Following a first-ever outbreak of deadly Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday called an emergency meeting of the Marburg virus vaccine consortium (MARVAC) to receive an urgent update on possible vaccine candidates for the filovirus that can have an 80% fatality rate.   At the meeting, the agency received […] Continue reading ->
As Malawi struggles with its biggest-ever cholera outbreak, its response is being hampered by the global shortage of vaccines, warned Dr Patrick Otim Ramadan, World Health Organization (WHO) Africa’s Incident Manager for Regional Cholera Response at a media briefing on Thursday. By Wednesday, Malawi had recorded 40,284 cases and 1,316 deaths, with a case fatality […] Continue reading ->
After three years of its “Zero COVID” policy, the Chinese government allowed a return to relative normalcy for its citizens in early December 2022. Due to the ongoing transmission of Omicron and its numerous COVID subvariants in China, the sudden policy shift was accompanied by rapid community transmission across the country and high numbers of […] Continue reading ->
Infant formula companies have “pathologised” normal baby behaviour to promote their products, and there should be “an international, legal treaty” to prevent their marketing,  according to health experts. In addition, political lobbying by milk formula companies to influence public policy should be sharply curtailed.  These are some of the suggestions contained in a three-part series […] Continue reading ->
A new UN Environment report calls for more attention to be focused on the environmental factors fostering the development of strains of drug-resistant bacteria immune to all known antibiotics, known as “superbugs”. By 2050, the UN estimates that up to 10 million deaths could be caused by superbugs and associated forms of antimicrobial resistance, matching […] Continue reading ->
As a second earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday morning, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) member states offered their solidarity during an Executive Board (EB) session that presciently focused on refugees and migrants. The two earthquakes struck within 12 hours, and by Monday evening over 2,600 deaths had been reported, while thousands of people […] Continue reading ->
The Russian delegation to the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board (EB) called the report on the work of the UN health agency’s response to the Ukraine war “politicised,” prompting a spirited defense from the agency chief. Russia pressured the UN health agency to revise a report related to its emergency response in Ukraine, prompting […] Continue reading ->