Alcohol has no benefits for people under the age of 40, but drinking a small amount of alcohol by healthy people over 40 might have some health benefits, according to a study conducted by the Global Burden of Disease study, published in The Lancet on Friday. The study – the first to report alcohol risk […] Continue reading ->
Vaccine manufacturers are in a race to develop or tweak COVID-19 vaccines to address the Omicron variants that are sweeping through the globe – and get them ready for use as boosters when the weather cools in the northern hemisphere. More infectious Omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in many parts of the […] Continue reading ->
Over 1000 probable cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown cause in children have been reported across 35 countries in five World Health Organization (WHO) regions as of 8 July 2022, including 22 deaths. Since the previous WHO Disease Outbreak News, published on 24 June 2022, 90 new probable cases and four additional deaths have […] Continue reading ->
Two leading researchers who have raised questions about the reliability of Sputnik V’s vaccine efficacy ratings across age groups shared their concerns with Health Policy Watch. One called the results “impossible” and “very concerning”. More than 70 countries have approved the use of Sputnik V, Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, based on the reported 91.6% efficacy across […] Continue reading ->
With a surge in cases and the rapid rise of new subvariants, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a global health emergency posing significant risks to public health, a WHO committee of public health experts has concluded. The statement by the COVID-19 Emergency Committee, was published Tuesday, four days after experts gathered for their 12th […] Continue reading ->
NAIROBI — With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on the rise globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday issued an urgent call to step up investment and research into vaccine candidates that can tackle the problem of drug-resistant bacteria in a new report that looks at key research gaps and opportunities. Antimicrobial resistance, which refers to bacteria, […] Continue reading ->
Citizens and NGOs welcomed the United Nations Human Rights Council’s adoption of a much-debated draft resolution that calls on nations to ensure everyone has access to medicines and vaccines. The resolution was adopted by consensus Friday shortly before the close of the HRC’s 50th session, sending what proponents called a “clear message” that access to […] Continue reading ->
Some 1.1 billion COVID-19 vaccines are likely to have been wasted since the global rollout began, according to new findings by Airfinity, a global health surveillance firm. Airfinity’s analysis, released Monday, assumed a 10% wastage rate from June 2021 when global dose sharing began. This rate is taken from confirmed wastage in the United States […] Continue reading ->
With cases of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 soaring in Europe and around the world, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends everyone 60 and older get a second COVID-19 booster shot. EMA’s recommendation came shortly before WHO reconvened its COVID Emergency Committee on Friday to reconsider its global recommendations for the pandemic – and if the […] Continue reading ->
Ghana has reported two suspected cases of the rare and deadly Marburg virus disease – the first to ever be recorded within its borders. Marburg is a highly infectious viral haemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease, said WHO’s Ghana Country Office in making the announcement. It has a […] Continue reading ->