US President Joe Biden’s announcement today of some 500 million Pfizer doses to the African Union and 92 low- and middle-income countries elsewhere in the world could help begin to “turn the tide’’ on the continent’s pandemic battle, said WHO African Regional Director, Matshidiso Moeti.  “The tide is starting to turn. We are now seeing […] Continue reading ->
Although the pace of new COVID-19 infections is slowing down across North America, cases continue to rise in Latin America. Surges in COVID-related deaths and infections in some countries are even higher now than at any point during this pandemic, says the WHO Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Last week, the region reported more than […] Continue reading ->
The Mastercard Foundation will spend US$ 1.3 billion over the next three years to help vaccinate 50 million Africans against COVID-19 and accelerate the continent’s economic recovery from the pandemic, one of the world’s biggest foundations has announced. Tuesday’s announcement by the Foundation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC) comes less […] Continue reading ->
WHO’s Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebryesus called on leaders of the  G7 Group of the world’s most industrialized nations to share at least 100 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses with low- and middle-income countries in June and July and 250 million doses by September.  His appeal, at a WHO press conference Monday,  added to […] Continue reading ->
Uganda has imposed more stringent measures to control COVID-19 transmission after it recorded over 1000 new cases per day on 2 June – its highest tally ever, mostly among people aged between 20 and 39 years. On Sunday, President Yoweri Museveni instituted a 42-day lockdown during which time all schools and institutions of higher learning […] Continue reading ->
Boris Johnson, UK’s Prime Minister, called upon the leaders of high-income countries to commit to vaccinating the world by 2022 – ahead of Friday’s Group of 7 (G7) meeting of most industrialised nations.  His appeal came as 230 prominent figures, including 100 former prime ministers, presidents, and foreign ministers penned a letter urging G7 nations […] Continue reading ->
Humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has criticised the European Union’s (EU) opposition to the TRIPS waiver, labelling its counter-proposal published on Friday as a “manoeuvre” to replace a concrete legal solution to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. Ahead of next week’s TRIPS council meeting scheduled for 8-9 June, Senior Legal and Policy Advisor at MSF’s Access […] Continue reading ->