Recent reforms to the World Health Organization “prequalification” program that certifies the safety and efficacy of health products procured in bulk by donors for low and middle-income countries have speeded up the process and thus accelerated access to lifesaving medicines and diagnostic tools in low- and middle-income countries. However, long lead times for product approvals, […] Continue reading ->
In the aftermath of a national health emergency declaration for Monkeypox, the United States has now decided to split the approved MVA-BN vaccine into five doses in an effort to stretch supply. Some experts, however, have warned that the plan may backfire if health workers are not sufficiently trained in the intradermal skin-based jab technique […] Continue reading ->
Nigeria began imposing a new tax on sugar-sweetened beverages on 1 June, but the aim of using the money raised to help curb the growing rates of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) faces a host of challenges including a multibillion-dollar industry. IBADAN, Nigeria – Working for long hours under a scorching sun, […] Continue reading ->
Nearly $575 million in global economic and human capital is lost every year due to insufficient government promotion of, and support for, breastfeeding, according to data from the latest report on The Cost of Not Breastfeeding. The 2022 report, released for World Breastfeeding Week (1 August – 7 August) finds that these losses are the […] Continue reading ->
High income countries like the United States and Canada are casting a wide net in their vaccine strategy for monkeypox, vaccinating people exposed to an infected case and groups at risk of exposure while scrambling to study the results in terms of efficacy. That was the upshot of a WHO-sponsored symposium on monkeypox research involving […] Continue reading ->
Twelve African nations have joined with the United Nations and other international organizations in forming a new alliance that will work to prevent new infant HIV infections and to ensure no child living with HIV is denied treatment by the end of the decade. Proponents of the new Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children […] Continue reading ->
MONTREAL – People with mental health conditions are more likely to get HIV, while people with HIV often struggle with depression and other mental health issues – but few countries offer psychosocial support as part of their HIV services. “As a result of systemic inequalities, mental health issues keep coming up and you have to […] Continue reading ->
Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a cumulative 5% decline in basic vaccine coverage and disrupted routine immunizations globally from 2020 – 2021, reports a new analysis of the state of routine immunizations across 57 lower-income countries. The analysis, by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, indicates that signs of recovery are beginning to emerge […] Continue reading ->
UNGA decision comes on the heels of an about-face by coal-promoting US Senator Joe Manchin, to support the inclusion of a climate mitigation package as part of President Joe Biden’s flagship domestic spending package, potentially enabling its passage after months of deadlock. As regions as diverse as Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas scorched under […] Continue reading ->
The Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, was the epicenter of the early outbreaks of SARS-CoV2, a new, peer-reviewed study asserts, following its examination of early COVID-19 cases in the region and environmental samples originating from the market. The study, published by Science Magazine, reinforces the theory that the emergence of SARS-COV2 occurred via […] Continue reading ->