Robert Marten
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robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten
@robertmarten.bsky.social
550 followers 190 following 58 posts

Work @alliancehpsr.bsky.social @WHO.int on #HealthSystems, #NCDs, #HealthTaxes, #ClimateCrisis. @LSHTM PhD. Former @RockefellerFdn @WHOSierraLeone @WHO India.

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Economics 25%
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Reposted by Christopher Millett

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 3d
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
How thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists got access to UN climate talks – and then kept drilling
Exclusive: Research shows oil, gas and coal firms’ unprecedented access to Cop26-29, blocking urgent climate action
www.theguardian.com

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 11d
Always interesting to read @thelancet.com @richardhorton1.bsky.social offline musing---> www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Offline: The death of globalism (part 1)
Tempting as it is to write off the Trump phenomenon and its effects on medicine and global health as a temporary derangement of mass politics, one would be severely mistaken for doing so. The imitatio...
www.thelancet.com

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 11d
I'm looking forward to reading.
equatormag.bsky.social Equator @equatormag.bsky.social · Oct 9
"Equator is founded on our conviction that the storied titles of the Anglophone West cannot be internally reformed, nor redeemed by their periodic U-turns and belated mea culpas. The time has come to create something new."

Today we publish Equator's editorial declaration.

Join us: www.equator.org

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 12d
Recommended reading

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 13d
www.cgdev.org/publication/...
Health Taxes and the IMF: What 15 Years of Policy Advice Reveal
Excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages can both raise revenue and improve health, but they have not been a central focus of IMF policy advice. There's an opportunity for stron...
www.cgdev.org

Reposted by Robert Marten

madhupai.bsky.social
Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 14d
Humanity has missed 1.5C climate target

And with climate change denialism peaking, I fear the worst

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head
Exclusive: ‘Devastating consequences’ now inevitable but emissions cuts still vital, says António Guterres in sole interview before Cop30
www.theguardian.com

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 18d
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
How to Blow Up a Planet | Trevor Jackson
What happened to the future? When did we lose it, and what has taken its place? Political scientists have found a continual decline in visions of a shared
www.nybooks.com

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 18d
Germany 1-0 France www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
‘Quiet as a whisper’: German firm launches ad campaign after lift used in Louvre heist
After watching the news about the Paris robbery, managers at Böcker decided to make the most of the publicity
www.theguardian.com

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 18d
Started listening to this excellent new podcast on Fela Kuti. Recommend it: www.npr.org/2025/10/15/n...
'Fela Kuti: Fear No Man' podcast explores the icon's music and activism
Peabody Award-winning journalist Jad Abumrad is back with a new podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, investigating the icon's creation of Afrobeats and his fight against oppression.
www.npr.org

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · 18d
Proud to have contributed to this piece on building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems in #Nepal
@alliancehpsr.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems in Nepal: Insights from a policy document review and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders
This study aimed to investigate the health sector's progress on building a climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health system in Nepal. T…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Robert Marten

unu-iigh.bsky.social
UNU International Institute for Global Health @unu-iigh.bsky.social · 27d
In a new UNU-IIGH policy brief developed in collaboration with the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, the authors identify three key pathways through which climate mitigation strategies can deliver health co-benefits.

📄 Read the publication and learn more here: go.unu.edu/m7Pir

Reposted by Robert Marten

madhupai.bsky.social
Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Oct 10
Immigrant scientists make a massive contribution wherever they go

More than 30% of this century’s science Nobel prizewinners immigrated

www.nature.com/articles/d41...
More than 30% of this century’s science Nobel prizewinners immigrated: see their journeys
The most common destination for eventual Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine since 2000 is the United States, Nature has found.
www.nature.com

Reposted by Robert Marten, Ferenc Laczó

equatormag.bsky.social
Equator @equatormag.bsky.social · Oct 9
"Equator is founded on our conviction that the storied titles of the Anglophone West cannot be internally reformed, nor redeemed by their periodic U-turns and belated mea culpas. The time has come to create something new."

Today we publish Equator's editorial declaration.

Join us: www.equator.org

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · Oct 1
Congratulations Madhu! This is so, so exciting.

Reposted by Robert Marten

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · Sep 26
The world is hot — and only getting hotter. Here's what places around the globe are doing to keep cool, from repainting surfaces and installing outdoor showers to planting trees and going underground. nyti.ms/46CXyqn

Reposted by Raffaella Ravinetto, Els Torreele, Robert Marten

europeangreens.eu
European Greens @europeangreens.eu · Sep 23
😢 How are flights so much cheaper than trains?
Indeed, why are we forced to pick between cheap & polluting and expensive & sustainable?

Well @greenpeace.eu has the answer: subsidies and MASSIVE tax breaks.
A bright green poster with bold white and pink text at the top: “TRAINS ARE TOO OFTEN MORE EXPENSIVE THAN FLIGHTS.” Below it reads: “Sustainable travel shouldn’t be a luxury.” A color-coded map of Europe shows the proportion of cross-border train routes that are more expensive than flights for the same journey. Colors: green (0–20%), yellow (20–40%), orange (40–60%), red (60–80%), purple (80–100%). For example, Spain, Portugal, and the UK are shaded purple (80–100%), while countries like Poland and Czechia are shaded green (0–20%). At the bottom, source text reads: “Greenpeace, Ticket Prices Of Planes Vs Trains, 2025. Only countries for which at least 4 cross-border routes met the methodological criteria are included in the Scorecard.” Green background with bold text: “WHY ARE TRAINS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN PLANES?” Below is a comparison table with icons of a plane and a train at the top. Two rows: VAT on international travel: Plane = “NO” (pink), Train = “YES” (yellow). Kerosene/energy tax: Plane = “NO” (pink), Train = “YES” (yellow). The chart highlights that flights avoid taxes trains must pay. Source: Greenpeace, Ticket Prices Of Planes Vs Trains, 2025.

