The government of Colombia has issued its first-ever compulsory license to enable access to generic versions of the key HIV medicine dolutegravir, without permission from the patent owner, ViiV Healthcare. Dolutegravir is recommended as part of the preferred first-line antiretroviral treatment regimen for people living with HIV, including during pregnancy, as per the guidance of […] Continue reading ->
The World Bank aims to support countries to deliver “quality, affordable health services” to 1.5 billion people by 2030, it announced during its ‘spring’ meeting in Washington this week. It will expand its current focus from maternal and child health to include “coverage throughout a person’s lifetime, including non-communicable diseases”; hard-to-reach areas, including remote villages, […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new technical report including updated terminology to describe pathogens that are transmitted through the air, following “an extensive, multi-year, collaborative effort”. It follows confusion and contestation between scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the “varying terminologies” and  “gaps in common understanding”, said the WHO. These “contributed […] Continue reading ->
Bed nets treated with an additional insecticide are between 20% and 50% more effective in preventing malaria than those treated with the standard single pyrethroid insecticide, according to pilots in 17 sub-Saharan Africa.  The New Nets Project successfully piloted nets impregnated with a new generation pyrrole insecticide in combination with pyrethroid in response to growing […] Continue reading ->
A new programme aiming at providing 1.2 million rapid cholera diagnostic tests has been launched in 14 African and Asian countries.  “Routine use of diagnostics will bolster cholera surveillance in impacted countries, and must be leveraged to better target vaccination efforts, which play a critical role in multisectoral cholera prevention and control programmes,” said Aurélia […] Continue reading ->