Browsing: WHO

• The trio’s collaboration focuses on a joint response that will help countries better prepare and respond to public health threats.
• Trio says their alliance will leverage each other’s expertise to help countries strengthen pandemic preparedness and enhance resilience during pandemics.
• According to the WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for new sources of financing to bolster health systems.

The leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed on a broad-based cooperation to boost the world’s pandemic preparedness.

In a statement to the press, the three global institutions said this cooperation will allow a scaling up of support to countries to prevent, detect, and respond to the next global health crisis.

“The stepped-up collaboration with the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization will help our institutions complement and leverage each other’s expertise to help our members …

• The bulk of the financing will go toward tackling mpox in 14 most affected African countries, and enhancing readiness efforts in 15 others.
• Other funds will go into operational and technical support, ensuring that the plan is executed through a network of partners.
• Africa CDC and WHO hope to reduce the virus’s impact and curb its spread.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have teamed up to counter the spread of Mpox across the continent in a new plan estimated at $600 million. This initiative, which is set to run between September 2024 and February next year, is poised to firm up Africa’s capacity to check the spread of the virus, cushion the populations at most risk and curb the spread of the disease.

Across the continent, mpox is spreading, and although calls for vaccines continue to intensify, the need …

• WHO, CDC launch joint unit to improve disaster preparedness.
• JEAP has a mandate for disaster response across Africa.
• JEAP prioritises readiness, and collective efforts to fight public health emergencies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have launched a partnership to tackle challenges arising from humanitarian crises associated with disasters.

Dubbed Joint Emergency Preparedness and Response Action Plan (JEAP), the unit is a five-year strategic collaboration to boost the continent’s overall emergency preparedness and response.

JEAP has the mandate to operate across Africa to ensure among other things, disease outbreaks during humanitarian crises are managed efficiently.

Power of partnerships in global health

“The JEAP underscores the shared vision of Africa’s two leading public health institutions – to strengthen the emergency preparedness and response and health systems on the continent,” reads a press communique shared at the turn of the week.

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mRNA-1644 utilizes Moderna’s messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to deliver a specific class of B cells needed to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to fight HIV infection. Inducing bnAbs is considered the primary goal of an HIV vaccine, and this requires B-cell activation.

The primary trial endpoints are safety and immunogenicity. The IAVI-sponsored clinical trial, IAVI G003, will test the safety and efficacy of vaccination with the HIV immunogen eOD-GT8 60mer, delivered via Moderna’s mRNA platform. eOD-GT8 60mer was developed by IAVI and Scripps Research teams and was initially tested in phase 1 clinical trial IAVI G001.

According to Contagion Live, IAVI G003 is expected to enroll 18 healthy, HIV-negative adults. The participants will receive 2 doses of eOD-GT8 60mer mRNA, which contains a portion of the viral sequence but cannot cause HIV infection. They will be monitored for safety for 6 months after their second dose, and their immune responses …

Stavros Nicolaou, a Senior Executive at Aspen Pharmacare Group said in the absence of orders or commitments, Aspen is considering the repurposing of two COVID-19 production lines for the manufacture of other products.

“The continent would lose its only existing COVID vaccine manufacturing capacity, It would be a massive setback for Africa’s plans to localize and reduce its dependency on imported vaccines,” he said.

John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said global health security would be undermined if companies like Aspen were not backed.…

• Africa’s death rates from COVID-19 infections are significantly higher in patients with diabetes
• The disease causes inflammation and poor blood circulation, both of which increase the risk of complications, including death, from COVID-19
• In addition to people with diabetes, the three most frequent underlying conditions included patients with HIV and hypertension

New data indicates that Africa’s sharp increase in diabetes is clashing with the COVID-19 pandemic and poor access to vaccines.

Africa’s death rates from COVID-19 infections are significantly higher in patients with diabetes, according to a preliminary analysis which the World Health Organization (WHO) presented today in advance of the World Diabetes Day on 14 November.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually subside, but Africa is projected in the coming years to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally.

“We must act now to prevent new cases, vaccinate people who have …

On Sunday, May 10th, statistics from the WorldOmeter showed that New York state had recorded 41 fatalities in 24 hours, down from a high of almost two thousand deaths in Mid April. This was a significant drop in deaths with total US fatalities dropping to below a thousand.

This is a similar drop being recorded all over the world with record low levels being recorded in European hotspots of Italy, France, Spain, and United Kingdown with figures almost going to double digits. It is expected that the effects of the disease might not be felt in a few months.

However, as global figures decline, the same can not be said of Africa which has since a significant rise, blatant disobeying containment measures, and rise of unscientific measures to curb the disease. According to Africa CDC, the AU backed entity, there are 63,293 confirmed cases spread across the continent with 2,290 …

According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, All 27 people who came in contact with the first patients tested negative for Coronavirus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has hit Tanzania, and it is taking a rather serious toll in the East African nation of more than 55 million people, forcing lifestyle choice to change and economic operations to shrink.

In the past weeks, Tanzania had no cases, but currently, there are 6 cases registered in Tanzania. Since the virus made its way to Tanzania, the government of Tanzania has instructed closure of schools, higher learning institutions, and rolled in precautionary measures to various sectors including transport and health.

The ministry of health revealed on 18 March 2020, that the task force tracked all contacts related to the patient, of which have now risen to 27, and tested negative for COVID-19

Since the first case broke, Tanzania has seen a stark rise in hand-sanitizer …