The World Trade Organization (WTO) approved a politically important deal Friday to water down intellectual property restrictions for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines after an almost two-year effort involving scores of high-level meetings and much political arm twisting. During the early morning hours in Geneva, WTO ministers approved a package of agreements that included the […]
Infectious diseases
Indian research institutions to get additional US funding
The United States has announced a total of USD$122,475,000 has been committed to provide additional funding for Indian medical research institutions to prevent avoidable epidemics. The funding, provided by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been allocated to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Virology (NIV) and […]
China reiterates commitment to “zero-COVID”; The latest health stories from around the world
Xi Jinping reiterated China’s commitment to zero-COVID, declaring “persistence is victory”, as Shanghai and Beijing were hit with new lockdowns, shutdowns, and mass testing drives just a week after the cities celebrated the easing of restrictions. (www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/10/xi-jinping-says-persistence-is-victory-as-covid-restrictions-return-to-shanghai-and-beijing) In response to China’s worst outbreak of the pandemic, Shanghai spent months under an arduous and strict citywide […]
Is India heading towards a fourth wave of COVID-19?
COVID-19 cases in India have risen to surpass 8,000 new cases per day for the third day in a row, sparking fears that a fourth wave could occur in the coming weeks. Experts have been quick to dismiss these fears. They have said that the “new wave” is likely not a potential fourth wave […]
All nations must benefit from monkeypox research urge scientists; The latest health stories from around the world
As cases of monkeypox in wealthier Western nations spark a flurry of scientific research to combat the outbreak, scientists are urging the world to make sure lower-income nations benefit from the fruits of that labour as well. More than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported by at least 30 countries outside of Africa, […]
Monkeypox unlikely to have reached India, despite speculative reports
Monkeypox may have arrived in India, according to reports that a five-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad may have contracted the condition. However, the presence of monkeypox in India is currently just speculation. Samples from the child were sent for testing after she was reported with symptoms consistent with the disease. “Samples of a five-year-old […]
Monkeypox cases continue to increase; The latest health stories from around the world
The global tally of monkeypox cases has surpassed 200 and continues to increase daily, reaching across 21 countries, according to the latest report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. On Wednesday, the agency reported 219 confirmed cases worldwide, including 9 in the United States (US) and 71 in the United Kingdom(UK). Later […]
Are Long-COVID and NCDs another Pandora’s box?
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have been increasing at an alarming rate in India in the last few decades, overtaking infectious diseases as India’s most common causes of death. Now, some speculate that NCDs coupled with long-COVID could open up a Pandora’s box in the country. Government data shows that the proportion of deaths due to NCDs […]
Is monkeypox a concern for India?
Monkeypox cases continue to be announced across the globe, sparking panic of a new pandemic in the making. Just how realistic is this prospect, and should India be worried? Monkeypox, much like COVID-19, is another zoonotic condition – spread to humans from animals. Typically the disease is endemic only to a few regions of Africa. […]
Unusual global spread of monkeypox continues; The latest health stories from around the world
Public health officials announced more monkeypox cases in the United Kingdom (UK) on Monday, as efforts ramp up to contain the first multinational outbreak of the virus that has led to cases in at least 14 countries according to a report in www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/22/monkeypox-uk-health-security-agency-to-announce-more-cases? The unusual outbreak of the rare disease has sparked a wave of contact […]