IMF: World Needs to Move from ‘Vaccine-Only’ to More Resilient ‘Vaccine-Plus’ Approach to COVID-19

05/04/2022 Kerry Cullinan

Although the world is facing multiple simultaneous challenges including the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and it is essential for countries to invest in systems to address this pandemic as well as future pandemic threats. This is a key message of a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) paper, which is calling […] Continue reading ->

Microplastics Found in Human Blood for the First Time, and May Also Be Transported to Organs

31/03/2022 Raisa Santos

Microplastics have been discovered in human blood for the first time, with scientists warning that these mostly invisible pieces of plastic could also make their way into organs, in a new study examining blood samples of 22 anonymous, healthy adult volunteers. The study, published in the Environment International journal Thursday, found that 17 of 22 […] Continue reading ->

WTO IP Waiver ‘Compromise’ on COVID-19 Vaccines ‘Deeply Concerning’: Civil Society to European Leaders

30/03/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

A compromise proposal on a World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) waiver on intellectual property for the production of COVID-19 vaccines is ‘problematic’, ‘largely insufficient’, and WTO members should not be politically pressured into adopting the text, several dozen civil society organisations said in an open letter published today. The letter, addressed to European Commissioners, European members […] Continue reading ->

WHO Global Post-Natal Guidelines Are Aimed at Ensuring ‘Positive Experience’

30/03/2022 Editorial team

Between childbirth and six weeks is the most dangerous time for mothers and babies and when most deaths occur, and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new guideline called ‘Recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience‘ on Wednesday aimed at guiding all role-players during this period. One of the key […] Continue reading ->

Pilot Biohub Facility at Spiez Enables Fast Sharing of SARS-CoV2 Variants

29/03/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

The World Health Organization (WHO)’s first pilot biohub facility in Spiez, Switzerland, has been able to provide laboratories around the world with biological materials with epidemic or pandemic potential in under nine days, according to a consultative meeting convened last week. The Spiez Biohub was set up according to an agreement between Switzerland and the WHO […] Continue reading ->

India, WHO Sign Deal To Establish Global Centre For Traditional Medicines

28/03/2022 Aishwarya Tendolkar

The government of India and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday signed an agreement to set up a one-of-its-kind Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. India will invest $250 million in this centre which will be established in Jamnagar city in the state of Gujarat. The centre will work towards harnessing the potential of ‘traditional […] Continue reading ->

Geneva Health Forum – Unique Platform for Dialogue in the World’s Global Health Hub

25/03/2022 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

The Swiss Confederation has been a key financial backer of the Geneva Health Forum since its early days. As the GHF prepares for its 2022 edition, 3-5 May, Pierre Strauss, health attaché to the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations, spoke with Health Policy Watch about the evolution of the Forum and its […] Continue reading ->

Minamata Convention: Parties Review Progress on Global Measures to Halt Mercury Poisoning

25/03/2022 Editorial team

Delegates from most of the world’s nations met in Bali this week to review progress in tackling the worldwide problem of mercury poisoning from artisinal gold mining and other environmental sources as well as in the health care industry, in line with the 2013 Minamata Convention. The parties were meeting for the fourth time since […] Continue reading ->

WHO Urges Caution on Africa’s Rollback of COVID-19 Measures

24/03/2022 Paul Adepoju

Even while other parts of the world see upticks, or in the case of Asia, huge spikes in COVID-19 cases, an increasing number of African countries are scaling back COVID-19 surveillance and quarantine measures – a trend that the World Health Organization finds worrisome in the continent that still has the lowest rates of vaccination […] Continue reading ->

Over a Million People Could Die of Omicron in China

23/03/2022 Maayan Hoffman

More than a million people could die of Omicron in China unless it takes action to boost its elderly population with a Western COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new analysis by Airfinity. The analysis shows that, although China vaccinated 80% of its population over the age of 60, Chinese people have low protection because its […] Continue reading ->