A sweeping World Health Organization report on Climate and Health, published just ahead of a critical Glasgow climate conference (COP 26)  that begins 31 October, has declared that “the burning of fossil fuels is killing us” –  the bluntest denunciation to date by the global health agency of societies’ fossil fuel addiction.  “Climate change is […] Continue reading ->
Discussions over a controversial World Trade Organization waiver on intellectual property related to COVID vaccines, treatments and other tools, have become more “constructive” said a senior WTO spokesman on Thursday, in a press briefing on the first day of the WTO’s two-day General Council meeting.  There has been a “subtle shifting in the direction of […] Continue reading ->
A new social contract between European governments and their citizens is needed to lay the foundation for a resilient and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, with health at the center, said panelists at the closing session of the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) on Friday. A focus on ensuring social protection and equitable access […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization published the latest edition of its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) on Friday, making a sweeping move this time to include long-lasting insulin analogues as essential drugs that national health systems should incorporate into their services.  The decision reverses the EML Expert Committee’s 2019 decision, rejecting the inclusion of insulin […] Continue reading ->
IBADAN – Following new travel policies that discriminate against vaccinated travellers from African countries, as compared to their European, Asian and Middle Eastern counterparts, African health officials have demanded clarifications, and accused the UK government of potentially festering vaccine hesitancy on the continent. A British government’ plan to drop a 10-day quarantine requirement for fully-vaccinated […] Continue reading ->
A WHO independent commission concluded  that 83 emergency responders to DR-Congo’s 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, including some 21 WHO employees and consultants, had likely abused dozens of Congolese women, obtaining sex in exchange for promises of jobs – also raping nine women outright.   But the panel’s findings, which validate reports first published in September 2020 in […] Continue reading ->