The good news first: HIV science has made remarkable progress. While we still lack a vaccine or cure, a single dose of a new long-acting injectable drug can now offer protection against HIV for up to six months. This breakthrough could revolutionize efforts to curb a pandemic that still claims a life every minute. However, […] Continue reading ->
WHO welcomed Sunday’s Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal as the first Israeli hostages – three young women – were released to the Red Cross amidst throngs of masked Hamas operatives, who brandished guns atop the Red Cross vehicles and fired shots at times into the air to ward off the crowds of people that […] Continue reading ->
Tanzania has confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region after one case tested positive for the virus following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases of the disease. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced this during a press briefing on Monday with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa resolved to reopen nominations for a regional director at a special session last week. This follows the unexpected passing of director-elect Dr Faustine Ndugulile in November 2024. He was due to assume the post in February once his election had been confirmed by the WHO Executive Board. […] Continue reading ->
Influential conservatives have long sought to curtail the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – and the actions of four nurses in Mozambique may have inadvertently given them the ammunition to do just that. Deeply uncomfortable with the sexual dimension of HIV transmission, the powerful Heritage Foundation, which authored the conservative Project […] Continue reading ->
How do you define “white saviorism?” According to Themrise Khan, white saviorism is “imprinted psychologically in the minds of anyone who wants to be a saviour, anyone who thinks that they are superior to others and thinks that it is only them who can bring betterment into the lives of others.” This phenomenon often manifests […] Continue reading ->
As Bangladesh presses for its former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to be extradited to face charges of human rights abuses, her daughter, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for South East Asia (SEARO), is also under scrutiny. Saima Wazed was elected to the WHO position by regional leaders in November 2023 amid allegations that […] Continue reading ->
A new mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone and a rising case toll across Africa are fueling urgent calls for stronger containment efforts, even as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) finally speeds up its mpox vaccine drive and Rwanda’s swift response to Marburg suggests a model for epidemic control. Health authorities in Sierra Leone have […] Continue reading ->
WHO and other UN and international relief agencies heartily welcomed Wednesday’s announcement of a long-awaited Israeli-Hamas ceasefire. Israelis and Palestinians, meanwhile, began an anxious countdown, hoping that the agreement would indeed take effect as planned Sunday – even as Israel and Hamas traded accusations Thursday that the other was trying to torpedo the accord. “Wednesday’s […] Continue reading ->
Armed conflict, mis- and disinformation and environmental risk dominate the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report, released on Wednesday. The report, released on the eve of WEF’s annual meeting in Davos next week, is based on a Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) of over 900 global leaders in academia, business, government and civil society […] Continue reading ->