Category: Development

The alert from the World Health Organization (WHO) is delivered in a report showing that none of the 43 antibiotics in development today sufficiently addresses the growing threat posed by 13 priority drug-resistant bacteria.  “The persistent failure to develop, manufacture, and distribute effective new antibiotics is further fuelling the impact of antimicrobial resistance and threatens our ability to successfully treat bacterial infections,” said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Assistant Director General on antimicrobial resistance.  Those most at risk are young children and those living in poverty, but antibiotic-resistant infections can affect anyone, said WHO partner AMR.  Youngsters at risk  According to WHO, three in 10 newborns who develop blood infections die, because the antibiotics that are used to treat sepsis are no longer effective.  Bacterial pneumonia – another preventable illness…

The development comes as risk of early death from diabetes is increasing, underscoring why countries must tackle the disease and bring treatment to all who need it.  The COVID-19 connection  “The need to take urgent action on diabetes is clearer than ever”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General.   “The number of people with diabetes has quadrupled in the last 40 years.  It is the only major noncommunicable disease for which the risk of dying early is going up, rather than down. And a high proportion of people who…

The interim guidance, published on Tuesday, is aimed at reducing public health risks associated with these transactions as most emerging infectious diseases have wildlife origins.  Globally, traditional markets play a central role in providing food and livelihoods for millions of people. Banning the sale of these live wild mammals can protect the health of market workers and shoppers. ▶️ https://t.co/vKU5RdszBD https://t.co/uLAlaOk1IK — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 13, 2021 “Globally, traditional markets play a central role in providing food and livelihoods for large populations. Banning the sale of these…

Although January and February saw six consecutive weeks of plummeting COVID-19 cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said that had gone into reverse, with last week yielding “the fourth-highest number of cases in a single week so far”.  “We have now seen seven consecutive weeks of increasing cases, and four weeks of increasing deaths”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists at a regular media briefing.  Keep physical distancing  More than 780 million doses of vaccine have now been administered globally, but several Asian and Middle Eastern countries have seen large…

“Without access to vaccines, the gap will widen further”, warned the UN multi-faceted agency, calling for “strong partnership and cooperation at the national, regional and global levels”.   Debt inequality  World Bank President David R. Malpass, pointed out that inequality runs deep, encompassing not only vaccinations but also median income, interest rate differentials, bankruptcy processes and access to credit – all of which put poorer countries at a stark disadvantage.  Fully recognizing “the debt problem facing the poorer countries”, he updated the event on his recent meeting with G20 leading industrialized…

Although more than 700 million vaccine doses have been administered globally, richer countries have received more than 87 per cent, and low-income countries just 0.2 per cent.  On average in high-income countries 1 in 4 people has received a #COVID19 vaccine. In low-income countries it’s 1 in 500+. Scarcity of supply is driving vaccine nationalism and vaccine diplomacy. This is a time for partnership, not patronage. We must accelerate #VaccinEquity now! pic.twitter.com/DZ9dSRo51C — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 9, 2021 “There remains a shocking imbalance in the global distribution of…

The first delivery of lifesaving jabs arrived in Ghana on 24 February. Announcing the news on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that more than 38 million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Serum Institute of India-produced shots (one of the AstraZeneca vaccines known as COVISHIELD) have been transported globally so far. AstraZenica jabs have ‘saved millions’ The development comes as WHO and other health regulators reaffirmed the overwhelming value of the AstraZeneca (or AZ) COVID-19 vaccine, amid ongoing concerns about clotting events among a very small number who’ve had…

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the first year of the pandemic saw more than 111,000 travel restrictions and border closures around the world at their peak in December.   These measures “have thwarted many people’s ability to pursue migration as a tool to escape conflict, economic collapse, environmental disaster and other crises”, IOM maintained.  In mid-July, nearly three million people were stranded, sometimes without access to consular assistance, nor the means to meet their basic needs.   In Panama, the UN agency said that thousands were cut off in the jungle while attempting to travel north to the United States; in Lebanon, migrant workers were affected significantly by the August 2020 explosion in…

The opinion by the subcommittee of WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) follows a review of latest information from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the United Kingdom’s regulatory body MHRA, and other countries.  The EMA concluded that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while the MHRA said evidence of a link “is stronger but more work is still needed.”  The UK has announced that it will offer an alternative shot to people under 30.  …

“While we have all undoubtedly been impacted by the pandemic, the poorest and most marginalized have been hit hardest – both in terms of lives and livelihoods lost,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, speaking in Geneva on Tuesday.  It’s #WorldHealthDay! For many people, health is the foundation to do the things in life they love; to enjoy the company of others, to work, to play, to learn, to laugh. What does health mean to you? pic.twitter.com/viHKRsgbuZ — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 7, 2021 A…