Reform and diversification of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) funding model is vital if the global health body is to avoid repeating the consequences of the US’s withdrawal in April 2020, member states have said during WHO’s Executive Board meetings. The global COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the “open secret” within the field of global health […] Continue reading ->
Civil society organizations, pharmaceutical industries, and other stakeholders support the ratification of the AMA Treaty. On the two-year anniversary of the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, over 40 patient and civil society organizations, health and pharmaceutical industries, and product development partnerships called upon African Union member states to ratify the Treaty.  Rapidly […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 has led to the suspension of polio campaigns in more than 30 countries, and has underscored the importance of the mission to eradicate it, tackle antimicrobial resistance, and ensure the timely sharing of pathogens, said WHO member states at Monday’s Executive Board session.  Throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, member states reviewed and discussed […] Continue reading ->
Almost twenty years after a landmark WHO treaty was adopted to curb tobacco consumption, a new “pandemic treaty” could become a key tool to garner stronger political commitment from member states to better prevent, prepare and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, WHO’s Director General said on Wednesday..  The recommendation, initially proposed by the European Council’s […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) response to COVID-19 was too slow, hampered by an antiquated pandemic alert system, lack of resources and a lack of authority with member states, according to an interim report by the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, presented to the WHO’s Executive Board meeting on Tuesday. It took the […] Continue reading ->
“Escalating bilateral deals” between pharmaceutical companies and World Health Organization (WHO) member states have complicated the global body’s vaccine delivery platform, the COVAX Facility, a number of top WHO officials told the WHO’s Executive Board yesterday in the opening day of the  EB’s 148th session, which focused largely on the pandemic. “Countries with bilateral deals […] Continue reading ->