Indonesia has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax, which will be made by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and sold under the brand name Covovax. “This marks the first regulatory authorization worldwide of a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine based on Phase 3 clinical data demonstrating efficacy and a favourable […] Continue reading ->
More than 5 million people have officially died from COVID-19 less than two years into the global pandemic. COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke. There have been 5,003,021 COVID-19 related deaths as of 1 November, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard. In the United States, 746,021 […] Continue reading ->
The incumbent Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is the sole nominee for his position, which will be decided upon at the 75th World Health Assembly in May 2022. With the backing of 28 member states, Tedros is likely to be re-appointed unopposed as the deadline to submit nominations was […] Continue reading ->
The US government has enabled Africa to get access to 50 million Moderna COVID-19 vaccines by giving the continent its place in the vaccine queue, Strive Masiyiwa, head of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) said on Tuesday. “This is a time swap arrangement whereby the United States government basically stood aside for the next […] Continue reading ->
World On Course for 2.7°C Temperature Rise by 2100 – Even If All Current Climate Commitments Are Met
The latest climate commitments from 165 of the 192 countries that are signatories to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement would still lead to a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century, according to an updated United Nations analysis of climate commitments and their impacts. Major emitters including China and India, remain […] Continue reading ->
Health activists have appealed to the European Council (EUCO) to discuss a waiver on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) on all health goods necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is no indication that this is on the agenda of the meeting which started in Brussels on Thursday afternoon. While COVID-19 is on […] Continue reading ->
The days of people with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB) taking up to 20 pills daily, interspersed with injections, for up to 20 months might be over. This follows the release on Wednesday of the preliminary results of a trial of a six-month oral treatment that researchers found to be substantially more effective than the current standard […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization and UNICEF welcome the decision made by Taliban to support the resumption of house-to-house polio vaccination across Afghanistan. The vaccination campaign, which begins 8 November, will be the first in over three years to reach all children in Afghanistan, including more than 3.3 million children in some parts of the country […] Continue reading ->
Football star Didier Drogba aims to use his new position as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health to promote healthy lifestyles, especially to young people. “Many people do not have access to health services and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes are rising globally,” the former Chelsea striker […] Continue reading ->
Some 70 cases of Zika virus were identified in India’s Kerala State over the course of July – what represents the first cases to be reported in the southern Indian state, said WHO on Thursday. WHO provided no explanation as to why the report was first published months after the outbreak was initially identified. Subsequently, […] Continue reading ->