Just hours after the UK jabbed its first citizen against the coronavirus, researchers have confirmed that Oxford’s vaccine is safe and effective in the first peer-reviewed publication of a Phase III coronavirus vaccine trial yet. “The results for me are very compelling,” said AstraZeneca’s executive vice president Mene Pangalos on Wednesday at a press conference. […] Continue reading ->
The WHO Foundation has appointed a senior pharma executive as CEO of the flagship WHO Foundation, suggesting it will make a big push to secure donations from the broader private sector as the curtain closes on a precarious budget year. But speaking at a press briefing on Monday, the WHO DG commented on the recruitment […] Continue reading ->
The approval of the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate last week in the United Kingdom is stoking fears that the global rollout of vaccines to fight the pandemic could also stimulate a counter-pandemic of fake online cures as well as criminal attempts to sabotage or interrupt vaccine supply chains. To counter the growing threat, a […] Continue reading ->
While the UK and US are likely to start vaccinating its citizens against COVID-19 before the end of the year, the 189 countries that are part of the COVAX initiative should expect to start getting vaccines towards the end of the first quarter of 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. Currently through COVAX, […] Continue reading ->
Information about COVID-19 has been viewed online more than 270 billion times globally since February, with a large proportion deliberately misleading, misinforming, or lying to readers. But a new ‘infodemic’ response alliance, launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, is hoped to improve scientific literacy among the general public, as countries […] Continue reading ->
As the first vaccination campaign for COVID-19 could begin as early as next week, following the UK’s approval Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) technical advisory group (TAG) has published a series of guidelines and behavioural insights to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake across all populations. The report, published on Friday, […] Continue reading ->
The economic benefits to the economies of ten high income countries being asked to support the equitable, worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and tests would be 12 times the costs, a new report has found. The study, undertaken by the global political risk research firm Eurasia Group, on behalf of the Bill and Melinda […] Continue reading ->
As the world’s eyes are fixed on the pending roll-out of new Covid-19 vaccines, a team of 120 leading health and climate experts have called on global leaders to use the momentum of the pandemic response to accelerate climate action, just ahead of the five-year anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement to limit global warming […] Continue reading ->
More than 235 million people worldwide will require humanitarian protection next year: an increase of 40% in 12 months. The United Nations (UN)has announced an appeal for US$35 billion, which it estimates will be required to support 160 million of those most in need of support, across 56 countries. The Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2021, […] Continue reading ->
WHO officials have expressed concern about yet another spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths across the Americas, following the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, and in the run-up to Christmas – echoing concerns already being expressed by United States health authorities. The US has reported 2 million new COVID-19 cases in the past 2 weeks: a […] Continue reading ->