WHO publishes zero-draft of pandemic treaty: Equity, IPR take centre stage
Many believe draft unlikely to survive in current form due to Big Pharma, particularly in EU
Africa reported 30% of global acute public health events in last 2 decades: WHO
Infections were main cause for public health emergencies in last 2 decades; Climate-led natural disasters fuelling acute public health events
African vaccines: Local manufacturers are struggling to access the market — what must change
Current procurement systems for vaccines in the region does not leave much room for African companies
Self-sufficient Africa: Rwanda gets continent’s first unit for mRNA vaccine production
Containers of mRNA mobile factories called Biontainers to boost African vaccine production
Bacterial infections caused most deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in 2019: Lancet
The region saw 230 deaths per 100,000 people; Just 5 pathogens caused over half the infection deaths globally
Different air under one sky: Almost everyone in South Africa breathes polluted air
Air quality is not monitored in most cities as they lack the resources to compile inventories
Mosquitoes in a warming world: The 3 fearsome diseases
India may have started to report cases of infection by zika virus only in 2017, but dengue and chikungunya have been prevalent — cases have …
Bengal to draft quack doctors in fight against COVID-19
Patients in rural, peri-urban areas often depend on quack doctors for initial medical needs
The COVID-19 pandemic year: Who gained, who lost in health sector during lockdown
A five-part series as India marks a year of the dreaded COVID-19 lockdown: We look at healthcare in this part.
Fossil fuel combustion caused 2.5 million premature deaths in India in 2018
Pollution levels used for simulation are of 2012 levels, which means the actual number of deaths as of 2018 could be higher
Fungal infections in the brain aren’t just the stuff of movies — Africa grapples with a deadly epidemic
With poorly funded and overburdened healthcare systems, many African countries are not well prepared to deal with fungal infections
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (July 3, 2023)
Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Cannabis-derived products have flooded US market — Two immunologists explain medicinal benefits and potential risks
Products like delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC are rapidly proliferating; there are many unknowns about their safety and psychoactive …
12 African countries commit to ending AIDS in kids by 2030
Early HIV testing, eliminating vertical transmission and addressing social and structural barriers in plan of action
Paediatric eczema finds relief in new drug
Significant improvement in itching with dupilumab medication for severe cases aged 6 months to 5 years
Climate change will cause more African children to die from hot weather
There were between 12,000 and 19,000 heat-related child deaths per year in Africa from 2011 through 2020
How Nuh’s maternal mortality rate dropped 32 points in just 4 years
Incentivising institutional deliveries don’t necessarily ensure a pregnant woman’s nutritional health
Drugs and religion have been a potent combination for millennia, from cannabis at ancient funerary sites to psychedelic retreats today
The current ‘psychedelic renaissance’ is often called revolutionary for future of humans
70% of all maternal deaths in 2020 were in sub-Saharan Africa: UN report
Not only is sub-Saharan Africa the fulcrum of maternal deaths, but most HIV-related indirect maternal deaths also occur here
Not enough women in World Health Assembly: Some countries may need a century for gender parity
Southeast Asia inching closer to the 50%; No WHA had more than 30% women chief delegates, finds study
WHO approval to South Africa’s vaccine regulatory body
South African Health Products Regulatory Authority ranked at maturity level 3 out of 4 classification levels
Is monkeypox sexually transmissible? What does research suggest
Semen samples show prolonged shedding of virus DNA for weeks after symptoms onset
India may have seen most COVID-19-related deaths globally — close to 5 million
Official figures show 531,843 deaths; mortality could be 10 times the reported figures, show WHO estimates
Health for all: WHO launches first-ever roadmap to link health with sustainable economic growth
WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All launches report at 76th World Health Assembly
As told to Parliament (March 24, 2023): India has eliminated leprosy, as per WHO criterion
All that was discussed in the House through the day