An overwhelming majority of people in Africa – 78% of people surveyed across 19 countries in the African Union – are willing to get vaccinated, according to new research from the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC). PERC – a public-private partnership consisting of organizations and institutions such as the African Union, Africa Centres […] Continue reading ->
In a historic first, World Trade Organization (WTO) members launched three high-level ministerial statements calling for the global trade body to support fossil fuel subsidy reforms and measures to reduce plastics pollution of land and seas. The pivotal new statements call for a “phase out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”, a key driver of climate […] Continue reading ->
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a “wake-up call” to African countries to build resilient health systems, boost local manufacturing of medicines, and improve the skills of health workers, according to Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame. Opening the continent’s first-ever Conference on Public Health in Africa this week, Kagame – chairperson of the African Union Commission – […] Continue reading ->
Rapidly Spreading Omicron is Now in 77 Countries and WHO Warns Against Assuming its Effects are Mild
Omicron is now in 77 countries, spreading at a rate not seen by other COVID-19 variants and countries should not assume that it is mild, warned World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday. Even if people get milder symptoms from Omicron, the sheer number of cases could overcome health systems that […] Continue reading ->
CAPE TOWN – The mRNA vaccine ‘hub’ being set up in South Africa aims to have a COVID-19 vaccine candidate ready for clinical trials by 2023. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) – which initiated the South Africa hub to address regional inequity – is setting up a “biomanufacturing workforce training centre” to address the […] Continue reading ->
A $200 million dollar investment – the largest financial commitment to addressing childhood cancer ever – has been announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and US-based St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines will provide an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured cancer medicines to low- and middle-income countries. […] Continue reading ->
The numbers are staggering. Yet, amidst a blizzard of advertising and misinformation, most people don’t realize that alcohol is one of the world’s leading killers. Across the globe, approximately 3 million people each year die from alcohol-related causes. Many people are aware of the toll of alcohol-related car crashes and are familiar with some […] Continue reading ->
On Universal Health Coverage Day – an appeal to food and health advocates to shape an agenda for ‘Universal Nutrition Coverage’ including joined-up solutions that promote sustainable agro-ecosystems producing healthier foods for people with co-benefits for the planet. Every year on December 12, the health community marks Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. While the technical […] Continue reading ->
Agricultural plastics pose large and growing threat to soils, food safety and human health – and need to be better managed as well as replaced with more sustainable alternatives, as well as more recycling and reuse of plastics consumed. These are the findings of a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, “Assessment […] Continue reading ->
The virus reproduction number of the Omicron variant in Gauteng province – the epicentre of South Africa’s pandemic – is 3 – meaning that one infected person will infect three others on average. That is the highest seen so far in the country’s COVID-19 pandemic history – and testimony to the highly infectious nature of […] Continue reading ->