The Africa CDC has slammed the US government’s recent Level 3 travel advisory for Rwanda as unfair and baseless, arguing it undermines Rwanda’s proactive efforts to contain a Marburg outbreak. With rapid testing, vaccinations, and coordinated emergency response measures in place, Rwanda’s leaders insist the country poses no international threat and warn that travel restrictions […] Continue reading ->
WASHINGTON DC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) wrapped up its 61st Directing Council on Friday, after member states adopted policies ranging from health system strengthening to climate and health adaptation and mitigation. The council also reflected on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and presented a roadmap for a new strategic plan for […] Continue reading ->
For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that pregnant women be vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or that their newborns receive a dose of monoclonal antibodies to protect them against severe RSV disease, which has seen a global resurgence as the COVID-19 pandemic waned. In 2022-2023, RSV was the […] Continue reading ->
The establishment of an “mRNA hub” in South Africa to build the capacity of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to develop vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was widely hailed as a solution to Africa’s lack of manufacturing ability. But three years after its launch in June 2021, the hub faces uncertainties, risks and shortfalls – […] Continue reading ->
NEW YORK CITY – Brazil is advancing two major health-related declarations – on climate and One Health and on local medicines production – that it hopes to have ready for the upcoming G20 Summit that it is hosting in Rio in November. Despite political pushback, Brazil’s Deputy Minister of Health expressed hopes that the two […] Continue reading ->
BAD HOFGASTEIN, Austria — Declining health is driving more citizens to support far-right, populist parties and reducing overall participation in the democratic process, according to a new review of studies from a World Health Organization-backed (WHO) think tank. The report, released Wednesday by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, analyzed 97 studies at […] Continue reading ->
Financing for public health is dwindling in many countries, sapped by COVID-related economic difficulties, debt repayment and “poly crises” such as climate and conflict. “In the current economic conditions, the only way [some countries can spend more on health] when their overall government spending is going down, is to give more priority to health in […] Continue reading ->
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will sign an official memorandum of understanding with its Japanese counterpart next month, the director of Europe’s largest public health agency announced Wednesday. “Next month I will sign a cooperation agreement with the Japanese Center for Disease Control,” said Pamela Rendi-Wagner, who took over the agency […] Continue reading ->
Investing in as little as $0.24 per patient per year in digital health interventions – telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots – could significantly lower the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (UTI). These interventions could avert 2 million deaths and 7 […] Continue reading ->
GENEVA – Ensuring that universal health coverage (UHC) protects cancer patients and tackling commercial interests driving cancer were two issues in the spotlight of the World Cancer Congress. Speakers stressed that they need to make their mark at the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in 2025, ensuring a bold rethinking […] Continue reading ->