This week is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, marking the fight against the silent and rising global threat of antimicrobial-resistant superbugs. Can patients be part of the solution? This week is the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) when we turn the world’s attention to the growing problem of drug resistant diseases – caused by bacteria, viruses […] Continue reading ->
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the need to dramatically step up the combat against drug-resistant bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. The world can’t afford to be caught again by surprise with the spread of a dangerous infectious disease for which there is no cure, a growing chorus of global health leaders are warning as the […] Continue reading ->
In the early 2000’s, when Kenyan doctor Sally Agallo Kwenda was diagnosed with cervical cancer, it was a big shock given she was not experiencing any pain or symptoms. A bigger shock, however, was her husband’s decision to walk out on her. He claimed that he could not live with a woman who could not […] 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 ->
At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of health systems – digital health technologies are playing a fast-expanding role – showing their revolutionary potential to address old and new needs and gaps, said participants on a Digital Health panel at the World Health Summit on Monday. “COVID-19 is the first pandemic […] Continue reading ->
The COVID-19 pandemic will end at some point. But TB, tobacco use, air pollution and other lung diseases will continue to “steal the breath and life of millions of people every year”, unless we reimagine the future, said WHO’s director-general Dr Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus, appearing at the opening of the 51st Union World Conference On […] Continue reading ->
A significant surge in COVID-19 cases is currently taking place across Europe, something that Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, described as the “fall/winter surge” in a press briefing Thursday. Europe has reported its highest weekly number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with nearly 700,000 cases. Even though mortality rates […] Continue reading ->
The world must take urgent action to end the global tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, especially as the pandemic threatens to unwind hard-won progress made in past decades, concluded the WHO’s 2020 Global Tuberculosis Report on Wednesday. While the WHO European region is on track to achieve key 2020 targets, the rest of the world has […] Continue reading ->
Some 120 million COVID-19 rapid diagnostic tests will be made available to low and middle-income countries through the World Health Organization-hosted ACT Accelerator, an initiative to scale up COVID-19 drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines. The WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement just before the world crossed the 1 million mark for deaths from […] Continue reading ->
The United States Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday proposed a new rule regarding regulation of medical products that would be the first in the agency’s history to also require the signature of United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, before it can be formally adopted. As such it will likely be a test […] Continue reading ->