The world must take urgent action to end the global tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, especially as the pandemic threatens to unwind hard-won progress made in past decades, concluded the WHO’s 2020 Global Tuberculosis Report on Wednesday. While the WHO European region is on track to achieve key 2020 targets, the rest of the world has […] Continue reading ->
A study confirming the first case of a person reinfected with COVID-19 in the US and the fifth such confirmed case of reinfection worldwide was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Monday. The findings suggest that protected immunity conferred by infection with SARS-CoV2 – a phenomenon that is not well understood yet – […] Continue reading ->
China has announced that it will join the WHO co-sponsored COVAX vaccine procurement pool, along with the Republic of Korea. WHO’s Director General Dr Tedros described it as a major boost to the global effort to manufacture and distribute 2 billion vaccines worldwide equitably by the end of 2021. “This week, China and the Republic […] Continue reading ->
On Monday, the Geneva-based NCD Alliance launched the first-ever fund to bolster the efforts of NGOs worldwide fighting chronic diseases alongside the COVID-19 pandemic with some $US 300,000 in initial seed capital. The effort is unique in that it links major pharma interests that develop and produce drugs for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to the support […] Continue reading ->
As the COVID-19 pandemic spawns increased antibiotic use all over the world, more drug-resistant microbes are bound to bite us back , said Dr. Tedros at a WHO press conference on Monday. The repercussions on disease treatment and deaths will be severe, given that the world is running out of effective ways to treat antimicrobial […] Continue reading ->
A 3-month long lockdown could lead to an additional 1.4 million TB deaths and an additional 6.3 million cases over the next five years – if existing tuberculosis services are put on a prolonged hold, reports a new study by the Stop TB Partnership, which estimated the global impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on TB. The […] Continue reading ->
From a small and modest gathering of booths and stands in 2006, the Geneva Health Forum has grown into an international event with a strong array of scientific sessions. Although the GHF was forced to postpone its eighth annual conference, from March to 16-18 November due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that has not prevented the […] Continue reading ->
Routine vaccine campaigns, suspended worldwide in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns, must be resumed immediately or else some countries could face a big surge in deaths from other preventable diseases, said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. Speaking at a press briefing Thursday, Berkley warned that routine immunizations for other infectious diseases such […] Continue reading ->
The world needs 6 million more nurses in the next 15 years in order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, according to the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report released by the World Health Organization, Nursing Now, and the International Council of Nurses. The report, released Tuesday on World Health Day, explores challenges and […] Continue reading ->
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, as well as road traffic injuries, are among the leading causes of death in cities – killing some 42 million people worldwide every year. A new report released by the World Health Organization shows how urban leaders can tackle these urban maladies through simple environmental […] Continue reading ->