This week’s announcement of BioNTech factory closures in Germany marks an end to the country’s pandemic-era COVID-19 vaccine production boom. The Mainz-based pioneer announced that it will manufacture its final batches of the vaccine domestically later this year, transferring all future production to its American partner, Pfizer. This strategic retreat from Germany – which includes […] Continue reading ->
Officials at the Food and Drug Administration have blocked publication of two studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against Covid-19 and other safety studies on shingles in recent months, a spokesperson at the US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed. In October, 2025 FDA scientists were directed to withdraw two Covid-19 vaccine […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization has ‘pre-qualified’ Coartem® Baby, the first-ever malaria treatment for young infants of 4.5 kilograms or less. The combination treatment, now being rolled out in Ghana, aims to fill a longstanding gap in treatments available for children under the age of 5, who constitute three quarters of the estimated 610,000 malaria deaths […] Continue reading ->
Extreme heat threatens livelihoods, health and labour productivity for over a billion people around the world, warns the latest report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Agricultural workers and the food production systems that they manage are on the frontlines. The increased intensity and duration of climate change-related heat waves, driven largely by the indiscriminate […] Continue reading ->
The African Union and the European Commission have concluded three agreements worth €100 million aimed at strengthening Africa’s health systems. The first initiative supports the national public health institutes of 10 African countries to enhance disease surveillance, early warning systems, emergency response, research and laboratory services. The second, announced at the One Health Summit in […] Continue reading ->
Bangladesh’s new government has approved a wide-ranging anti-tobacco law that bans advertising, promotion and display across print, electronic, digital and social media, entertainment platforms and points of sale. The Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) (Amendment) Law, 2025 also prohibits corporate social responsibility initiatives from using tobacco brand names, logos or trademarks. Cigarette packs have to […] Continue reading ->
The Trump administration has put forward Luke J Lindberg, the US Department of Agriculture trade and foreign agricultural affairs under secretary, as its pick for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).  Lindberg would succeed Cindy McCain, who announced her resignation in October due to health issues.  “Throughout his career, Under Secretary […] Continue reading ->