The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), one of the most important nonprofit drug developers in the world, has appointed a new leader to fill the shoes of its outgoing founder. Dr Luis Pizarro, a Chilean-French doctor and global health expert, will serve as DNDi’s new executive director, succeeding DNDi founder Dr Bernard Pécoul, who […] Continue reading ->
The United Nations General Assembly voted to hold a summit of heads of state and other world leaders next year to find fair, long-lasting solutions for the global inequities and inadequate responses that the COVID-19 pandemic has all too painfully highlighted. Delegates to the 193-nation assembly overwhelmingly approved the resolution in a consensus vote on […] Continue reading ->
The fraction of monkeypox cases with no recent contact with men who have sex with men (MSM) continues to rise in the US – accounting for one-third of cases – suggesting a silent spread of the virus to other communities. Men with recent MSM contact accounted for 65.78% of cases as of 20 August, according […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization says it has put its regional director for the Western Pacific Region “on leave” while it carries out an investigation into him. “The investigation is still ongoing,” the UN health agency said in a statement provided to Health Policy Watch. “WHO is not in a position to comment on matters pertaining […] Continue reading ->
From playful elements in street architecture in Cork, Ireland, to teaching children how to grow vegetables in Lisbon, Portugal, cities across Europe are using urban design and health interventions to promote the well-being of their populations. Europe has a unique opportunity to make city life healthier since it has relatively few mega cities; more than […] Continue reading ->
A new UN report showing that half of the world’s health care facilities fail to meet the basic standard for providing hygiene services like soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub highlights the widespread global risk of disease spread and infections to patients and health care providers. About two-thirds of all health care facilities […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe says the monkeypox outbreak appears to be slowing in the region, and could be eliminated through universal effort. “There are encouraging early signs, as evidenced in France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the U.K., and other countries, that the outbreak may be slowing,” WHO’s Regional Director for Europe Dr […] Continue reading ->
Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic announced it has temporarily authorized the first bivalent Covid-19 booster vaccine in the country. That clears the way for an eagerly anticipated second round of booster vaccinations that should better target Omicron sub-variants. Moderna’s COVID-19 mRNA-1273.214 vaccine, Spikevax, is the first COVID-19 vaccine that contains messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) against two […] Continue reading ->
Some of the biggest obstacles to expanded vaccines coverage in the world’s poorest and most conflict-ridden nations are lack of cold chain storage, unpredictable supply chains, and transport barriers, not claims of “vaccine hesitancy” in the Global South, according to a new report. The picture of the steep challenges faced by 14 nations during the […] Continue reading ->
“Power has been increasingly centralised around the Director-General’s office under Tedros’ leadership. This strategy might be advantageous in a crisis that demands a commander-in-control. But a lack of depth in wider leadership leaves shortcomings in the organisation. Thus states the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, in an editorial marking the start of WHO Director General Dr Tedros […] Continue reading ->