With COVID still upon us, it is hard to fathom why we have waited so long to address monkeypox. A cardinal rule of public health is to catch an emerging epidemic at the first instance it appears. Monkeypox, which was isolated in a few countries in Africa, leapt to Europe in early May and is […] Continue reading ->
Should the corporate sector be allowed to engage in negotiations around the new binding instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response that is being developed by World Health Organization member states? This week’s closed-door debate by WHO member states to decide who should get a seat around the table risks opening a Pandora’s box of […] Continue reading ->
The wider use of pooled procurement in national health systems can help low- and middle-income countries get a better deal on pharmaceuticals – here’s how and why. Low- and middle-income countries are making strides in bolstering their domestic pharmaceutical sectors—evidenced by the recent deal between South Africa’s Afrigen Biologics and Belgium’s Univercells, to develop the […] Continue reading ->
People are living with HIV for much longer thanks to greatly improved antiretroviral treatments. But they also are at disproportionately high risk for non-communicable diseases which affect everyone more as they age. Now is the time to tackle both in a more integrated way. The extraordinary advances in science over the past three decades that […] Continue reading ->
On the Day of the African Child, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) reflects on what 10 years of seasonal malaria chemoprevention has meant for young children in the Sahel, and how to protect more children going forward. Malaria, a disease that is both a cause and consequence of poverty, has plagued endemic-country health systems, economies […] Continue reading ->
As the World Hepatitis Summit 2022 takes place this week, some 354 million people are still living with viral hepatitis, despite the fact that vaccines, treatments and even cures are now available, says Finn Jarle Rode is Executive Director at the Hepatitis Fund. Until now, viral hepatitis elimination has been the neglected child of global […] Continue reading ->
Countries have failed miserably to halt rising obesity, despite goals set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. Instead, obesity continues to rise apace. Now, however, a new WHO strategy for accelerating action against obesity, endorsed last week by the World Health Assembly, calls for much tougher policies on food packaging, pricing and marketing […] Continue reading ->
Dental services, including regular check-ups, were among the most disrupted essential health services during the COVID-19 lockdowns. People´s reticence to visit a dentist during normal times was exacerbated by fear of venturing into an open clinic or simply not being able to, due to restrictions. Dental hesitancy has always been around but over two years […] Continue reading ->
To save lives and accelerate climate action we need concerted international collaboration on air pollution – and it’s time for the health community to join the fight for clean air. Air pollution isn’t a new problem. In the UK, citizens have been imploring authorities to act on London smog since the 17th century. But industrialization […] Continue reading ->
When we think about the critical drivers of disease prevention and control – we need to stop thinking only about medicines, vaccines and diagnostics. In fact some of the most important forms of disease control can be found in forests – which harbor thousands of pathogens, known and unknown in relative isolation from humans and […] Continue reading ->