A total of 59,907 cases of the new COVID-19 coronavirus have now been reported in China, according to the latest Chinese government data, posted as of midnight Thursday Beijing time. There was also a steep 48-hour increase in deaths from the disease inside China, now standing at 1,368. The second death outside of China, of […] Continue reading ->
The Director General of the World Health Organization today decided that the smoldering Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should remain a “public health emergency of international concern,” following recommendations from a committee of experts convened under the International Health Regulations. The last embers of the 1.5 year long outbreak appeared to […] Continue reading ->
[STAT News] As China struggles to contain an epidemic caused by a new coronavirus, science is racing to develop vaccines to blunt the outbreak’s impact. Central to the effort is CEPI — the Oslo, Norway-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations — a global partnership created to spearhead development of vaccines in just this type of […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization Executive Board unanimously adopted two decisions that began to set the stage for global vaccine policy in the next decade – a draft resolution on “strengthening global immunization efforts to leave no one behind” and another on “eliminating meningitis by 2030,” after reviewing a report prepared by the Director-General on lessons […] Continue reading ->
With some 4.2 million deaths worldwide from outdoor air pollution, and many or most cities in low- and middle-income countries failing to meet World Health Organization air quality guidelines, it’s clear that reducing air pollution’s huge death toll needs rapid action by urban centers. But officials and administrators of fast-growing municipalities often lack the right […] Continue reading ->
Ahead of the upcoming WHO Executive Board meeting 3-8 February, WHO has launched a series of informal consultations this week with member state representatives on key issues that will be coming before the governing body – and ultimately the May meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA). The detailed consultation agenda, published on the WHO […] Continue reading ->
[UN News] Kenya, Mozambique and Niger curbed different outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus over the past 24 months which affected 14 children, said a senior WHO official on Monday. Although wild poliovirus virus has not been detected in Africa since 2016, roughly 12 countries are currently facing outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus. “Ending outbreaks in the three […] Continue reading ->