Category: Global Health

We also look at whats happneing across the world

WHO Warns Against Using Antibiotics to Treat COVID-19 or Flu

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued updated guidelines strongly advising against the use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 or influenza, emphasizing that these medications are ineffective against viral infections and contribute to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The guidelines, outlined in a recent WHO evidence brief, stress that antibiotics should only be prescribed for bacterial infections, not viral illnesses like COVID-19 or the flu. Misuse of antibiotics during the pandemic has exacerbated AMR, a global health crisis that could render common infections untreatable in…

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U.S. Senate Moves to Protect PEPFAR Funding Amid Trump-Era Cuts Threat

Michael Gwarisa

By Health Times Correspondent The International AIDS Society (IAS) has applauded a bipartisan effort in the U.S. Senate to safeguard the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from a proposed $400 million funding cut that had originated from President Donald Trump’s rescission package. However, advocates caution that the battle is far from over. Both the Senate and House of Representatives must still vote on the final budget package, and last-minute changes could emerge before the statutory deadline. PEPFAR, launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush, is widely…

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WHO Recommends Twice-Yearly Injectable Lenacapavir as Game-Changer in HIV Prevention

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa In a landmark move that could transform the global fight against HIV, the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued new guidelines endorsing the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) administered twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option. The announcement was made at the 13th International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2025) on HIV Science, currently underway in Kigali, Rwanda. LEN is the first long-acting injectable PrEP designed to protect people at risk of HIV with just two doses annually, offering a highly effective alternative to daily…

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Gilead’s Secrecy Over HIV Prevention Shot Sparks Global Outrage

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  Gilead Sciences has come under fire after announcing a secretive deal to supply its long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir (LEN-LA), to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The agreement—shrouded in indefinite price secrecy—has been widely condemned by civil society organisations, health advocates, and global health experts who warn it undermines transparency, accountability, and equitable access. The Global Fund, financed by public money, has invited nine African countries—South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria—to participate in the agreement. However, the…

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WHO Report launched last week warrants stronger measures to save lives from deadly tobacco and nicotine products and hold industry liable

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  The WCTC Declaration calls upon the governments of the world to accelerate the implementation of all measures under the WHO FCTC in order to end the tobacco epidemic. Among other actions, it urges countries to: “Recognise the tobacco industry as the biggest barrier to global progress in tobacco control. Reject engagements with organisations working with, or funded by, the tobacco industry. Hold the tobacco industry liable for the harms it causes, including seeking compensation through legal actions” Tobacco industry’s so-called ‘Techno-innovation’ is just another tactic to push…

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FDA approves twice-a-year injection for HIV prevention

Michael Gwarisa

CNN — A drug currently used to treat certain HIV infections has also, on Wednesday, received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to be used to prevent HIV. Gilead Sciences, maker of the drug, announced that a twice-a-year injection of lenacapavir has been approved in the United States for HIV prevention under the brand name Yeztugo. In clinical trials, the drug was found to dramatically reduce the risk of infection and provide near-total protection against HIV, significantly more than the primary options available for pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. Therapies called PrEP…

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New Form of Diabetes Recognised as Type 5 by Global Health Experts

Michael Gwarisa

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has officially designated malnutrition-related diabetes as “type 5 diabetes”, marking a significant step in addressing a long-overlooked health condition. The decision was made on 8 April 2025 during the IDF’s World Diabetes Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. This recognition aims to raise awareness of a disease that disproportionately affects young people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). First described in Jamaica in 1955, malnutrition-related diabetes is distinct from both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It primarily affects young men with a body mass index (BMI) below…

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“I’ll Fix It”: Elon Musk Responds to Outcry Over Lenacapavir Funding Halt

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Billionaire Elon Musk, who also serves as an advisor to United States President Donald Trump, has hinted at intervening in the ongoing funding crisis affecting global HIV programs—particularly the rollout of Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking once-a-year HIV prevention drug. Musk made the remarks during a conversation with Bloomberg’s Mitchell Hussein at the Qatar Economic Forum. Hussein raised concerns about the global impact of HIV and AIDS funding cuts, especially the exclusion of critical HIV prevention programs like Lenacapavir from the current U.S. government funding waiver. The AIDS medication…

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Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer

Michael Gwarisa

Former US president’s office said the cancer cells had spread to the bone and Biden, 82, was reviewing treatment options with doctors Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has metastasised to the bone, and he and his family are reviewing treatment options with doctors, his office said in a statement on Sunday. Biden, 82, was seen last week by doctors after urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer…

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WHO Unveils New Leadership Team Amid Sweeping Structural Reforms and Workforce Reductions

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa  The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a major overhaul of its leadership and internal structure, reflecting a decisive push to improve cost efficiency and sharpen its focus on core health priorities. Speaking from Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus laid out the scale of the transformation, which includes deep organizational restructuring and significant reductions in staff numbers. In short, we are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to improve cost efficiency,” said Dr Tedros. “But even so, the hard truth is that we need…

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