Drug-resistant bacteria, influenza, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever – all have the potential to be the ‘pathogen X’ that could drive the next pandemic, according to scientists sharing notes at a two-day meeting convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) R&D Blueprint. Dr Ana Maria Restrepo, WHO head of research and development, said that while predicting the […] Continue reading ->
A new UN report showing that half of the world’s health care facilities fail to meet the basic standard for providing hygiene services like soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub highlights the widespread global risk of disease spread and infections to patients and health care providers. About two-thirds of all health care facilities […] Continue reading ->
For emerging global health professionals from the world’s “south,” choosing whether to focus their energy on local issues or on international challenges is always a dilemma, Chief Planetary Health Scientist of Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Malaysia Renzo Guinto argues. “One important crossroad that I’ve encountered is tension on whether I stay in the […] Continue reading ->
Ministers and government officials took on noncommunicable diseases, sickle cell disease, health system reforms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and measures to fight tuberculosis among children in Africa during their meeting of the 72nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa this week. In an effort to curb Africa’s chronic disease crisis, African health ministers adopted […] Continue reading ->
Six months into the Ukraine war, the World Health Organization warns that the nation’s battered but “still-resilient” health system is facing “severe challenges and shortages in many areas” that must be dealt with as the nation prepares for a challenging winter. WHO officials marked the half-year point in the war, which coincided with Ukraine’s Independence […] Continue reading ->
The Omicron-targeted boosters are coming. Almost 250 days since Omicron became the dominant variant in the US, Pfizer and BioNTech on Monday officially announced that they’ve requested an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for their booster dose of an Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine for those 12 and older. The […] Continue reading ->