Artificial Intelligence (AI) can save lives – but “we need to get the regulations right,” according to Dr Ricardo Baptista Leite, CEO of HealthAI, the agency responsible for artificial intelligence in health. To address the urgent need for the robust regulation of AI in the healthcare sector, HealthAI has initiated a worldwide community of practice […] Continue reading ->
As WHO unveils S.A.R.A.H. (Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health), its new digital health promoter prototype powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), and available in eight languages 24 hours a day, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe writes about harnessing innovation in health to help meet critical public health challenges, both now and in the future. […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new network, CoViNet, aimed at identifying, monitoring, and evaluating SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and emerging coronaviruses that pose significant public health risks. The program expands on the WHO COVID-19 reference laboratory network, established in January 2020, in the early days of the pandemic. Originally, the network’s primary goal was […] Continue reading ->
Tuberculosis has long been the neglected stepchild of global health – but new diagnostic tools and treatments, artificial intelligence (AI) and debt swaps to help countries meet their targets have come into play and are making a difference. “There is fresh momentum,” says Dr Jamie Tonsing, Senior TB advisor at the Global Fund, in a […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported drug resistance to the world’s gold-standard antiretroviral medicine, dolutegravir “exceeding levels observed in clinical trials” – with resistance ranging from 3.9% to 19.6%. This was potentially very bad news as dolutegravir has been the recommended first- and second-line HIV treatment for all population groups since 2018 – but […] Continue reading ->
A new declaration by health ministers from African countries that have the highest malaria burden has reaffirmed the “unwavering commitment to the accelerated reduction of malaria mortality”. The declaration, issued Wednesday by ministers convening in Yaoundé, Cameroon at an African-wide WHO conference on malaria, aims to revitalise the campaign to drive deaths from malaria further […] Continue reading ->
Over 400 million people with hearing loss could benefit from hearing devices. However, less than 20% of those people actually get hearing aids. That’s one of the findings cited in new World Health Organisation guidelines on improving access to hearing care, published Friday, just ahead of World Hearing Day. “Unaddressed hearing loss is a global […] Continue reading ->
“In a digital age, health workers should not have to carry a separate device for each disease or be required to fill out both paper and electronic records,” said WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday. He was speaking at WHO’s launch of the Global Initiative on Digital Health – where officials cut a […] Continue reading ->
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has announced the creation of a pooled African medicines procurement mechanism at the 37th African Union Summit, which ended yesterday. The mechanism aims to spearhead “a new era of predictable demand for African manufacturers, empowering them to plan for the long-term and establish a robust […] Continue reading ->
In the most recent episodes of the Global Health Matters podcast, host Dr Garry Aslanyan and his guests reflect on the forces and factors that shape the economic, social, and physical landscape affecting health for all. “The global policy landscape is changing more rapidly than ever due to the influence of pandemics, regional conflicts and […] Continue reading ->