Excess deaths during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic are almost triple officially-reported deaths – around 14.9 million deaths rather than the 5.4 million currently reported, according to new figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO). These much-delayed excess death statistics were finally released on Thursday after being contested by India, […] Continue reading ->
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the level of worldwide investment in respiratory care and now that cases are on the decline, countries need to develop long-term strategies to use oxygen, according to health experts. “Severe pneumonia, sepsis, trauma complications – there are many patients that would benefit from oxygen,” explained Janet Diaz, a team lead […] Continue reading ->
As many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) spread via vectors like ticks or domestic mammals, human-centric prevention programmes alone are inadequate – and adopting more holistic approaches such as the routine vaccination of animals is logical.  This was the key message conveyed by health and policy experts at a panel discussion, “For a new approach to […] Continue reading ->
Protecting indigenous communities in Canada and refugees in central and Eastern Europe from COVID-19 requires community-based approaches that could be applied in other healthcare crises. This emerged from field actors who shared their experiences and lessons at the Geneva Health Forum on Tuesday. In Canada’s Manitoba province, indigenous communities were mistrustful of mass COVID-19 vaccinations, […] Continue reading ->
Almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region and this is driving cancer and other diseases, according to the WHO European Regional Obesity Report 2022 report released on Tuesday. The highest prevalence is in Turkey, Malta, Israel and the UK (WHO Europe […] Continue reading ->
In a significant breakthrough, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Council on Friday will finally discuss a compromise proposal on a waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights on COVID-19 vaccines – almost 18 months after it was first proposed by India and South Africa. Members attending an informal meeting of the TRIPS Council on Tuesday […] Continue reading ->