Côte d’Ivoire became the first country to roll out the new R21/Matrix-M vaccine with the first child vaccinated in Abidjan on Monday. The vaccine, co-developed by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India (SII), was granted prequalification status by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December last year. This follows the approval of […] Continue reading ->
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, cyberattacks, genetic engineering, and amateur-led biology experiments could all pose threats to a country, according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) updated guidance on lab biosecurity. The guidance aims to help national regulatory bodies and other institutions “establish or strengthen frameworks for handling high-consequence pathogens”. It features a comprehensive set of […] Continue reading ->
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio signed into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act last week, introducing a penalty of at least 15 years and a fine of around $4,000 for any man who marries a girl under 18. The law also prohibits cohabiting with a child, and fines for anyone arranging, aiding or […] Continue reading ->
Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s therapy, donanemab, has received FDA approval, offering new hope for patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. The newly approved treatment, branded Kisunla, is set to challenge existing therapies from Eisai and Biogen.  Clinical trials have shown Kisunla to be effective for individuals in the mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stages of […] Continue reading ->
Digital cessation programmes, behavioural support, and medication for tobacco cessation in adults are some of the measures contained in first-ever guidelines to help people quit smoking published recently by the World Health Organization (WHO).  One in five adults – 1.25 billion users worldwide – consume various tobacco products such as  cigarettes, heated tobacco products, water […] Continue reading ->