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · Sep 22
Important new @thelancet.com paper on Benchmarking progress in non-communicable diseases: a global analysis of cause-specific mortality from 2001 to 2019 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Benchmarking progress in non-communicable diseases: a global analysis of cause-specific mortality from 2001 to 2019
From 2010 to 2019, NCD mortality declined in four of every five countries in the world. These improvements were not as large as the preceding decade for most countries, driven by smaller declines in m...
www.thelancet.com

Reposted by Robert Marten

alliancehpsr.bsky.social
Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research @alliancehpsr.bsky.social · Sep 22
Nigeria is reimagining the future of health financing 🇳🇬

At a national dialogue in Abuja, leaders committed to strengthening UHC through evidence-informed reform.

@robertmarten.bsky.social represented the Alliance at the meeting, sharing global experiences.

🔗 ahpsr.who.int/newsroom/new...
ahpsr.who.int

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · Sep 19
Of course they do! www.reuters.com/business/hea...
www.reuters.com

Reposted by Robert Marten

davidho.bsky.social
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · Sep 19
There’s no upside to air pollution.
Air pollution can affect how well we sleep, scientists discover
Global metastudy finds long-term exposure to pollutants is linked to shorter or lower-quality rest
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Diarmid Campbell‐Lendrum, Robert Marten

drtedros.who.int
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @drtedros.who.int · Sep 7
Clean air should not be a luxury. It’s a right.

Where you live shouldn't determine your health. But it does.

On #WorldCleanAirDay, @who.int calls on leaders to take action & tackle this unfairness.

Reducing air pollution helps prevent heart disease, asthma & lung cancer — saving millions of lives

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · Sep 6
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Drugs, diet and AI: the ‘gamechanger’ new findings on tackling heart conditions
Five areas of focus at world’s largest heart conference said to mark ‘turning point’ in cardiology and patient care
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Robert Marten

madhupai.bsky.social
Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Sep 4
I really wish Global North folk had the reflexivity and humility to stop lecturing Global South folk on corruption, lack of governance and accountability

Reposted by Robert Marten

alliancehpsr.bsky.social
Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research @alliancehpsr.bsky.social · Aug 25
The responses to our #HS2050 survey far have been thought-provoking and diverse, so far.

To make sure no one misses out, we’re extending the deadline for response to 2 September.

Share your insights today: www.ahpsr.org/health-syste...

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · Aug 15
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/w...
U.S. Drinking Drops to New Low, Poll Finds
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Brian Young, Robert Marten

reuters.com
Reuters @reuters.com · Nov 27
The FBI has been investigating whether a Washington consultant working for Exxon Mobil was involved in a sprawling hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of high-profile environmentalists, sources told Reuters reut.rs/41qeO1t
Exclusive: Exxon lobbyist investigated over hack-and-leak of environmentalist emails, sources say
The FBI has been investigating a longtime Exxon Mobil consultant over the contractor's alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of the oil company’s biggest critics, according to three people familiar with the matter.
reut.rs

Reposted by Joel A. Thornton, David Merrett, Robert Marten

lumberjackwharfie.bsky.social
lumberjack wharfie @lumberjackwharfie.bsky.social · May 23
It doesn't get reiterated enough that "human on a bicycle" is not only the most efficient way that a person can move, it's the most efficient form of motion ***ever observed in land animals***.
exp-log scale chart showing various animals and forms of human motion with the X-axis being kilograms on an exponential scale and the Y-axis being cost of transport in calories per gram per kilometer on a logarithmic scale

robertmarten.bsky.social
Robert Marten @robertmarten.bsky.social · Jul 18
Glad to see this in #Ethiopia: www.afro.who.int/countries/et...
Ethiopia Takes Bold Strides on Health Taxes to Drive Universal Health Coverage
WHO applauds Parliament and Ministry of Health for championing legislative reforms on health taxes Adama, Ethiopia | June 2025
www.afro.who.int

Reposted by Robert Marten

who.int
WHO @who.int · Jul 3
Tax harmful products, not people.

Alcohol consumption can impact your mental health & lead to higher risks of heart disease & cancers.

WHO calls on countries to raise taxes on tobacco, alcohol & sugary drinks to save lives & invest in health. 🔗 bit.ly/40A3T3N #Tax4Health
Infographic with the headline: 'Alcohol consumption is rising among young people, leading to higher risks of'. Below the text are three boxes labeled: 'Heart diseases', 'Liver inflammation', and 'Certain types of cancer'.

Reposted by Robert Marten

alliancehpsr.bsky.social
Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research @alliancehpsr.bsky.social · Jul 3
The Alliance proudly supports @who.int new #3by35 Initiative – raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol & sugary drinks to save lives and fund stronger health systems.

Research we have supported shows health taxes work. Time to turn evidence into action.

🔗 www.who.int/initiatives/...
Health Taxes 3 by 35 Initiative
The 3 by 35 Initiative aims to revitalize health taxes as a powerful tool to reduce harmful consumption, save lives, and generate vital public revenue.
www.who.int