There is no shortage of Merck’s life-saving Ebola vaccine on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and more doses will be produced, sufficient to immunise 1.3 million people over the next 6-18 months, a spokesman for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, told Health Policy Watch on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Merck, producer of the V920 investigational […] Continue reading ->
After a grueling 34 hours of nearly non-stop negotiations, World Health Assembly delegates appeared to be close to a final agreement Saturday evening on a resolution supporting more systematic disclosure of prices for medicines purchased and sold on national and global markets; a “drafting group” is expected to reconvene Monday morning to put the finishing […] Continue reading ->
A festering civil conflict fueling rampant fear and distrust has been a major obstacle in the World Health Organization’s efforts to end the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But now, funding shortages could further cripple the already strained response – unless the global community steps up quickly, Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom […] Continue reading ->
Global health policymakers need to adopt a “bench-to-bedside” approach to research and development, to ensure that new drugs and vaccines are not only put into the development pipeline, but are also readily available for responding to global health crises such as Ebola, says Michelle Childs of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi). Image Credits: […] Continue reading ->
World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters today that WHO is “working to find a balance between protecting patients and staff from attacks by armed groups and building community trust and ownership” in managing the response to the deadly Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Image Credits: Gabriele François Casini/MSF. Continue reading ->