Links to recent news and analysis on the Global Goal to provide good health and well-being for everyone through modern and efficient healthcare.
Africa on track to control pandemic this year
10/2/2022: The WHO's Regional Director for Africa has said that countries have got smarter faster and better at responding to Covid-19. The most recent wave of the virus has been the shortest and has not led to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
Source: UN News
A step toward Africa’s own Covid-19 vaccine
16/2/2022: A Cape Town company claims it has made a vaccine that successfully mimics Moderna's messenger RNA vaccine. This copycat will still need to undergo clinical trials but the effort could yield Africa's first Covid-19 vaccine.
Source: Inter Press Service
World leaders call for $23 billion to end pandemic this year
9/2/2022: The UN is calling for a fair share of contributions from more than 50 rich countries to fund the ACT-Accelerator treatments and vaccines. Only a paltry 0.4 per cent of COVID-19 tests administered globally have been conducted in low-income countries.
Source: UN News
Vaccinating the world depends on elusive coordination
21/2/2022: People in advanced economies are not safe until the poorest countries are protected from Covid-19. With barely 1 per cent of available vaccines reaching low-income countries the world has a coordination problem.
Source: East Asia Forum
Malaria vaccine receives WHO seal of approval
6/10/2021: The World Health Organization has recommended that RTS,S/AS01, a vaccine developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, should be widely given to African children. How soon and to what scale countries can begin to roll out the vaccines will remain in question until decisions are made around funding.
Source: Devex
Rich countries block moves to waive COVID vaccine patents
11/3/2021: Richer members of the World Trade Organization have blocked a push by over 80 developing countries to waive patent rights in an effort to boost production of COVID-19 vaccines for poor nations. Western nations argue that protecting intellectual property rights encourages research and innovation.
Source: EURACTIV
For more background, see this Third World Network analysis of the wavering position on the TRIPS waiver of the new WTO Director-General, Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
COVID vaccine patents are not the issue
8/5/2021: US President Biden's push to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents has led to mixed responses in Europe. Defenders of intellectual property rights argue that the vaccine shortage is more complex than populist claims made by many international aid organizations.
Source: DW
COVAX needs at least $5 billion over the next three months
19/1/2022: The international initiative aimed at ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines lacks funds to pay for rollouts of donated doses over the coming months. Many nations have failed to meet the goal to vaccinate 40% of their populations by the end of 2021.
Source: Devex
East Africa struggles to avoid vaccine expiry
28/12/2021: More than 40 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in East Africa's government stores are nearing expiry, as apathy and logistical challenges slow down their administration. Given the short lifespan of many of the donations from the West, governments are finding it difficult to dispense them within required timelines.
Source: The East African