Eight social media influencers were selected earlier this week as winners of the UniteHealth Social Media Awards, showcasing individuals and organisations who used social media to strengthen collective understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence-based responses. The winners represent eight countries – nominees were recommended from more than 60 countries – and cover six categories […] Continue reading ->
One of the most intense debates in the pandemic accord negotiations is over how to fast-track the development and equitable rollout of vaccines and medicines, with pharmaceutical companies insisting that any infringement on intellectual property (IP) rights will stifle innovation and that voluntary arrangements are the way forward. A recent event to showcase voluntary licensing […] Continue reading ->
More R&D into already known emerging disease threats, from Mpox to Lassa fever would go a long way to both bolster developing countries’ preparedness as well as protecting the world, experts argue. Member state negotiations resume next week over a draft WHO convention on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response – which is supposed to be […] Continue reading ->
A new “Zero+” version of a proposed World Health Organization pandemic accord being negotiated by member states has dropped previously strong language that conditioned use of public R&D funds to private sector commitments to price transparency and tech transfer of end products, among other measuress. However, the updated draft text, obtained by Health Policy Watch, […] Continue reading ->
Regional vaccine production features in the draft pandemic accord, but there is still a long road before this becomes a reality Aspen Pharmacare invested millions of dollars in scaling up its South African production plant to make COVID-19 vaccines – yet it never sold a single vial. Meanwhile, in a “demoralising blow”, Bangladesh’s government rejected […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has ended the global health emergency for mpox, marking the end of a 10-month juggling act by the UN health agency as it scrambled to deal with concurrent global pandemics.  The announcement arrives just days after WHO declared the end of the global health emergency for COVID-19 last Friday, three […] Continue reading ->
There is widespread speculation that the World Health Organization (WHO) will decide that COVID-19 is no longer a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)” when its expert group convenes on Thursday. The 15th meeting of the Emergency Committee for COVID-19 has been convened by the WHO Director-General in terms of the International Health Regulations […] Continue reading ->