US Announces ‘Global VAX’ to Push COVID-19 Vaccination Effort Worldwide 07/12/2021 Editorial team The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has set up a new global initiative to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination efforts, called the Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX), the agency announced on Monday Global Vax’s aim according to USAID, is to “get COVID-19 shots into arms and enhance international coordination to identify and rapidly overcome […] Continue reading -> Africa is Making Progress on Vaccine Development – But Big Pharma Warns That Process is Costly and Slow 06/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The African Union has made steady progress to manufacture vaccines on the continent, but this is a complicated, expensive endeavour that required long-term commitment, Big Pharma companies warned. Welcoming delegates to the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) reportback six months after it was set up, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said building pharmaceutical manufacturing […] Continue reading -> Global Malaria Targets Are Way Off-Track and no Timeline for Malaria Vaccine Rollout Yet 06/12/2021 Aishwarya Tendolkar As new malaria cases have increased as a result of COVID-19 and key global targets have been missed by miles, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for new approaches and tools to better implement the current ones in place in the 2021 WHO Malaria Report released on Monday. In 2020, the global malaria case […] Continue reading -> Urgent Need to Move on Pandemic Treaty as COVID-19 Threatens Economic and Political Stability 03/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan Now that the World Health Assembly Special Session has overwhelmingly resolved to negotiate a “pandemic accord”, the urgent work of producing a workable plan to tackle future pandemics begins. This was the view of speakers – most of whom have been integrally involved in “pandemic accord” discussions – addressing an event convened by the Global […] Continue reading -> As Omicron Detected in Canada, Brazil and US, PAHO Calls for Increased Genomic Surveillance 03/12/2021 Raisa Santos Following the detection of the newest WHO COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron, in Canada and Brazil, and most recently, the US, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has urged countries to “redouble their surveillance efforts in the region, warning that it is likely that the new variant will likely be circulating in other parts of […] Continue reading -> South Africa Reports Lower COVID-Related Hospitalisations with Omicron than Delta 02/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – While much is still unknown about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, South African health officials are “optimistic” that the current vaccines will continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. Speaking from Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic hub and the place where Omicron was first sequenced, Dr Mary Kawonga told a […] Continue reading -> Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Africa is Making Progress on Vaccine Development – But Big Pharma Warns That Process is Costly and Slow 06/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The African Union has made steady progress to manufacture vaccines on the continent, but this is a complicated, expensive endeavour that required long-term commitment, Big Pharma companies warned. Welcoming delegates to the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) reportback six months after it was set up, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said building pharmaceutical manufacturing […] Continue reading -> Global Malaria Targets Are Way Off-Track and no Timeline for Malaria Vaccine Rollout Yet 06/12/2021 Aishwarya Tendolkar As new malaria cases have increased as a result of COVID-19 and key global targets have been missed by miles, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for new approaches and tools to better implement the current ones in place in the 2021 WHO Malaria Report released on Monday. In 2020, the global malaria case […] Continue reading -> Urgent Need to Move on Pandemic Treaty as COVID-19 Threatens Economic and Political Stability 03/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan Now that the World Health Assembly Special Session has overwhelmingly resolved to negotiate a “pandemic accord”, the urgent work of producing a workable plan to tackle future pandemics begins. This was the view of speakers – most of whom have been integrally involved in “pandemic accord” discussions – addressing an event convened by the Global […] Continue reading -> As Omicron Detected in Canada, Brazil and US, PAHO Calls for Increased Genomic Surveillance 03/12/2021 Raisa Santos Following the detection of the newest WHO COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron, in Canada and Brazil, and most recently, the US, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has urged countries to “redouble their surveillance efforts in the region, warning that it is likely that the new variant will likely be circulating in other parts of […] Continue reading -> South Africa Reports Lower COVID-Related Hospitalisations with Omicron than Delta 02/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – While much is still unknown about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, South African health officials are “optimistic” that the current vaccines will continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. Speaking from Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic hub and the place where Omicron was first sequenced, Dr Mary Kawonga told a […] Continue reading -> Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Global Malaria Targets Are Way Off-Track and no Timeline for Malaria Vaccine Rollout Yet 06/12/2021 Aishwarya Tendolkar As new malaria cases have increased as a result of COVID-19 and key global targets have been missed by miles, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for new approaches and tools to better implement the current ones in place in the 2021 WHO Malaria Report released on Monday. In 2020, the global malaria case […] Continue reading -> Urgent Need to Move on Pandemic Treaty as COVID-19 Threatens Economic and Political Stability 03/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan Now that the World Health Assembly Special Session has overwhelmingly resolved to negotiate a “pandemic accord”, the urgent work of producing a workable plan to tackle future pandemics begins. This was the view of speakers – most