The question of whether pathogens’ genomic sequences should be shared freely – or in exchange for a clear benefit – as well as the role ‘One Health’ should play in any new Pandemic Convention or legal accord were key points of emerging dispute among member states on Day 2 of the Intergovernmental Board Meeting (INB). […] Continue reading ->
Major pharmaceutical companies have offered to reserve a “real-time allocation” of vaccines and treatments upfront for “priority populations in lower-income countries” in future pandemics – providing the G7 and G20 also help low-income countries finance and make effective use of the products. Launching its Berlin Declaration on Tuesday, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and […] Continue reading ->
The first day of WHO member state talks on a proposed new Pandemic Convention or Treaty opened with broad agreement that the new legal instrument should complement – but not repeat – provisions of the existing International Health Regulations – while respecting national sovereignty in terms of public health responses. But the hours of debate […] Continue reading ->
Rwanda has been selected to host the headquarters of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) by the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) at a meeting held in the Zambian capital of Lusaka on Saturday. The council agreed that AMA will enhance the capacity of AU state parties and the continent’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs) […] Continue reading ->
Vaccine manufacturers are in a race to develop or tweak COVID-19 vaccines to address the Omicron variants that are sweeping through the globe – and get them ready for use as boosters when the weather cools in the northern hemisphere. More infectious Omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in many parts of the […] Continue reading ->
Two leading researchers who have raised questions about the reliability of Sputnik V’s vaccine efficacy ratings across age groups shared their concerns with Health Policy Watch. One called the results “impossible” and “very concerning”. More than 70 countries have approved the use of Sputnik V, Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, based on the reported 91.6% efficacy across […] Continue reading ->
NAIROBI — With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on the rise globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday issued an urgent call to step up investment and research into vaccine candidates that can tackle the problem of drug-resistant bacteria in a new report that looks at key research gaps and opportunities. Antimicrobial resistance, which refers to bacteria, […] Continue reading ->
Citizens and NGOs welcomed the United Nations Human Rights Council’s adoption of a much-debated draft resolution that calls on nations to ensure everyone has access to medicines and vaccines. The resolution was adopted by consensus Friday shortly before the close of the HRC’s 50th session, sending what proponents called a “clear message” that access to […] Continue reading ->
The African Development Bank is establishing a foundation with the aim of spending at least $3 billion over the next decade to boost Africa’s access to technologies needed to make medicines, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical products. The bank’s board approved the establishment of the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation with an eye to towards creating what […] Continue reading ->
After year-long consultations, the Stop TB Partnership launched its global plan to end tuberculosis by 2030, which would involve the diagnosis and treatment of 50 million people at a cost of $250 billion. TB, the second biggest infectious disease killer in the world after COVID-19, has been neglected by donors in the past – yet […] Continue reading ->