are set to close this week in Alabama, contributing to the growing U.S. phenomenon of "maternity care deserts" — counties entirely without obstetric care facilities, birth centers, and OB/GYN providers. Vrushali Thakkar examines that trend and its disproportionate harm to Black mothers.

Finally, a bit of good news: Think Global Health welcomes a new managing editor, Nsikan Akpan. TGH has grown dramatically in the last three years. Nsikan, who was an award-winning health and science editor at WNYC, National Geographic, and PBS NewsHour, is the perfect person to lead this site to new heights. You will start hearing more from Nsikan next week. In the interim, a warm welcome to him.

As always, thank you for reading.—Thomas J. Bollyky, Editor