of whom have been integrally involved in “pandemic accord” discussions – addressing an event convened by the Global […] Continue reading -> As Omicron Detected in Canada, Brazil and US, PAHO Calls for Increased Genomic Surveillance 03/12/2021 Raisa Santos Following the detection of the newest WHO COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron, in Canada and Brazil, and most recently, the US, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has urged countries to “redouble their surveillance efforts in the region, warning that it is likely that the new variant will likely be circulating in other parts of […] Continue reading -> South Africa Reports Lower COVID-Related Hospitalisations with Omicron than Delta 02/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – While much is still unknown about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, South African health officials are “optimistic” that the current vaccines will continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. Speaking from Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic hub and the place where Omicron was first sequenced, Dr Mary Kawonga told a […] Continue reading -> Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Urgent Need to Move on Pandemic Treaty as COVID-19 Threatens Economic and Political Stability 03/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan Now that the World Health Assembly Special Session has overwhelmingly resolved to negotiate a “pandemic accord”, the urgent work of producing a workable plan to tackle future pandemics begins. This was the view of speakers – most of whom have been integrally involved in “pandemic accord” discussions – addressing an event convened by the Global […] Continue reading -> As Omicron Detected in Canada, Brazil and US, PAHO Calls for Increased Genomic Surveillance 03/12/2021 Raisa Santos Following the detection of the newest WHO COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron, in Canada and Brazil, and most recently, the US, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has urged countries to “redouble their surveillance efforts in the region, warning that it is likely that the new variant will likely be circulating in other parts of […] Continue reading -> South Africa Reports Lower COVID-Related Hospitalisations with Omicron than Delta 02/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – While much is still unknown about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, South African health officials are “optimistic” that the current vaccines will continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. Speaking from Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic hub and the place where Omicron was first sequenced, Dr Mary Kawonga told a […] Continue reading -> Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
As Omicron Detected in Canada, Brazil and US, PAHO Calls for Increased Genomic Surveillance 03/12/2021 Raisa Santos Following the detection of the newest WHO COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron, in Canada and Brazil, and most recently, the US, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has urged countries to “redouble their surveillance efforts in the region, warning that it is likely that the new variant will likely be circulating in other parts of […] Continue reading -> South Africa Reports Lower COVID-Related Hospitalisations with Omicron than Delta 02/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – While much is still unknown about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, South African health officials are “optimistic” that the current vaccines will continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. Speaking from Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic hub and the place where Omicron was first sequenced, Dr Mary Kawonga told a […] Continue reading -> Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
South Africa Reports Lower COVID-Related Hospitalisations with Omicron than Delta 02/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – While much is still unknown about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, South African health officials are “optimistic” that the current vaccines will continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. Speaking from Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic hub and the place where Omicron was first sequenced, Dr Mary Kawonga told a […] Continue reading -> Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Standing Ovation as WHO Member States Commit to Negotiating New Pandemic Accord 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan The World Health Assembly Special Session (WHASS) closed on Wednesday with a standing ovation as virtually all 194 Member States committed to negotiating a new global accord to guide the response to future global pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decision as “cause for celebration, and cause for […] Continue reading -> Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Omicron Travel Bans Violate International Health Rules and Decimate Southern Africa’s Fragile Tourism Industry 01/12/2021 Kerry Cullinan CAPE TOWN – The Omicron-related travel bans imposed on southern Africa are costing the economically fragile region millions of dollars every day – and countries that introduced them did not follow the process laid out in the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the World Health (WHO) Organization in 2005. A snap survey of over […] Continue reading -> World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
World AIDS Day: Pandemics Thrive on Inequity 01/12/2021 Peter Sands Pandemics exacerbate and thrive on inequity. They find the fissures in our societies and deepen them. As a result, the poorest and most marginalized always suffer the most. We have seen this with HIV and we are seeing it again with COVID-19. Rich countries are starting booster vaccination campaigns while most people in poor countries […] Continue reading -> Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Some WHA Members Want Existing Health Rules Strengthened as New Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Will Take Time 30/11/2021 Kerry Cullinan While the vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member states expressed support for a negotiated pandemic “instrument” at Tuesday’s World Health Assembly special session (WHASS), many also urged the strengthening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) – currently the only existing legal framework to address pandemics. Singapore, Thailand, Zambia, and Colombia were among those […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts