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 ->
GENEVA – Despite pushback Monday from many WHO member states, including the 47-member ‘Africa Group’, Loyce Pace, US Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services remains “hopeful we may reach consensus” on reforming international health emergency rules at the World Health Assembly this week.  The proposal backed by Australia, […] Continue reading ->
Fifteen non-endemic World Health Organisation(WHO) member states have reported 95 confirmed cases of monkeypox between 13-22 May – but the language and imagery used to report the outbreak has raised concerns over the reemergence of disease-related stigma against LGBTI and African members of society.  Based on currently available information, the WHO said that cases have […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – Opening the World Health Assembly under a “health for peace” banner that is this year’s theme, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned WHA member states that achieving ambitious global health goals – from snuffing out COVID-19 to expanding universal health coverage – will be virtually impossible if regional conflicts like ones ongoing in Ukraine, […] Continue reading ->
[ISLAMABAD] Despite gains made to end polio during COVID-19, Pakistan has  recently reported a resurgence of the virus after a gap of fifteen months. The sobering news comes just ahead of the start of the World Health Assembly in Geneva -which will review progress on polio eradication – including a recent polio wildvirus outbreak in […] Continue reading ->
Within a matter of days, over 50 cases of suspected and confirmed infection with the monkeypox virus have now been reported across Europe and North America, including the first reported case in the United States yesterday, said Massachusetts state officials; the case involved a man who had recently traveled to Quebec, Canada. That adds the […] Continue reading ->