European legislation on drugs for rare diseases is “far from perfect”, but it is not a ‘failure’ given the amount of private sector investment it has attracted in the past two decades, says Yann Le Cam, CEO of EURORDIS – Rare Diseases Europe, a non-profit alliance of some 930 rare disease patient organisations across 72 […] Continue reading ->
Mothers should continue to breastfeed their children as the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of COVID-19 during the pandemic, said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Monday, kicking off World Breastfeeding Week. The risk of transmitting COVID-19 to via breastmilk is low, according to the World Health Organization. So far, there have been […] Continue reading ->
The United Nations Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) is seeking candidates for a “One Health Global Leaders Group” that will be established to fight the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Individuals from civil society and the private sector are invited to submit an application to serve in the Global Leaders Group by 31 August 2020. […] Continue reading ->
Big pharma has reaped billions in profit off the back of European orphan drug regulations that are supposed to incentivize R&D for rare diseases, according to an analysis of 120 orphan medicines registered in the EU over the past two decades. Instead of incentivizing R&D for rare maladies, the EU’s orphan drug legislation has turned […] Continue reading ->
People who tested positive for COVID-19 had lower Vitamin D levels on average than people who tested negative, according to a massive peer-reviewed Israeli study published in the FEBS Journal. The study found that the average plasma Vitamin D level – or the level of vitamin D in the liquid part of the blood – […] Continue reading ->
Italy has become the first nation to require pharmaceutical companies to disclose secret data about any public subsidies it may have received for the development of a new drug, during negotiations over drug pricing and reimbursement with national regulatory authorities, according to a decree published Friday in the nation’s official gazette. The decree, following on […] Continue reading ->
Kilifi County, Kenya – Elyne Kaingu, a 33-year old mother from the beautiful Mnarani area of Kilifi County, overlooking the Indian Ocean, was extremely wary during her first pregnancy about the silent killer in her midst – malaria. She knew some other first time mothers had fallen ill with the disease, and had even lost […] Continue reading ->
Protecting Africa’s Health Workers Against COVID-19 Despite Weak Health Systems, Poor Infrastructure
Ibadan, Nigeria – As the number of health care worker infections continues to rise in Africa, Health Ministers are calling attention to increasing pressure on Africa’s health system – and the people running it. Lack of personal protective equipment, adequate infection prevention protocols, and burnout have led to widespread dissatisfaction among doctors in recent weeks, […] Continue reading ->
Three of India’s leading environmental websites, including Fridays For Future – India, part of the climate youth movement founded by Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, were blocked this week by Delhi police – after they protested a pending revision in the country’s environmental rules that would pave the way for polluting industries to mount projects without public […] Continue reading ->
A new study by researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has documented how poor building ventilation plays a role in indoor transmission of Covid-19. The study looked at the air flow and infection dynamics from three important Covid-19 outbreaks in China and Japan, concluding that spread of the virus was “definitely favored by poor air […] Continue reading ->