In what should prove reassuring to many women, a large clinical study in four African countries has found no significant difference in the risk of HIV infection among women using progestogen-based hormones or copper-bearing IUDs as contraception. However with “unacceptably high” rates of HIV infection among users of both contraceptive modes during the study, adoption […] Continue reading ->
A medical doctor and epidemiologist, Dr Seth Berkley joined Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as its CEO in August 2011. Under his leadership, Gavi reached the milestone in 2015 of more than half a billion children vaccinated in the world’s 73 poorest countries. In the same year, Berkley led Gavi to its second successful replenishment, raising […] Continue reading ->
Githinji Gitahi, Co-Chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee & Group Chief Executive Officer of AMREF Health Africa – the largest Africa-based healthcare non-profit – and Fumie Griego, Deputy Director General and Chief Operating Officer of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), share highlights from a panel discussion held in Geneva on the […] Continue reading ->
A major agreement has been signed between Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and two private sector partners to deploy a new form of biometric fingerprint technology to give children – who may not even have a birth certificate – a complete medical record in order to track critical childhood vaccines. Image Credits: Simprints, Simprints . Continue reading ->
1 in 25 people globally have at least one of the four major preventable and curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis – but most people don’t know they are infected, leading to serious health consequences. Image Credits: Jonathan Torgovnik/WHO. Continue reading ->
A sizeable cast of global leaders including Pope Francis, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and national heads of state marked World Environment Day today with a round of stark warnings over social media about the risks to people and to health of environmental degradation, air pollution and climate change – topics that will demand more […] Continue reading ->
After applauding the United States Congress for passing a bill that aims to strengthen preparedness against global disease threats, an R&D advocacy group is now calling on Congressional leaders to ensure there is actually money allocated to fund an expanded set of activities. Image Credits: PATH/Eric Becker. Continue reading ->
The ground level of the Geneva International Conference Centre was buzzing with conversations about machine learning, algorithms and deep learning, at the third edition of the International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good global summit last week (28-31 May). A buzzword for some, an already essential tool for others, artificial intelligence (AI) powered applications seem to […] Continue reading ->
This week’s Women Deliver 2019 Conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and well-being of girls and women, has captured the world’s attention, drawing three African heads of state as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; international NGOs; and directors of UN Agencies, including a host of high-level WHO officials, as among the […] Continue reading ->
In a little-publicised move, the WHA last week agreed to close a critical loophole in the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework that could have allowed commercial vaccine manufacturers to indirectly make use of biological information about flu strains from another country – without providing that country with any benefits from the vaccines or antivirals […] Continue reading ->