Concerns about equity and financing dominated day one of the negotiations on a global pandemic accord’s zero draft at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Geneva head office on Monday. Opening the fourth meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) that is steering the process, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyusus noted that various people had […] Continue reading ->
Following a first-ever outbreak of deadly Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday called an emergency meeting of the Marburg virus vaccine consortium (MARVAC) to receive an urgent update on possible vaccine candidates for the filovirus that can have an 80% fatality rate.   At the meeting, the agency received […] Continue reading ->
On 27 February, World Health Organization member states will meet to commence formal negotiations on a global pandemic preparedness agreement – unofficially turning the page from responding to COVID-19 to readying ourselves for future health emergencies. While the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) of member states have already held a series of meetings, as well as […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) triggered its “no regrets” policy at an emergency meeting on Tuesday in response to the earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria this week, while promising long-term aid to the affected regions after the period of emergency response ends. The policy – which says that in unpredictable crises, WHO should err […] Continue reading ->
The Russian delegation to the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board (EB) called the report on the work of the UN health agency’s response to the Ukraine war “politicised,” prompting a spirited defense from the agency chief. Russia pressured the UN health agency to revise a report related to its emergency response in Ukraine, prompting […] Continue reading ->
A new 10-point proposal by the World Health Organization’s Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for improving preparedness and response to health emergencies received mixed reviews from WHO member states in Monday’s opening session of this week’s Executive Board (EB) meeting, the agency’s 34-member governing body.  It was the first substantive issue to be tackled […] Continue reading ->