World Health Assembly members set aside the contentious issue of restoring Taiwan’s observer status at the member state forum – to focus on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and linked to that WHO reform. That was despite a growing push by the United States, backed by Europe and their western Pacific allies for […] Continue reading ->
A COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has far exceeded expectations, showing a 90% efficacy rate so far among the tens of thousands of volunteers who were immunized in a clinical trial, the company said on Monday. “Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our […] Continue reading ->
A WHO co-sponsored partnership is laying the groundwork for a worldwide distribution plan of $US 6 billion worth of the most effective COVID-19 drugs, including cutting-edge monoclonal antibodies treatments if proven effective – so as to ensure that high-income countries do not snap up all available new therapies as they arrive on the market. The […] Continue reading ->
This year’s 73rd edition of the World Health Assembly resumes virtually on Monday, after a two-day emergency huddle in May – against sharply rising COVID-19 infection rates in Europe and the United States, deep geopolitical divides – and calls for reform of the WHO that could strengthen its mandate but also may be resisted by […] Continue reading ->
There is so far no evidence that the outbreak of mutant SARS-CoV-2 virus strains exploding in Danish mink farms threaten the development of a successful COVID-19 vaccine, said top World Health Organization (WHO) officials on Friday. More than 200 mink farms in Denmark have reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections, prompting Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, […] Continue reading ->
Rather than hoarding vaccine supplies, rich countries that ensure global access to a new COVID-19 vaccine will pave the way to a larger reduction in pandemic related deaths worldwide, according to a new model developed by the Boston-based Northeastern University. Their findings reinforce the argument the World Health Organization and other global health leaders that […] Continue reading ->
BRAZZAVILLE – The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to key health services in Africa, raising worries that some of the continent’s major health challenges could worsen. A preliminary analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) of five key essential health service indicators finds a sharp decline in these services between January and September […] Continue reading ->
Health experts will meet at the upcoming Geneva Health Forum to discuss the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) new roadmap for the elimination of cervical cancer. Hopes are high for funding to expand services in countries where they are needed the most. At Newlands Clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, the waiting room is always busy with women […] Continue reading ->
While President Donald Trump’s mismanagement of Covid-19 may help Democratic contender Joe Biden turn the final corner in a tight US election, identity politics and the economy have loomed as bigger factors than health in voter choices. Voters in key battleground states, like Michigan and Nevada, explain why. The United States election came just as […] Continue reading ->
With the winner of the presidency and party control of the Senate still unclear the morning after Election Day, the future of the nation’s health system remains uncertain. At stake is whether the federal government will play a stronger role in financing and setting the ground rules for health care coverage or cede more authority […] Continue reading ->