Three African countries—Algeria, Cabo Verde, and Mauritius—have successfully eliminated malaria, but dozens more still face this deadly disease. Globally, only 44 countries have eradicated malaria. The question of whether the rest of Africa catch up was explored in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, hosted by Dr. Garry Aslanyan. To delve into this issue, Aslanyan […] Continue reading ->
HIV activists have hailed the announcement by Gilead on Wednesday that it has authorised six generic manufacturers to sell its breakthrough HIV treatment, lenacapavir, in 120 low- and middle-income countries.  However, they have urged Gilead to expand the deal to include countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Lenacapavir is a long-acting injectable drug that […] Continue reading ->
For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that pregnant women be vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or that their newborns receive a dose of monoclonal antibodies to protect them against severe RSV disease, which has seen a global resurgence as the COVID-19 pandemic waned.  In 2022-2023, RSV was the […] Continue reading ->
A UN High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) pledged to reduce by 10% deaths from drug resistant bacteria over the next six years in a new declaration on the “silent, slow-motion pandemic” that could kill some 39 million more people by 2050. Thursday’s milestone statement, the first on the topic since 2016, also pledges […] Continue reading ->
Investing in as little as $0.24 per patient per year in digital health interventions – telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots – could significantly lower the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (UTI). These interventions could avert 2 million deaths and 7 […] Continue reading ->
While COVID exposed the urgency of ensuring that Africa can manufacture vaccines, the current mpox and cholera outbreaks have painfully underscored the continent’s vulnerability. African countries affected by mpox are dependent on vaccine donations from wealthy countries, while a dire global shortage of cholera vaccines has forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to advise countries […] Continue reading ->
Bavarian Nordic has no plans to sell or manufacture its vaccines directly to African countries, the company’s Vice President of Investor Relations told Health Policy Watch, saying that donations from rich countries will likely be the main source of supplies.   WHO’s announcement of a global mpox health emergency may have sent a wake-up call to […] Continue reading ->