United States charges against Syria and Belarus for human rights abuses, including reference to a “ruthless Assad regime”, were a major theme at Wednesday’s World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board meeting – in what may also be a signal by Washington to Russia ahead of a high profile “Geneva Summit” that the US is going […] Continue reading ->
A paradigm shift towards health systems and societies that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention and environmental protection could prevent and reduce 50% of the global disease burden worldwide, experts at an informal session on the margins of the 74th World Health Assembly  said on Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inextricable relationships between environments […] Continue reading ->
While the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in huge setbacks for health systems – it has also highlighted the needs. And one of the biggest is the need for greater investment in basic primary health care systems as a pathway for ensuring  Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Delegates speaking during a high-level strategic session on the third […] Continue reading ->
China told the World Health Assembly on Wednesday it will continue to support developing countries’ access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines – but it stopped short of any commitment to supplying its recently-approved Sinopharm vaccine to the WHO co-sponsored Global COVAX vaccine facility.  WHO officials had said they hoped China would join the COVAX facility, following […] Continue reading ->
An unprecedented number of healthcare workers were seriously assaulted last year, even as health workers risked their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.  Over 412 COVID-related attacks on health workers, including kidnappings and murders, occurred between January and December 2020, experts reported at a World Health Assembly side event. The session Monday […] Continue reading ->
A sugar tax that generated R3-billion in revenue for South Africa in one year and a mandatory minimum unit price for alcohol products that contributed to a 10% decrease in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland are two examples of proven  successful policies governments have adopted for products that negatively impact health and that have helped raise […] Continue reading ->
  A new international expert panel launched by four international organisations on Thursday aims to blunt the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases through better understanding of human, animal, and environmental interactions that enable animal-borne diseases to break into human populations.   The One Health High Level Expert Panel will advise the World Health Organization (WHO), […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan authorities are threatening to fire healthcare workers who refuse to be vaccinated with the Chinese-donated SinoPharm COVID-19 vaccine.  In a harshly worded letter, , the Directorate of Health Services in Sindh warns frontline health care workers that reluctance to get the jab will result in “strict disciplinary action” including suspension or dismissal […] Continue reading ->