Better use of existing pneumonia and typhoid vaccines as well as new TB and pneumonia vaccines that are currently in clinical trials, could save over half a million deaths annually from drug resistant pathogens that don’t respond to antibiotics, according to a new WHO report on how vaccine strategies can reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). And […] Continue reading ->
Three African countries—Algeria, Cabo Verde, and Mauritius—have successfully eliminated malaria, but dozens more still face this deadly disease. Globally, only 44 countries have eradicated malaria. The question of whether the rest of Africa catch up was explored in the latest Global Health Matters podcast, hosted by Dr. Garry Aslanyan. To delve into this issue, Aslanyan […] Continue reading ->
United Nations officials are expressing concern that a new cholera outbreak in conflict-ridden Sudan, declared 10 days ago, could widen dramatically in the wake of increased rainfall and flooding. Some 658 cases of cholera have been reported since 12 August, with 28 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed in its latest situation report, published […] Continue reading ->
A little known, but potentially lethal virus is spreading throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, prompting the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other health agencies to issue warnings for travelers and clinicians. Oropouche virus, an arbovirus like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, is spread through certain midge or mosquito bites. Oropouche symptoms are similar […] Continue reading ->
Côte d’Ivoire became the first country to roll out the new R21/Matrix-M vaccine with the first child vaccinated in Abidjan on Monday. The vaccine, co-developed by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India (SII), was granted prequalification status by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December last year. This follows the approval of […] Continue reading ->
Dengue virus cases have reached an all-time high since January in the US territory of Puerto Rico, with 1,729 people infected so far – a more than 300% increase compared to last year. The uptick in the mosquito-borne disease, which causes mild to severe illness, follows a trend across the Caribbean region. The total number of […] Continue reading ->
Almost 15 years ago, when the University of Ghana established its Office of Research, Innovation, and Development, it did so with the goal of bolstering the West African nation’s research capacity. In the African region, where less than 0.5% of GDP is devoted to research, and a significant number of Africa’s educated is siphoned off […] Continue reading ->
Malaria has long been at the heart of public health efforts in Africa. As a preventable but potentially fatal disease, it is caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. In 2022, the WHO African Region accounted for about 94% of cases globally. WHO says 78% of deaths in the region are among children under 5 […] Continue reading ->
As many as 65 million people in over a dozen Southern and Eastern African countries from Mozambique to Ethiopia are facing unprecedented challenges with food security, extreme weather events and conflict, UN officials say. The crises disproportionately affect women, who are already in a more vulnerable situation due to their gender, said Lydia Zigomo, UN […] Continue reading ->
One of the world’s largest global health initiatives (GHI), vaccine alliance Gavi, started in a UNICEF basement with a staff of five people. Nearly 25 years later, Gavi has grown into one of the most influential players on the global health stage, driving progress on key global health challenges. Yet several experts on global health […] Continue reading ->