Fifty influential scientists have developed a coronavirus vaccines research and development (R&D) roadmap aimed at developing broadly protective vaccines to combat fast-evolving coronaviruses threatening humans. “The COVID-19 pandemic marks the third time in just 20 years that a coronavirus has emerged to cause a public health crisis,” said Professor Michael Osterholm, director of the University […] Continue reading ->
The deaths of children and young people related to contaminated cough syrups made by Indian companies have exposed India’s lack of regulation, which is also enabling the over-consumption of over-the-counter cough syrups in the country. After completing her household chores, 42-year-old Shameema Akhter was tending to a cow outside her home in Shangas village in […] Continue reading ->
Just 66 days after the SARS-CoV2 genetic sequence was shared by a Chinese scientist online, the first COVID-19 vaccines went into production – in record time for R&D that yielded the first approved vaccines less than a year later. But there are looming concerns that the relatively open models of data and pathogen sharing that […] Continue reading ->
A third of Europeans don’t meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for physical activity – but if they did, this would avert over 10 000 premature deaths, almost four million cases of cardiovascular disease, three and a half million cases of depression and nearly a million cases of type two diabetes by 2050. This is […] Continue reading ->
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is closely monitoring Equatorial Guinea’s first-ever Marburg virus disease outbreak, Africa CDC acting director Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma told a media briefing on Thursday “One big challenge we have are test kits and we are working around the clock to try and get test kits to […] Continue reading ->
Following a first-ever outbreak of deadly Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday called an emergency meeting of the Marburg virus vaccine consortium (MARVAC) to receive an urgent update on possible vaccine candidates for the filovirus that can have an 80% fatality rate. At the meeting, the agency received […] Continue reading ->
On 27 February, World Health Organization member states will meet to commence formal negotiations on a global pandemic preparedness agreement – unofficially turning the page from responding to COVID-19 to readying ourselves for future health emergencies. While the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) of member states have already held a series of meetings, as well as […] Continue reading ->
The global vaccine alliance, Gavi, has appointed former Nigerian health minister, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, as its new CEO. Pate was Minister of State for Health in Nigeria between 2011 and 2013, where he led a national campaign to “revive routine immunisation and primary health care, chaired a presidential taskforce to eradicate polio and introduced […] Continue reading ->
Russia’s war in Ukraine has sparked a global health crisis – from the death, suffering and displacement of people in the country to the global food and fuel insecurity, and diminished donor funds to support other health issues. “The UN High Commission for Refugees estimated that about 17.6 million Ukrainians, which is about 43% of […] Continue reading ->
As Malawi struggles with its biggest-ever cholera outbreak, its response is being hampered by the global shortage of vaccines, warned Dr Patrick Otim Ramadan, World Health Organization (WHO) Africa’s Incident Manager for Regional Cholera Response at a media briefing on Thursday. By Wednesday, Malawi had recorded 40,284 cases and 1,316 deaths, with a case fatality […] Continue reading ->