With ten of the world’s most infectious diseases not catered by drug firms, pharmaceutical giants remain unprepared to tackle future pandemics, a new report has said. The report, published on Tuesday, found that though current medicine and vaccine research and development is primarily geared towards the COVID-19 pandemic, there are next to no efforts to […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Thursday released a new road map for reducing by 90% illnesses related to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the year 2030. The plan proposes ambitious targets and a more integrated and holistic approach to tackle 20 diseases which affect more than a billion people worldwide, mainly poor, and which thrive […] Continue reading ->
IBADAN – Five African countries have now confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 variant, which first appeared in South Africa, and there is concern that the variant is circulating undetected elsewhere on the continent. The Gambia and Nigeria have seen cases of the variant B.1.1.7, first identified in the United Kingdom, said WHO’s African Regional […] Continue reading ->
AstraZeneca has joined Pfizer in announcing delays in deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to countries in Europe, leading furious EU officials to plan for a system of tighter monitoring of vaccine exports.  The British-Swedish pharma company that developed its COVID-19 vaccine with researchers at Oxford University, informed the European Commission on Friday that there would be […] Continue reading ->
While global attention has fixated on the coronavirus, the forty-year long fight against HIV, which has claimed 33 million lives, is seeing new breakthroughs in preventive tools. New discoveries of “broadly neutralizing antibodies” as well as novel regimens of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), could strengthen the world’s toolbox to prevent the disease, announced the International AIDS […] Continue reading ->
In the midst of the spread of new SARS-CoV2 virus variants, several European countries have updated their guidance and regulations on masks, to recommend the use of high-filtration medical-grade masks over fabric ones in confined settings.  France’s health advisory council (Haute Conseil de la Santé Publique) issued new recommendations last week, warning against the wearing […] Continue reading ->
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe for most people including those with a wide range of underlying medical conditions, according to the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunizations. However, the vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or children as it has not been tested on these groups, according to […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 has led to the suspension of polio campaigns in more than 30 countries, and has underscored the importance of the mission to eradicate it, tackle antimicrobial resistance, and ensure the timely sharing of pathogens, said WHO member states at Monday’s Executive Board session.  Throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, member states reviewed and discussed […] Continue reading ->