By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | 15 June (IDN) — UN’s global health agency WHO has expressed concern about the escalating health crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, where attacks on health infrastructure and increased restrictions on movement are obstructing access to health care. “A spike in violence in the West Bank, […]
Sudan: Deteriorating Situation in El Fasher, Health System Collapsing Nationwide
UN News NEW YORK | 1 June 2024 (IDN) —The humanitarian situation for some 800,000 civilians in El Fasher, Sudan, and surrounding areas in North Darfur continues to deteriorate amid ongoing clashes between rival military forces, the UN reported on Friday. The fighting has reportedly forced thousands of people to flee since 10 May and […]
Boosting Manufacturing Capacity Is Crucial for Vaccine Security in Africa
By Busani Bafana BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe | 29 May 2024 (IDN) — Africa’s limited vaccine manufacturing capacity means heavy reliance on imports to respond to outbreaks. However, boosting manufacturing capacities on the continent can change this, says Petro Terblanche, the CEO of Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, a biotechnology start-up company aiming to expand vaccine equity in […]
South African President Backs National Health Plan For All
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 19 May 2024 (IDN) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is promoting a long-awaited new law that would provide universal health care free of charge for all. It could lead to the biggest shake-up in the health sector since the end of the racist system of apartheid 30 […]
New Head of African Disease Control Center Linked to Corruption Probe
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 May 2024 (IDN) — Trouble is brewing at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Auditors of the African Union say the new Director General of Africa’s CDC failed to follow procurement rules, possibly creating an “avenue for fraud.” Dr Jean Kaseya is now […]
WHO Fears Bloodbath If Israel Launches a Full-Scale Military Operation in Rafah
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | 3 May 2024 (IDN) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for respecting “the sanctity of health care”, adding that “parties to the conflict have the coordinates of health facilities”. These must be actively protected and remain accessible to patients, health workers and partners. “The safety of health and […]
World Bank Reveals a New Health Target for 1.5 billion People in 2030
By J C Suresh TORONTO | WASHINGTON | 25 April 2024 (IDN) — The World Bank Group has announced an ambitious plan to support countries in delivering quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030. This is part of a larger global effort to provide a basic standard of care through every stage […]
African Union’s Health Group Slams Drug Maker For ‘Vaccine Inequity’
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 22 April 2024 (IDN) — Moderna, the drug company made famous for its COVID vaccines, has abandoned plans to construct vaccine plants in Kenya, drawing criticism from the African Union’s public health agency that the company is not committed to ‘vaccine equity’. Africa’s Centers for Disease […]
Children’s Health at Risk in Flood-Hit Tanzania
By Kizito Makoye DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania | 16 April 2024 (IDN) — In a hazy paediatric ward at Mlimba District Hospital, nestled in Tanzania’s eastern Morogoro region, Zuhura Mashaka cradles her two-year old daughter, Amina, in her arms as a nurse administers a jab to quell insidious infection racking the toddler’s body. With meticulous […]
Sudan: UN Concerned About Fast Unfolding Humanitarian Crisis
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 14 April 2024 (IDN) — One year after war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 15 April 2023, Sudan is facing one of the fastest unfolding crises globally, with unprecedented needs. About 25 million people—of whom over 14 million are children—need […]