Positioning the University of Ghana as a ‘Research-Intensive’ Institution on Neglected Diseases

03/07/2024 Jessica Ahedor

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 ->

Food and Drug Administration Expands Testing for Avian Flu in Dairy Products

29/06/2024 Zuzanna Stawiska

Amid the growing avian influenza epidemic in American cattle, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched new research Tuesday to ensure dairy products available in the market do not contain the virus in its active form. The research will involve a series of studies to test pasteurised milk samples collected from store shelves. The […] Continue reading ->

Framework to Help Curb Visceral Leishmaniasis in East Africa

26/06/2024 Zuzanna Stawiska

WHO framework to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a deadly disease most prominent in East Africa, was launched Thursday. It can play an important role in eliminating VL as a public health problem by 2030: a goal key countries of the East African region committed to in last year’s Nairobi Declaration. “The VL elimination framework will offer […] Continue reading ->

Scientists in West Africa Tackle Malaria and Schistosomiasis

25/06/2024 Zsofia Hesketh

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 ->

Gilead Urged to Prioritise Access as Injection Trial Proves 100% Successful in Preventing HIV

24/06/2024 Kerry Cullinan

None of the over 2,000 young women and girls injected twice a year with a new drug, lenacapavir, contracted HIV in one of the most important advances in HIV prevention. Gilead Sciences announced these results last Friday, reporting that its Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial, conducted in South Africa and Uganda involving 2,134 women and […] Continue reading ->

Gavi Includes Ebola, Meningitis, Rabies and Hepatitis B Vaccines in its Portfolio

24/06/2024 Zuzanna Stawiska

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced last week that it will offer high risk countries the option of obtaining preventative Ebola vaccines, particularly for health workers, as part of the rollout of new vaccine offerings, which also include meningitis, rabies and hepatitis B vaccines. Plans to add the vaccines to the basket of available products were […] Continue reading ->

65 Million People in Southern and Eastern Africa Face Unprecedented Threats from Extreme Weather and Conflict

14/06/2024 Zuzanna Stawiska

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 ->

US Expands Bilateral Pandemic Preparedness Measures and Establishes Global Health Security Coordinator Post

10/06/2024 Sophia Samantaroy

While the World Health Organization’s International Negotiating Body (INB) continues to negotiate a global Pandemic Agreement, the US has issued its own vision for global health security and expanded its bilateral partnerships with countries across the world. Following the release of this revamped US global health security strategy, Health Policy Watch spoke with Stephanie Psaki, […] Continue reading ->

Should Global Health Initiatives Have a Termination Date?

07/06/2024 Sophia Samantaroy

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 ->

Global Leaders Appeal for More Resources Ahead of UN meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance

06/06/2024 Kerry Cullinan

With less than four months to the United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), global leaders have proposed a variety of measures to address the growing threat of pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics. The recently published zero draft of the political declaration for the meeting aims to reduce global deaths caused by […] Continue reading ->