Development Health Advice 

New UN-led global immunization push aims to save more than 50 million lives

“Even before the pandemic, there were worrying signs that we were beginning to lose ground in the fight against preventable child illness, with 20 million children already missing out on critical vaccinations”, said Henrietta Fore, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director.  According to UNICEF, disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020 meant that vaccine deliveries fell from… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Iraq: UN representative calls for ‘stronger protection measures’ after fatal fire in COVID hospital

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert offered her deepest condolences to the families of the scores of people who lost their lives during a blaze that erupted at the Ibn Khatib hospital on Saturday night and wished the 100-plus injured a full and speedy recovery. According to reports, the accident was caused by the explosion of an oxygen tank. Tragedy in the making  Iraq’s… Read More
Development Health Advice 

A ‘malaria-free future’ is possible, UN chief says on international day

“We commend all countries that have reached the ambitious target of zero malaria”, said Secretary-General António Guterres.   “Together, they are showing the world that a malaria-free future is possible”.  Tomorrow is #WorldMalariaDay. The world has made great progress in reducing malaria cases & deaths, but the pace has stalled in many high #malaria burden African countries. Professor Francis Omaswa?? shares… Read More
Development Health Advice 

ACT now to speed up funding for COVID-19 tools, UN officials say

The study was released to mark the first anniversary of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, and was launched at a commemorative event held online.  “One year after the launch of the ACT Accelerator, world leaders face a choice: invest in saving lives by treating the cause of the pandemic everywhere, now, or continue to spend trillions on the… Read More
Development Health Advice 

90 percent of countries’ health services continue to be disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic: WHO

There are some signs of progress however: in 2020, countries surveyed reported that, on average, about half of essential health services were disrupted. In the first 3 months of 2021, that figure had dropped to just over one third of services. Overcoming disruptions Many countries have now stepped up efforts to mitigate disruptions. These include informing the public about changes to… Read More
Development Health Advice 

COVID-19: Greta Thunberg contributes 100,000 Euros to vaccine equity initiative

The contribution from her foundation to the WHO Foundation will support the COVAX Facility to provide vaccines to people in need and comes as cases worldwide rose for an eighth consecutive week.  Speaking during WHO’s regular media briefing from Geneva, she urged the international community to address the “tragedy” of vaccine inequity, describing COVAX as the best path forward to… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Vaccine equity the ‘challenge of our time’, WHO chief declares, as governments call for solidarity, sharing

The summit – held in virtual format on the theme, “A Vaccine for All” – brought together senior officials from the UN, government, business, the scientific community and civil society, who explored ways to guarantee equal access to the vaccine as a global public good, and to strengthen countries’ readiness for its distribution. “Vaccine equity is the challenge of our… Read More
Development Health Advice 

COVID-19 infections approaching highest rates ever, WHO warns

“Around the world, cases and deaths are continuing to increase at worrying rates”, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during his regular briefing.  “Globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled over the past two months. This is approaching the highest rate of infection that we have seen so far during the pandemic.”  As of Friday,… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Alert over shortage of new drugs for ‘world’s most dangerous bacteria’  

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,… Read More
Development Health Advice 

New global compact aims to drive down diabetes deaths, boost insulin access

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… Read More
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