The World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to study the public health and social measures that countries have used to keep COVID-19 at bay successfully – in case there is no quick vaccine for the next pandemic. A special working group has been set up with the support of Norway to study these measures, WHO […] Continue reading ->
Biotech manufacturer Novavax announced on Monday it would be able to manufacture 100 million doses of its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine every month by the end of the third quarter of 2021 and 150 million doses per month by the end of the year – once it has secured regulatory approval for its vaccine. This follows […] Continue reading ->
Administering aspirin to critically ill COVID-19 patients does not boost their odds of surviving the virus, results from a major trial studying the commonly used painkiller and blood thinner showed this week. In the RECOVERY study, University of Oxford scientists hoped that aspirin would work because it cuts the risk of blood clots — a […] Continue reading ->
Although the pace of new COVID-19 infections is slowing down across North America, cases continue to rise in Latin America. Surges in COVID-related deaths and infections in some countries are even higher now than at any point during this pandemic, says the WHO Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Last week, the region reported more than […] Continue reading ->
The World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Council agreed on Wednesday to move ahead with a “text-based process” – effectively greenlighting negotiations over a proposal to waive intellectual property associated with COVID tests, treatments and vaccines, Geneva-based trade officials said. The move was the latest in a series of incremental advances on the controversial initiative by India […] Continue reading ->
The Mastercard Foundation will spend US$ 1.3 billion over the next three years to help vaccinate 50 million Africans against COVID-19 and accelerate the continent’s economic recovery from the pandemic, one of the world’s biggest foundations has announced. Tuesday’s announcement by the Foundation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC) comes less […] Continue reading ->
While European Union (EU) member states continue to oppose a waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, they may soon find themselves at odds with the European Parliament, which is expected to pass a resolution in support of the waiver on Wednesday. Negotiations on the controversial waiver proposal, co-sponsored by India and […] Continue reading ->
WHO’s Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebryesus called on leaders of the G7 Group of the world’s most industrialized nations to share at least 100 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses with low- and middle-income countries in June and July and 250 million doses by September. His appeal, at a WHO press conference Monday, added to […] Continue reading ->
Uganda has imposed more stringent measures to control COVID-19 transmission after it recorded over 1000 new cases per day on 2 June – its highest tally ever, mostly among people aged between 20 and 39 years. On Sunday, President Yoweri Museveni instituted a 42-day lockdown during which time all schools and institutions of higher learning […] Continue reading ->
A deal is in the works for the global COVAX vaccine facility to procure two Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines recently approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use – greatly expanding vaccine choices for low- and middle income countries, Africa Centers for Disease Control Director John Nkengasong, told Health Policy Watch on Thursday. “The good […] Continue reading ->