Three years after the launch of its COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) initiative, the World Health Organization (WHO) has secured its first COVID-19 vaccine license from a private pharmaceutical company, the UN health body announced on Tuesday. The agreement with Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp., a private vaccine manufacturer based in Taiwan, is a welcome but underwhelming […] Continue reading ->
With the fate and nature of the pandemic accord currently being negotiated by World Health Organization (WHO) member states still uncertain, global health experts are calling for “realistic” backup plans to protect the world against the next pandemic. “We need an ambitious but implementable pandemic accord – that is the Holy Grail,” Javier Guzman, Director […] Continue reading ->
Europe reported 22 cases of Mpox in May, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge people in high risk communities to get vaccinated if possible.  WHO Europe director Dr Hans Kluge said that the virus is still in circulation, particularly affecting men who have sex with men. He added that people in high risk […] 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 ->
The United for Self-Care Coalition made calls to expand the current World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines on self-care during a panel event, “Self-Care a Foundational Component of Health System Sustainability,” at the 76th World Health Assembly on Wednesday. The United for Self-Care Coalition, a new coalition of like-minded groups and experts, marked their call to action […] Continue reading ->
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) recommends that countries on the continent move rapidly to automated disease reporting systems across the continent to cope with disease outbreaks, as Nigeria grapples with Lassa fever and Malawi and Mozambique struggle with cholera. “There has been an expected slowdown [in COVID-19 reporting] because of […] Continue reading ->
Although the drafting of the proposed global pandemic accord will happen behind closed doors, civil society organisations want a say as they’re often on the ground dealing with health emergencies. This emerged during the second day of the meeting of the World Organization’s (WHO) intergovernmental negotiating board (INB), which is just starting to discuss the […] Continue reading ->