The World Food Programme (WFP) is warning of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian emergency in Sudan on Friday, with conditions in the besieged city of El Fasher in Sudan’s Darfour region described as “beyond horrific.”  Speaking at a briefing to UN reporters in Geneva, Ross Smith, WFP’s Director of Emergency Preparedness, said “anywhere between 70 and […] Continue reading ->
Canada has lost its measles elimination status after 12 months of continuous transmission of the highly infectious disease, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) announced on Monday. This follows a PAHO expert meeting on infectious diseases last week, the Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission. “The commission determined that endemic […] Continue reading ->
Ghana is the first country in the world to roll out a malaria treatment specially formulated for newborn babies. The new treatment, known as Coartem <5 kg Baby, uses a new ratio and dose of artemether-lumefantrine to account for metabolic differences in babies under 5kg. Small babies handle drugs differently due to the immaturity of their […] Continue reading ->
The first pregnant woman infected with malaria has been recruited into a Phase 3 trial in Mali that is evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria as they have reduced immunity, and malaria poses serious risks to both mothers and babies. […] Continue reading ->