Just days before the World Health Assembly opens, the United States still appears to be stalling on an initiative led by some of its major European allies, to move ahead decisively on proposals for a “Pandemic Treaty”, according to a US draft proposal seen by Health Policy Watch. The Pandemic Treaty proposal to create a […] Continue reading ->
Rich countries need to cough up 1 billion vaccine doses by September, and big pharma should significantly expand its network of voluntary license sharing and manufacturing – in order to avoid a vote by World Trade Organization members on a controversial proposal to waive all COVID-related intellectual property for the duration of the pandemic. That […] Continue reading ->
A sugar tax that generated R3-billion in revenue for South Africa in one year and a mandatory minimum unit price for alcohol products that contributed to a 10% decrease in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland are two examples of proven successful policies governments have adopted for products that negatively impact health and that have helped raise […] Continue reading ->
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has largely been a story of failure, strong preparedness of public health systems coupled with decisive responses have shown that it is possible to prevent and prepare for future disease threats, according to a new report. The report, conducted by Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, highlights eight […] Continue reading ->
A new international expert panel launched by four international organisations on Thursday aims to blunt the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases through better understanding of human, animal, and environmental interactions that enable animal-borne diseases to break into human populations. The One Health High Level Expert Panel will advise the World Health Organization (WHO), […] Continue reading ->
Malawi on Wednesday burned nearly 20,000 doses of expired AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The government move happened shortly after the Serum Institute of India (SII) announced that it would only resume its export of the precious vaccines to the rest of the world at the end of 2021 – due to the still burning pandemic crisis […] Continue reading ->
The European Union Council (EU) on Wednesday agreed to relax travel restrictions on entry by foreign tourists – clearing the way for countries in the bloc to open up their borders to COVID-19 vaccinated travellers after more than a year in which visits by most non-EU passport holders were refused. With the summer tourism season […] Continue reading ->
Major global vaccine manufacturers and biotech companies have committed to a five-point plan to “advance COVID-19 vaccine equity”, focusing on “responsible dose-sharing” and “maximizing production”. They pointed out that, within a few months, vaccine doses had gone from “zero to 2.2 billion” and were predicted to reach 11 billion doses by the end of 2021 […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan health authorities are struggling to fully implement a World Health Organization (WHO) treaty to help reduce tobacco-related diseases in the country – some 17 years after they ratified it. Furthermore, the country’s health ministry recently announced the termination of the services of a number of staff members in its Tobacco Control Cell […] Continue reading ->
NAIROBI – New research has found that intestinal worm infections may put women at increased risk of sexually transmitted viral infections (STIs) – a discovery that researchers hope will help health workers to explain why STIs can be more virulent in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, where worm infections are common. The study, published in […] Continue reading ->