PUNE – For two weeks now Sijo Raju, along with a group of 20 young men and women, have been fielding calls from family members looking for oxygen cylinders, ventilator beds and ambulances. Finding a match can take a few hours as India’s overwhelmed health system and front-line healthcare workers try desperately to provide a […] Continue reading ->
Even as foreign aid from multiple countries arrives in India in response to its COVID-19 surge, a new epicenter of the SARS-CoV2 virus is emerging in Syria. The situation in Syria is “deteriorating extremely rapidly,” according to UN agencies and aid relief organizations. Although the official number of confirmed cases and deaths in Syria is […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Pakistan and its three estranged neighbouring countries – India, Iran and Afghanistan – are all struggling to restrain their large populations from attending deeply rooted and centuries-old cultural, religious festivals – so as to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the region. The cultural, political, and religious gatherings in all four developing […] Continue reading ->
As India restricts COVID-19 vaccine exports to address its domestic surge, the World Health Organization (WHO) is poised to give the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, emergency use listing (EUL) this week – potentially catapulting China into becoming the biggest global supplier of COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). However, Sinopharm is reported to be […] Continue reading ->
PUNE – Indian twitter for days has been a desperate space. There are appeals for oxygen cylinders, cries for funding to meet healthcare costs, and panic-stricken relatives scouting for hospital beds for their loved ones. Hospitals are now approaching the courts for help as they run out of oxygen. And even prominent lawyers and influencers […] Continue reading ->
India recorded the world’s highest daily toll of new infections for the second consecutive day on Friday, while Japan plans to impose its third state of emergency, just three months before the Tokyo Olympics are set to begin. India is currently facing its worst outbreak of SARS-CoV2 since the pandemic began, with over 330,000 new […] Continue reading ->
NEW DELHI, India – Delhi State aims to fight air pollution as a “mass movement” with public participation, according to Environment Minister Gopal Rai – but a recent conference he called with experts on the issue concluded with no firm commitments. Rai convened the two-day virtual conference with air pollution experts and clean air advocates […] Continue reading ->
India has greenlighted Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use following a severe shortage of vaccines against the coronavirus and a massive spike in cases, and is now poised to become one of the world’s largest manufacturing hubs for the vaccine with 50 million doses produced by July. India’s aproval of a third COVID vaccine […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD – (EXCLUSIVE) A controversial plan to sell Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to wealthy citizens in Pakistan has been put on hold following a dispute between the government and the private pharmaceutical company involved over the vaccines’ sale price, Health Policy Watch has learned. Meanwhile, Transparency International – Pakistan appealed to Prime Minister Imran […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan authorities are threatening to fire healthcare workers who refuse to be vaccinated with the Chinese-donated SinoPharm COVID-19 vaccine. In a harshly worded letter, , the Directorate of Health Services in Sindh warns frontline health care workers that reluctance to get the jab will result in “strict disciplinary action” including suspension or dismissal […] Continue reading ->