Western stockpiles of surplus COVID-19 vaccines are predicted to reach 600 million doses by the end of the year and millions might expire – yet the global vaccine facility COVAX is still short of 500 million doses to vaccinate 40% of the population by December. This is according to former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, […] Continue reading ->
Health activists have appealed to the European Council (EUCO) to discuss a waiver on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) on all health goods necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is no indication that this is on the agenda of the meeting which started in Brussels on Thursday afternoon. While COVID-19 is on […] Continue reading ->
The days of people with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB) taking up to 20 pills daily, interspersed with injections, for up to 20 months might be over. This follows the release on Wednesday of the preliminary results of a trial of a six-month oral treatment that researchers found to be substantially more effective than the current standard […] Continue reading ->
The global vaccine facility, COVAX, is on the cusp of delivering large amounts of vaccines to countries that need them the most – but will poorer countries have the ability to properly absorb these? And how can COVAX ensure that it has the trust of low and middle-income countries (LMICs) who need the vaccines most, […] Continue reading ->
New research published at the opening of the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health has demonstrated that routine breathing can transmit tuberculosis even more effectively than coughing – in a finding that also echoes one of the signature lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic about SARS-CoV2 transmission. While large droplets jammed with bacteria produced by […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization and UNICEF welcome the decision made by Taliban to support the resumption of house-to-house polio vaccination across Afghanistan. The vaccination campaign, which begins 8 November, will be the first in over three years to reach all children in Afghanistan, including more than 3.3 million children in some parts of the country […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization would allocate some US$ 15 million annually to ramp up training programmes for WHO staff and consultants in the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), beginning with ten countries that have the “highest risk” profile, according to a draft plan under discussion with member states. The proposed “Management Response Plan”, […] Continue reading ->
South Africa has decided not to grant approval to Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine as there is a risk that it might make vaccinated men more vulnerable to HIV infection, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) announced on Monday. SAPHRA’s caution stems from fact that Sputnik uses an Adenovirus Type 5 (Ad5) vector […] Continue reading ->
Football star Didier Drogba aims to use his new position as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health to promote healthy lifestyles, especially to young people. “Many people do not have access to health services and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes are rising globally,” the former Chelsea striker […] Continue reading ->
Despite what some observes called an encouraging “change of tone”, this week’s round of World Trade Organization (WTO) debates over a proposed waiver on IP restrictions for COVID vaccines, treatments and other health products have concluded with no signs of substantive progress. Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières lashed out again at the European Union on Friday, […] Continue reading ->