Despite Recent Sharp Declines in New Cases, Global COVID Situation “Remains Highly Unstable,” Says WHO

25/05/2021 Madeleine Hoecklin

The number of pandemic-related cases and deaths have rapidly accelerated in the first four months of 2021, said WHO officials on the second day of the 74th World Health Assembly – and despite sharp declines seen in almost every region over the four weeks, the situation remains “fragile.” The “highly unstable” global epidemiological situation, combined […] Continue reading ->

Pandemic Treaty Discussion Deferred With Appeals for High-Level Political Commitment to Fix WHO

25/05/2021 Kerry Cullinan

Key World Health Organization (WHO) member states agreed to postpone a potentially polarising discussion on a ‘pandemic treaty’ until November, according to a World Health Assembly ‘draft decision’ published Tuesday. The proposal – by 26 entities including the European Union, USA, UK and key countries from each WHO region – specifies that a special […] Continue reading ->

Tedros Secures Europe’s Help to Boost WHO Pandemic Capacity Ahead of WHA

24/05/2021 Kerry Cullinan

Strengthening the World Health Organization’s pandemic response is a key focus of the 74th World Health Assembly, which started on Monday – and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has already secured agreements with powerful European member states to do just that. WHA discussion on a report from the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness […] Continue reading ->

The 1 Billion Dose Wager on the IP Waiver

21/05/2021 Elaine Ruth Fletcher & Svĕt Lustig Vijay

Rich countries need to cough up 1 billion vaccine doses by September, and big pharma should significantly expand its network of voluntary license sharing and manufacturing – in order to avoid a vote by World Trade Organization members on a controversial proposal to waive all COVID-related intellectual property for the duration of the pandemic. That […] Continue reading ->

Pandemic Treaty & Other New COVID Initiatives Grab Center Stage At World Health Assembly

20/05/2021 Pokuaa Oduro-Bonsrah

Conquering the COVID-19 pandemic will inevitably be the main topic for discussion at the impending 74th session of the World Health Assembly, which begins Monday, 24 May. Global health experts weighed in this week at a series of briefings on what to expect from at the upcoming event. Geneva Solution’s Pokuaa Oduro Bonsrah reports: The […] Continue reading ->

Italy Pushes For Enhanced Vatican Role in World Health Assembly & WHO Executive Board

13/05/2021 Claire Provost

Italy is pushing for the Vatican – a steadfast opponent of sexual and reproductive health rights – to have an enhanced role and greater privileges at the WHO member state meetings of the World Health Assembly and its governing Executive Board, according to a copy of a draft resolution, seen by openDemocracy. A handful of […] Continue reading ->

Sweeping Report on COVID Pandemic: Broken Global Emergency Alert System, Hesitant WHO & Patchy Country Responses

12/05/2021 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

A sweeping report on the global pandemic response has found that the World Health Organization should have taken a more “precautionary’ approach to the emerging SARS-COV2 virus in the early days of the pandemic, advising countries earlier on that it could be transmitted person-to-person — rather than only warning of such a “possibility”. The report […] Continue reading ->