The wider use of pooled procurement in national health systems can help low- and middle-income countries get a better deal on pharmaceuticals – here’s how and why. Low- and middle-income countries are making strides in bolstering their domestic pharmaceutical sectors—evidenced by the recent deal between South Africa’s Afrigen Biologics and Belgium’s Univercells, to develop the […] Continue reading ->
The Ebola outbreak that erupted on 23 April in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today was declared to be over by DRC and WHO authorities – with fewer cases and deaths than previous episodes thanks to a swift response including vaccinations. The outbreak erupted in Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province in the country’s […] Continue reading ->
WHO and Africa CDC are trying to close a huge testing gap for monkeypox that has left some health workers reliant on symptomatic diagnosis. The World Health Organization (WHO) and African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) acknowledge they will not be able to gain a clear understanding of the monkeypox outbreak in […] Continue reading ->
The world’s transport ministers pledged to cut road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030, as part of a political declaration adopted at the first-ever United Nations High Level Meeting on Global Road Safety, which opened Thursday in New York City. The debate came as a new Lancet series suggested that some half a million […] Continue reading ->
A World Health Organization emergency committee met Thursday to determine if the monkeypox outbreak spreading in non-endemic countries constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The closed door meeting, including 16 committee members and eight advisors, will make a recommendation to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who will decide whether to designate […] Continue reading ->
The Global Health Matters podcast with host Garry Aslanyan. It was 11 November 2022 when Dr Sikhulile Moyo and his team of scientists in Botswana discovered Omicron in a sample of SARS-CoV2 that looked different from the rest. “We sent it back to the lab to have it re-sequenced,” Moyo recalled. But by 19 November, […] Continue reading ->
Africa CDC wants to be able to declare public health emergencies of continental security but the WHO warns this could be a risky move that could isolate African countries and create confusion regarding response. The World Health Organization’s African Regional Office (WHO AFRO) has found itself explaining its disapproval of the Africa CDC’s quest for […] Continue reading ->
Limited IP waiver text says WTO members “will decide” on inclusion of COVID-19 tests and treatments within six months. The World Trade Organization’s first ministerial conference in four and a half years reached agreement early Friday morning on what officials described as “an unprecedented outcome” of six agreements, including a deal to curb some fishing […] Continue reading ->
In the largest review of the world’s mental health services since 2001, the World Health Organization Friday called for far greater investments in mental health as part of primary health care systems and a transformation of attitudes and approaches to protect mental health and provide care for people in need. The report’s executive summary, ‘Transforming […] Continue reading ->
Rich countries are rushing to get doses – but African countries say they should get the vaccines first for a disease endemic to the continent. A plan by the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a vaccine sharing mechanism that will attempt to provide equitable access to vaccines effective against monkeypox disease will only be […] Continue reading ->