In December 2021, as the COVID pandemic continued to rage, WHO Member States established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR). The outcome of the negotiations is to be presented at the 77th World Health Assembly, which will meet next week in Geneva. Over the […] Continue reading ->
During the COVID-19 pandemic, therapeutic development took a backseat to vaccines – a potentially disastrous gamble had vaccines not been found. In future pandemics, therapeutics and vaccines should be treated equally – particularly as COVID-19 treatment options remain expensive and mostly only available in high-income countries, speakers told at a webinar this week hosted by […] Continue reading ->
The rising cost of healthcare is one of the most significant burdens on countries, especially low- and middle-income countries. Research has shown that self-care can be critical in reducing unnecessary expenses for healthcare systems. Global self-care activities generate substantial monetary and healthcare workforce savings, totalling at least approximately $119 billion per year, according to a […] Continue reading ->
CAPE TOWN – Moderna tried to extract a huge price for its COVID-19 vaccine from the South African government at the height of the pandemic, according to the local NGO, Health Justice Initiative (HJI), in revelations made public this week. The US-based pharma company wanted to charge $42 per vaccine in mid-2021 when vaccines were […] Continue reading ->
Sixteen leading scientists and manufacturers involved in vaccine development and production worldwide issue an urgent call for a pandemic accord that can be a ‘win-win for all.’ The full list of authors is available below. Health misinformation was not invented during COVID-19 but was certainly brought to a higher, more malevolent  and destructive pitch during […] Continue reading ->
Three years ago, Dr. Garry Aslanyan searched for a global health podcast he wanted to listen to. When he could not find one, he decided to start his own. “I like podcasts as a tool in other areas, such as politics and current affairs,” Aslanyan told Health Policy Watch. “Podcasts allow for the most open […] Continue reading ->
Senior WHO officials sounded a cautiously optimistic note Tuesday about the prospects for WHO member states to somehow wrap up down-to-the-wire negotiations on a landmark Pandemic Accord in time to submit a final agreement to the World Health Assembly, which begins next Monday, 27 May. Meanwhile, they heralded the milestone agreement “in principle” to amend […] Continue reading ->
WHO has expanded its list of trusted national regulatory authorities from three to 36 agencies – including the United States Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as well as the European Medicines Regulatory Network (EMRN), composed of the European Commission, and thirty national regulatory agencies. The WHO Listed Authorities (WLAs) are […] Continue reading ->