Category: Global Health

We also look at whats happneing across the world

First antibiotic for super-gonorrhea enters human trials as new cases found in England

Healthtimes

The first antibiotic for super-gonorrhoea has entered human trials, as four new cases of the resistant infection have been found across England since December. The number of cases of gonorrhoea that do not respond to standard antibiotics has increased significantly over the past 50 years, prompting concerns that without the development of new drugs the disease may become untreatable. Gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and ectopic pregnancies. Pregnant women can pass the disease onto their unborn baby. Earlier this month a woman in her 20s in London and…

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Sweet News!!! COVID-19 downgrading to an endemic stage

Michael Gwarisa

THE coronavirus pandemic is transitioning into an endemic stage where the virus will be spreading at a slower rate, making it more predictable and manageable within countries, a top World Health Organisation official has said. By Michael Gwarisa The difference between an epidemic and a pandemic isn’t in the severity of the disease, but the degree to which it spreads.A pandemic cuts across international boundaries, as opposed to regional epidemics. Speaking during a virtual press briefing, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the Regional Director of the World Health Organization Regional Office for…

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Vagina! There We Said It, Says PSI As They Launch VIYA, A Global Sexual Wellness Lifestyle Brand

Michael Gwarisa

IN  a move that is set to demystify and normalize women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, the Population Service International (PSI) has launched VIYA, a first global sexual wellness lifestyle product that puts the power of health choice into women’s and girls’ hands. By Michael Gwarisa The campaign is starting with #TheVword or the word Vagina, which is aimed at disrupting the narrative around women’s healthcare and supporting women to make and own their health choices throughout their lifecycle—from menstruation to menopause. Harnessing technology including artificial intelligence, e-commerce and…

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A Billion Influenza Cases Recorded Every Year

Michael Gwarisa

EVEN through the deadly Influenza or Spanish Flu ended more than 100 years ago, the modern day strain of Influenza continues to impact negatively on the global health with indications that a billion cases of seasonal influenza continue to be recorded every year. By Michael Gwarisa In his speech to mark the Celebration of 70 years since GISRS (the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System) was formed, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director, Dr Tedros  Adhanom Ghebreyesus   said influenza is a serious global health problem that impacts all countries: Every year,…

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New Highly Infectious HIV Variant That Progresses To AIDS Faster Discovered

Healthtimes

A newfound variant of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has been uncovered in the Netherlands and appears to cause faster disease progression compared with other versions of the virus. SOURCE: LIVESCIENCE The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects and destroys immune cells called CD4 cells in the body, causing the number of these cells to plummet. If left untreated, the infection then progresses to AIDS. In people infected with the newfound HIV variant, called the VB variant, the CD4 counts fall at about twice the rate as those of people…

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Crucial changes needed to protect workers’ health while teleworking

Healthtimes

The World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization have called for measures to be put in place to protect workers’ health while teleworking. Own Correspondent A new technical brief to healthy and safe teleworking, published by the two UN agencies, outlines the health benefits and risks of teleworking and the changes needed to accommodate the shift towards different forms of remote work arrangements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the digital transformation of work. Among the benefits, the report says, there can be improved work–life balance, opportunities for…

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Huge volumes of COVID hospital waste threaten health – WHO

Healthtimes

GENEVA (Reuters) – Discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment, a World Health Organization report said on Tuesday. The material, a portion of which could be infectious since coronavirus can survive on surfaces, potentially exposes health workers to burns, needle-stick injuries and disease-causing germs, the report said. Communities close to poorly-managed landfills can also be affected through contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality…

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150 000 New HIV infections Recorded Among Children In 2020

Michael Gwarisa

THE Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) says most of the 150 000 new HIV infections recorded among children in 2020 could have been prevented if interventions targeting the most affected groups had been implemented. HealthTimes Reporter According to the UNAIDS weekly update, a strong start would be to better engage women and girls at significant risk of acquiring HIV infection in integrated antenatal care and HIV services, including HIV prevention and testing, delivered at the local level, and to ensure that those who are HIV-positive receive…

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Omicron Related Diseases Severity Lower Than Other Variants- CDC

Healthtimes

DESPITE the Omicron variant having recorded the highest reported numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations during the pandemic, disease severity indicators, including length of stay, ICU admission, and deaths as a result of the strain were lower than during previous pandemic peaks.  According to a weekly morbidity and mortality report by the American Center for Disease Control (CDC) that analyzed trends in Disease Severity and Health Care Utilization During the Early Omicron Variant Period between the December 2020–January 2022 period, the majority of the cases were mild compared to previous…

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COVAX delivers its 1 billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose

Michael Gwarisa

On 15 January 2022, a shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda included the billionth dose supplied via COVAX. Together with our partners, COVAX is leading the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history, with deliveries to 144 countries to date. But the work that has gone into this milestone is only a reminder of the work that remains. As of 13 January 2022, out of 194 Member States, 36 WHO Member States have vaccinated less than 10% of their population, and 88 less than 40%. COVAX’s ambition…

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