A report launched jointly today by Population Services International (PSI), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the World Health Organization shows that people’s knowledge of their HIV status in sub-Saharan African countries nearly doubled just four years after self-testing programmes were introduced. Separately, a group of French NGOs called on the French President to lead elimination of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030. Continue reading ->
The Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has set parameters for a new five-year strategy for the public-private partnership that should not only expand delivery of priority vaccines but also strengthen primary health care systems that are a cornerstone to effective vaccine delivery. Continue reading ->
A global index on access to medicine has found that the majority of the medicines needed by the world’s poor are developed by only five companies, and that these medicines are focused primarily on just five diseases. The group behind the index calls on more pharmaceutical companies to join efforts for increased access and to expand the list of medicines, in order to build resilience in treating diseases that affect the poor. Continue reading ->
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania -- “What on earth have I done to deserve this suffering?” weeps Joha* a gay transgender woman, tears blurring her eyeshadows after she was refused a dose of life-prolonging antiretroviral medicine for HIV/AIDS at a local clinic because of her ambiguous gender identity. Continue reading ->
Clemens Martin Auer, director general of Austria’s Ministry of Health, could be said to take a pragmatic and original perspective when it comes to European and national policy. In an interview with Health Policy Watch during the recent European Health Forum in Bad Gastein, Austria, he discussed health priorities for the current Austrian presidency of the European Union and beyond. He also discussed ongoing efforts by a number of European countries to address high prices of medicines and public funding for R&D. This is the second of two parts. Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization met from 23-25 October to review progress and recommendations for the Global Vaccine Action Plan, including the need for guidance on the use of Ebola vaccines in emergencies, the contribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination toward eliminating cervical cancer, and the current status of polio and measles eradication, according to a press briefing. Continue reading ->
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania -- Salma Mahmoud sits under a Neem tree with her chin perched on her palms. She’s still moaning the death of her son Abdul, who died to cholera a year ago after guzzling suspected contaminated water. Continue reading ->
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Countries in sub-Saharan Africa face myriad obstacles in ensuring their populations receive requisite vaccinations to combat diseases. Continue reading ->
The United Nations late last month sought to hold landmark high-level meetings on ending tuberculosis and fighting noncommunicable diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease, with mixed results. Now a Swiss-based expert is looking at the outcomes and what comes next, and in a webinar talked about the political trade-offs resulting from the meetings, the need to push for an integrated agenda on Universal Health Coverage, and how the private sector should be engaged. Continue reading ->
A new report, “The People's Prescription: Re-imagining health innovation to deliver public value,” calls for restructuring research and development innovation systems to create, rather than extract, value. It also calls for long-term “mission-oriented” public investment, and a public return on this investment. Continue reading ->