COVID-19 affiliated deaths last week were the lowest on record globally since the pandemic began two years ago. But the World Health Organisation (WHO) today emphasized that the pandemic remains a public health emergency and we must not drop our guards. “This is the moment to work even harder to save lives,” said Dr Tedros […] Continue reading ->
After Dr Garry Aslanyan became an avid follower of podcasts, he realized there was a dearth of material from the genre in his own global health field. So he set out to fill that gap with a new series featuring public health professionals and policymakers from around the world who have made a difference – […] Continue reading ->
The second season of the Global Health Matters podcast series kicks off with a close-up look at South Africa’s health equity initiatives and champions. Health Policy Watch will be featuring episodes from the series throughout the coming year as part of a TDR-supported series. As the world commits to equitable access to medicines and vaccines, […] Continue reading ->
Pfizer has so far refused an invitation from the Geneva-based Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) to cooperate on a study exploring whether the treatment window of its successful antiviral drug, Paxlovid, could be extended from 5-7 days using another drug compound in addition, Dr Nathalie Strub-Wourgaft, Director of DNDi’s COVID-19 Response, told Health Policy […] Continue reading ->
Global health leaders have repeatedly called for stepped up investments to both slow down climate change and recognize the health co-benefits of more climate action. But political leaders, including those in low and middle-income countries, still need to do more, Prof. Guéladio Cissé, Coordinating Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) told […] Continue reading ->
In a highly symbolic visit to Lviv, Ukraine, World Health Organization Regional Director Hans Kluge reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to rebuilding the country’s war-torn health system. Speaking in a press briefing staged directly from Lviv, Kluge said, “We are committed to work through a decentralized footprint [in Ukraine], both during the current humanitarian response but also […] Continue reading ->
Nearly two-thirds of Africans have already been infected with SARS-CoV-2 — the virus responsible for COVID-19, WHO said, announcing the release of a new assessment of virus seroprevalence on the continent. The analysis, a systematic review of some 150 studies, was published on the pre-print server, medRXiv.org. Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, Dr Matshidiso […] Continue reading ->
Just as members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol were released on Tuesday by Russian forces, the humanitarian organisation warned that its resources are going to be strained in the coming months as it deals with the crisis in that country. Dr Micaela Serafini, ICRC’s […] Continue reading ->
Although the world is facing multiple simultaneous challenges including the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and it is essential for countries to invest in systems to address this pandemic as well as future pandemic threats. This is a key message of a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) paper, which is calling […] Continue reading ->
Amid huge global contestation over abortion, the Kenyan High Court recently affirmed that women’s “access to safe abortion services is a human right” as enshrined in the country’s Constitution, and directed parliament to enact laws in this regard. Malindi High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi made the ruling late last month in a case involving a […] Continue reading ->