Nkengasong Exits Africa CDC with Mixed Feelings as Omicron Cases Rise in Southern Africa

16/05/2022 Paul Adepoju

Within the last five years, Africa CDC has grown into a “formidable” public health agency. But equally formidable challenges remain for the agency, which must provide advice and guidance on Ebola, cholera, measles – as well facing yet another surge in COVID cases in South Africa – the country hardest hit by SARS-CoV2, says outgoing […] Continue reading ->

COVID-19 Delta Variant Could Re-emerge – Concludes Study of SARS-CoV2 Virus Variants in Sewage

11/05/2022 Maayan Hoffman

While the Omicron COVID-19 variant appears to be diminishing, it is possible that there could be a resurgence of the Delta variant in the coming months in some countries, according to a team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev studying the prevalence of SARS-CoV2 virus variants in sewage. The warning comes following […] Continue reading ->

Moderna Seeks Dismissal in US Court of COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Infringement Lawsuit By Arbutus, Genevant

11/05/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

Moderna has filed a brief in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware seeking the dismissal of a patent infringement lawsuit that pertains to the production and sale of its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine Spikevax. The lawsuit against the U.S-based pharmaceutical giant was filed by Arbutus Biopharma Corporation and Genevant Sciences, which had […] Continue reading ->

Three COVID-19 vaccine doses prove more protective than two in new study

10/05/2022 Maayan Hoffman

A third shot of the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine boosted vaccine effectiveness against infection, which had been diminished five to six months after the second vaccine dose, according to a study of over 12,000 healthcare workers released this week by Nature. The study was conducted in Israel by Sheba Medical Center and involved 12,413 health workers […] Continue reading ->

Global Fund Endorses Integrated Health Systems to Prepare for Pandemics

05/05/2022 Paul Adepoju

The Global Fund intends to further prioritise integrated health systems and boost people-centred approaches, it was announced at the Geneva Health Forum on Wednesday. Although urgent improvements in health and community systems only made up about 14% of its $3.4 billion COVID-19 budget, the organisation expressed strong commitment to these themes in future. New priorities […] Continue reading ->

Stopping Human Diseases Often Starts With Animals

05/05/2022 Svĕt Lustig Vijay

As many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) spread via vectors like ticks or domestic mammals, human-centric prevention programmes alone are inadequate – and adopting more holistic approaches such as the routine vaccination of animals is logical. This was the key message conveyed by health and policy experts at a panel discussion, “For a new approach to […] Continue reading ->

What Worked to Reach Marginalised Communities During COVID-19?

04/05/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

Protecting indigenous communities in Canada and refugees in central and Eastern Europe from COVID-19 requires community-based approaches that could be applied in other healthcare crises. This emerged from field actors who shared their experiences and lessons at the Geneva Health Forum on Tuesday. In Canada’s Manitoba province, indigenous communities were mistrustful of mass COVID-19 vaccinations, […] Continue reading ->

Four COVID-19 Lessons and How to Make Humanity More Resilient

04/05/2022 Maayan Hoffman

The COVID-19 pandemic blindsided most of the world as it swept from China across the world at an unprecedent pace, infecting, ultimately killing millions of people. But more than two years later, there are some lessons that can be learned, said Tatiana Valovaya, director-general of the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday evening. At the […] Continue reading ->

‘Epidemic’ of Obesity in Europe

03/05/2022 Kerry Cullinan

Almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region and this is driving cancer and other diseases, according to the WHO European Regional Obesity Report 2022 report released on Tuesday. The highest prevalence is in Turkey, Malta, Israel and the UK (WHO Europe […] Continue reading ->

Fatal Outcomes for Two Confirmed Ebola Cases in DRC as Africa Strives to Reboot Immunization Strategies for COVID and Beyond

29/04/2022 Paul Adepoju

In DR Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak, the two people with confirmed cases are dead and response is focusing on identifying and vaccinating contacts – because of insufficient doses to conduct a mass vaccination campaign in the outbreak area. Meanwhile, public health officials are trying to reboot Africa’s mainstream immunization programmes, which saw setbacks during the […] Continue reading ->