Limitations in COVID-19 testing capacity and surveillance—as well as uneven demand for testing—are likely masking the true severity of COVID-19 on the African continent, fueling the dangerous myth that much of Africa has been unscathed by COVID-19. Test positivity rates were above 10% across many African Union (AU) member states during the second wave—substantially higher […] Continue reading ->
Overcrowding in refugee camps, mistrust of authorities including vaccination registration processes, and lack of access to vaccines are some of the most pressing problems preventing migrants, refugees and other “uprooted people” from getting COVID-19 vaccines. A diverse, but also common set of issues are faced in refugee camps, informal settlements that house an estimated 79.5 […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to classify the B1.617 variant first identified in India as a “variant of concern”, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO lead on COVID-19. “There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility of B1.617,” Van Kerkhove explained to the WHO’s biweekly media briefing on Monday. In addition, a […] Continue reading ->
In a far-reaching statement, WHO and the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) called on the pharma industry to provide much wider access to clinical data for all new medicines and vaccines approved, or under review, and even those that had been rejected.  “Clinical trial reports should be published without redaction of confidential information […] Continue reading ->
The Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine became the latest COVID-19 vaccine to receive an Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday; experts said the vaccine showed an overall efficacy rate of 79% in preventing symptomatic and serious disease.  The WHO approval positions Sinopharm to become a major player in the COVAX global facility. […] Continue reading ->