In 2015, Sub-Saharan Africans lost 630 million “healthy life years” as a result of sickness and disease, amounting to an estimated loss of $US 2.4 trillion for the region, a new study finds. These economic losses, it says, emphasise the need for increased investment in health financing in Africa to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Continue reading ->

Image Credits: WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Expanding access to costly cancer treatments and the high price of new generation insulin formulas were among the controversial topics of debate today as the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines convened for its biennial update of the list of over 400 drugs deemed most essential for treating public health needs globally. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Flickr/Takacsi75.

In extended conflicts, “bullets and bombs are not always the deadliest threats to a child’s life,” a new UNICEF report reveals. During such conflicts, children are up to 20 times more likely to die from diarrhoea than violence. As is evidenced by recent outbreaks of cholera in Yemen and Mozambique, conflict and disaster-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene systems can be a matter of life and death.Continue reading ->

Image Credits: UNICEF.

[WHO News Release]

From Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa and Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean

MUSCAT/ AMMAN/CAIRO, 26 March 2019 – “In Yemen, since the beginning of the year until 17 March, nearly 109 000 cases of severe acute watery diarrhoea and suspected cholera were reported with 190 total associated deaths since January. Nearly one third of the reported cases are children under the age of 5. This comes 2 years since Yemen witnessed the world-largest outbreak when more than 1 million cases were reported.Continue reading ->

Image Credits: WHO.

Charles Gore took over as Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a Geneva-based foundation, in July 2018, just after its board decided to significantly expand its mandate into “essential medicines” – those therapies most critical to tackling some of the world’s leading diseases. Nine months into his term, Health Policy Watch’s William New talked about the strategic course he is steering.Continue reading ->

Image Credits: MPP.

[Press Release by UNAIDS]

Five countries met the target three years ahead of the 2020 deadline and 18 more are on track; however, most countries are lagging behind and risk missing the target completely. UNAIDS urges countries to step up action.  

GENEVA, 22 March 2019—Ahead of World Tuberculosis Day, on 24 March 2019, UNAIDS is urging countries to step up action to meet the 2020 target of reducing tuberculosis (TB) deaths among people living with HIV by 75%, as outlined in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS. World Health Organization estimates show that, globally, TB deaths among people living with HIV have fallen by 42% since 2010, from 520 000 down to 300 000 in 2017.Continue reading ->

Image Credits: UNAIDS.