The migration of health professionals to high-income countries should not lead to a dearth of healthcare workers and services low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has warned. Speaking at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the council flagged that the global shortage of six million nurses, in tandem with the burden […] Continue reading ->
Despite the big success this year in the eradication of wild poliovirus in the African region, the COVID-19 crisis has seen a temporary interruption of polio vaccine programmes. This has led to a rise in vaccine-derived polio cases which, are more likely to occur when vaccine coverage is weaker, WHO and African Region health officials […] Continue reading ->
What if every household in the world could diagnose coronavirus-triggered pneumonia from their home with a cheap handheld device? We are not at this stage yet. But the Swiss-made Pneumoscope, an intelligent stethoscope that can diagnose pneumonia in seven minutes, is bringing this dream closer to reality, says Benissa Mohamed-Rida from the Pneumoscope initiative. The […] Continue reading ->
A series of new COVID-19 drug and vaccine funding commitments worth just over US$300 million were announced on Thursday by the Gates Foundation, France and the European Commission – amidst a quickening pace of anticipation that at least one, if not two, COVID-19 vaccines may soon become available.  Appearing at the Paris Peace Forum, Melinda […] Continue reading ->
Despite nearly two years of internal restructuring, WHO’s budget at its Geneva headquarters is still twice the amount spent in all 54 countries of the Organization’s African Region, said the African bloc of stated at Wednesday’s World Health Assembly.  Speaking on behalf of the African bloc, Seychelles noted that the most recent WHO financial report […] Continue reading ->
Breast milk substitutes, long decried by global health specialists, are making new inroads into the markets of poor countries during the COVID-19 pandemic – including through new and more effective modes of digital marketing. Guidelines for distributing and donating such substitutes to households facing hunger and malnourishment due to the economic fallout of COVID-19 lockdowns, […] Continue reading ->
DELHI, India – As north India reels under ‘severe’ levels of air pollution for the fourth day in a row, the government has appointed a former Petroleum Ministry bureaucrat to chair a new national Commission For Air Quality – hastily set up by a presidential decree just 10 days ago. Dr M.M. Kutty, former head […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Assembly on Tuesday approved a resolution calling to strengthen WHO and global preparedness for health emergencies – with few new teeth but lots of symbolism attached. The resolution makes a sweeping, but still largely ceremonial, call to countries and the WHO to reinvigorate systems of emergency preparedness, vulnerability assessment,  alert, response, compliance […] Continue reading ->