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The World Health Organization tightened its global air quality guidelines Wednesday in its first revision since 2005. The organization said air pollution is one of the "biggest environmental threats to human health." "Clean air is fundamental to health," the WHO said. "Compared to 15 years ago, when the previous edition of these guidelines was published, there is now a much stronger body of evidence to show how air pollution affects different aspects of health at even lower concentrations than previously understood." (Powell, 9/22)

American athletes looking to compete in the Winter Olympics in Beijing must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to updated guidelines posted on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee [USOPC] website. Employees, athletes and contractors must be vaccinated by Nov. 1 to use USOPC facilities or attend events hosted by the committee. On Dec. 1, the mandate extends "to all Team USA delegation members or hopefuls for future Games." (Garfinkel, 9/22)

Afghanistan's health system is "on the brink of collapse" due to international funding cuts since the Taliban took over the country, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. Nine of Afghanistan's 37 COVID-19 hospitals have closed and "all aspects" of the country's pandemic response have declined, including testing and vaccination, per a statement from WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus following his visit to the capital, Kabul, where he met with Taliban leaders. (Falconer, 9/23)

President Jair Bolsonaro was self-isolating after a member of his delegation tested positive for the virus that causes Covid-19 during the Brazilian leader’s trip to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Brazil’s health authority, Anvisa, sent a written request to the presidential palace Wednesday that the president and the rest of his delegation go into isolation after Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga announced Tuesday on Twitter that he had tested positive for Covid-19. (Pearson and Magalhaes, 9/22)

As Portugal closes in on its goal of fully vaccinating 85% of the population against COVID-19 in nine months, other countries in Europe and beyond want to know how it was accomplished. A lot of the credit is going to Rear Adm. Henrique Gouveia e Melo. With his team from the three branches of the armed forces, the naval officer took charge of the vaccine rollout in February — perhaps the moment of greatest tension in Portugal over the pandemic. (Hatton, 9/23)

Latin American officials on Wednesday highlighted how the pandemic has exposed the dangers of the high dependence of the region on imports of health technologies from the international community. "The region... must never experience the dependency that it experienced with COVID-19," Carla Vizzotti, Argentina's minister of health, said during a panel hosted by the Atlantic Council and Axios Latino. "We must altogether say 'never again." (Reyes, 9/22)

Many specifics are unclear for unvaccinated American travelers: What kind of tests will passengers need to take before departing and buy for their return? Who will be in charge of checking for proof that travelers have purchased a test? Will there be a follow-up requirement to report those results? ... Also in the works: specific information for kids who are too young to get vaccinated. In a briefing Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the testing requirements for unvaccinated Americans “at this point would obviously apply to children as well.” (Sampson, 9/22)

Vaccine mandates trickled into the U.S. travel sphere last winter, picked up steam in the spring and hit fever pitch over the summer. Vaccine shots are now necessary to eat in cafes in France, to see a Broadway show in New York City and soon, to fly commercially in Canada. Though mandates were expected for cruises and international travel, the pace and scope of activities that they now cover —  from booking group tours to staying in hotels —  has surprised industry experts. (Pitrelli, 9/23)