Chinese surgeons have used a surgical robotic system and a high-speed satellite to perform five operations on patients thousands of kilometres away from them, according to China Global Television Network (CGTN), China’s global news  broadcaster. The surgeons, who were based in the Chinese cities of Lhasa, Dali and Sanya, performed procedures on the Beijing patients’ […] Continue reading ->
Nearly two decades ago, South African researcher Kelly Chibale recalls participating in a pioneering World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, organized by TDR, the WHO-hosted Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, focusing on the concept of an African drug discovery network.  For Chibale, the main outcome of that encounter was […] Continue reading ->
CAPE TOWN – Sustainability is the priority for vaccine manufacturers that are part of the mRNA technology transfer programme established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). The programme was launched in 2020 to equip low and middle-income countries (LMIC) to make their own COVID-19 vaccines to address the inequity […] Continue reading ->
With plans underway for a new “Independent Panel” on Antimicrobial Resistance, endorsed at September’s UN High-Level AMR Meeting, the new body must become a strong scientific authority. It should have the power to “challenge” the agencies that create it and address both human and animal health factors driving drug-resistant pathogens. That was a key message […] Continue reading ->
Health Ministers from the powerful G20 nations have resolved to set up a “Global Coalition” to strengthen local and regional production to promote more equitable access to “safe, affordable, quality and effective health products and technologies”. The primary focus of the coalition will be to strengthen the manufacturing capacities of countries to deal with “neglected […] Continue reading ->
Only 35 countries have submitted the national strategies required by the UN biodiversity treaty showing how they’ll meet its binding nature protection targets. While 33 of these plans recognise links between human health and biodiversity, they offer few specifics on implementation and policy, a Health Policy Watch analysis found.  Negotiators in Cali aim to bridge […] Continue reading ->
There is an urgent need for Africa to develop local manufacturing capabilities for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) so as to reduce reliance on imports, enhance healthcare outcomes, and stimulate economic growth. But innovative technologies and international partnerships can help stimulate African pharma growth, revolutionize API production, and ensure self-sufficiency across the continent in a post-pandemic […] Continue reading ->
The Africa CDC has slammed the US government’s recent Level 3 travel advisory for Rwanda as unfair and baseless, arguing it undermines Rwanda’s proactive efforts to contain a Marburg outbreak. With rapid testing, vaccinations, and coordinated emergency response measures in place, Rwanda’s leaders insist the country poses no international threat and warn that travel restrictions […] Continue reading ->