A new programme aiming at providing 1.2 million rapid cholera diagnostic tests has been launched in 14 African and Asian countries.  “Routine use of diagnostics will bolster cholera surveillance in impacted countries, and must be leveraged to better target vaccination efforts, which play a critical role in multisectoral cholera prevention and control programmes,” said Aurélia […] Continue reading ->
Demand for diabetes drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsis and Trulicity has soared since they have been clinically proven to help weight loss – but they are massively overpriced in the US and unavailable in most low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The mark-up for these drugs – called glucagon-like […] 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 ->
Seven Indian pharmaceutical companies made donations to domestic political parties while they were under investigation for substandard drug production, according to an investigation published in Scroll. The companies named in the investigation included Hetero Labs and Hetero Healthcare, Torrent Pharma, Zydus Healthcare, Glenmark, Cipla, IPCA Laboratories Limited, and Intas Pharmaceutical. They were under investigation for […] 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 ->