Dental services, including regular check-ups, were among the most disrupted essential health services during the COVID-19 lockdowns. People´s reticence to visit a dentist during normal times was exacerbated by fear of venturing into an open clinic or simply not being able to, due to restrictions. Dental hesitancy has always been around but over two years […] Continue reading ->
A meeting to decide which African country will be the host country for the African Medicines Agency (AMA) is underway and at the last count, expressions of interest in hosting the agency have been received from Uganda, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. The decision is expected to be one of the outcomes […] Continue reading ->
Health and peace, sex and war, money and management. Whether in chorus or cacophony – last week’s World Health Assembly of WHO member states played most of the notes in the symphony of global debate over strategies to tackle disease, epidemics and pandemics and bolster health systems. But the root causes of emerging disease threats […] Continue reading ->
In just a matter of three days, the number of monkeypox cases reported to WHO outside of central and west Africa has doubled – with reports Wednesday of some 550 cases in more than 30 countries outside of the countries where the disease is endemic, WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press […] Continue reading ->
In another one of a series of recent pandemic reform moves, the WHO Executive Board Monday approved the creation of a new Standing Committee on Health Emergencies, which could convene within 24 hours after the declaration of a global public health emergency – and liaise between the WHO Director-General and member states about modes of […] Continue reading ->
To save lives and accelerate climate action we need concerted international collaboration on air pollution – and it’s time for the health community to join the fight for clean air. Air pollution isn’t a new problem. In the UK, citizens have been imploring authorities to act on London smog since the 17th century. But industrialization […] Continue reading ->
On its final day of a session dominated by discussions of sexual health and the war in Ukraine, the World Health Assembly (WHA) voted 61-2 to adopt a new global strategy on HIV, hepatitis B and Sexually Transmitted Infections 2022-2030 (GHSS) 30 absentions and 90 delegations skipping the vote altogether. The vote Saturday evening, after […] Continue reading ->
Diplomats approve the complex process they will use to update the legally binding rules among nations for responding to global health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic. GENEVA – The 194-nation World Health Assembly approved a resolution on Friday that halves the two-year period for amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) to take effect down […] Continue reading ->
Despite significant compromises to a draft strategy on HIV, hepatitis B and STIs, conservative World Health Organization (WHO) member states used a debate at the World Health Assembly on Friday to object to the inclusion of such as “sexual orientation”, “sexuality” and “men who have sex with men”. The objections were led by Nigeria, Egypt, […] Continue reading ->
While the World Health Assembly adopted a raft of roadmaps, strategies and resolutions to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on Friday, what was important was their implementation, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It is impossible to overstate the importance of concerted action against non-communicable diseases, which account for 85% of all premature mortality in low and […] Continue reading ->