The world remains unprepared for another pandemic, according to the  International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat (IPPS) which published its Fourth Implementation Report of the 100 Days Mission (100DM) last Friday. The IPPS is an initiative aimed at ensuring global access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines (DTVs) within 100 days of a public health emergency of international […] Continue reading ->
A widely cited study about the use of Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to treat COVID-19, published in March 2020, has been retracted by its publisher, Elsevier. The study, published in Elsevier’s International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, was retracted in the January 2025 edition of the journal (issued last month). “Concerns have been raised regarding this article, […] Continue reading ->
Chinese surgeons have used a surgical robotic system and a high-speed satellite to perform five operations on patients thousands of kilometres away from them, according to China Global Television Network (CGTN), China’s global news  broadcaster. The surgeons, who were based in the Chinese cities of Lhasa, Dali and Sanya, performed procedures on the Beijing patients’ […] Continue reading ->
Climate change, unplanned urbanization, sprawling cities, and the El Nino effect all converged to make 2024 a “historic” year for dengue transmission. With increased opportunities for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes–the insects that carry dengue– to breed, cases reached a record 12.7 million cases in the WHO’s Americas Region, nearly three times more than in 2023. This translates […] Continue reading ->