COVID-19 no longer represents a global health emergency, the World Health Organization said on Friday, a major step towards the end of the pandemic that has killed more than 6.9 million people, disrupted the global economy and ravaged communities. “Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended …
Read More »Senior WHO official fired over sexual misconduct
The World Health Organization said Monday it had dismissed a senior official over “findings of sexual misconduct” following at least three reported accusations against him in recent years. The Fijian doctor “Temo Waqanivalu has been dismissed from WHO following findings of sexual misconduct against him and corresponding disciplinary process,” spokeswoman …
Read More »Uganda | Injectable HIV treatment offers hope to patients
Ever since Gerald Muwonge tested positive for HIV eight years ago, keeping his viral load in check has meant carrying around vials of pills for his daily treatment regimen while dodging the stigma this could mean for a man in Uganda. But he hopes that could soon change thanks to …
Read More »Total COVID deaths in Europe could exceed 2.2 million by March -WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday there could be a further 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 in Europe by March, taking the total to above 2.2 million, as the world body urged people to get vaccinated. Total cumulative deaths from respiratory disease in the 53 countries of the WHO’s …
Read More »WHO chief urges halt to COVID-19 booster shots for rest of the year
The head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year, expanding a call that has largely fallen on deaf ears. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said on Wednesday he …
Read More »WHO fears 236,000 more COVID-19 deaths in Europe by December 1
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday it feared another 236,000 COVID-19 deaths in Europe by December 1, expressing concern about stagnating vaccination rates and low uptake in poorer countries. “Last week, there was an 11 percent increase in the number of deaths in the region – one reliable projection …
Read More »COVID-19 could be ‘just a few mutations’ away from evading vaccines: CDC
COVID-19 could be just a few mutations away from evading existing vaccines that protect against the deadly virus, according to the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Read More »WHO warns that coronavirus variants are spreading faster than vaccines can stop them
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that coronavirus variants are moving faster than the global vaccine rollout, urging leaders to increase the pace or risk being overwhelmed. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, noted that the highly contagious Delta variant, first identified in India, is “outpacing” vaccinations, …
Read More »WHO gives authorization to Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine
The World Health Organization has issued an emergence use listing for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac in adults aged 18 and over, the second such authorization it has granted to a Chinese company. In a statement Tuesday, the UN health agency said data submitted to its experts showed that …
Read More »WHO agrees to study major reforms, meet again on pandemic treaty
The World Health Organization, battling to coordinate the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, agreed on Monday to study recommendations for ambitious reforms made by independent experts to strengthen the agency. Under the resolution put forward by the European Union, and adopted by consensus, member states are to be firmly …
Read More »Jordan to isolate city near Syria after coronavirus spike
Jordan will seal off a city near the Syrian border from Monday following the largest daily rise in four months in coronavirus infections, which officials say have come mainly from its northern neighbour. The health ministry said half of the 39 cases recorded in the last 24 hours were from …
Read More »WHO seeking $76 million for Lebanon after Beirut blast, concerned about coronavirus
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday it had appealed for $76 million in aid for Lebanon after last week’s massive explosion in Beirut destroyed or damaged hospitals, clinics, and medical supplies. Lebanon was already struggling with a financial crisis and a rise in the number of new coronavirus …
Read More »Vaccine nationalism threatens global efforts race to stop coronavirus – WHO
The World Health Organization warned governments against “vaccine nationalism” on Thursday and urged leaders to make plans now on how to share life-saving inoculations against coronavirus. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the threat of COVID-19 can only be snuffed out with global coordination — especially when a vaccine …
Read More »WHO says COVID-19 pandemic is ‘one big wave’, not seasonal
A World Health Organization official on Tuesday described the COVID-19 pandemic as “one big wave” and warned against complacency in the northern hemisphere summer since the infection does not share influenza’s tendency to follow seasons. WHO officials have been at pains to avoid describing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases like …
Read More »Spain pays tribute to victims and workers who put their lives at risk during the worst of the pandemic
Spain is paying homage to the nation’s victims of the new coronavirus and workers who put their lives at risk during the worst of the pandemic, with a solemn ceremony in Madrid. Relatives of around 100 people who died during the pandemic, representatives of medical personnel, police, and other essential …
Read More »WHO has expanded its coronavirus guidance to include the possibility in certain circumstances of airborne transmission.
The World Health Organization has expanded its coronavirus guidance to include the possibility in certain circumstances of airborne transmission, in which the virus could be spread through tiny droplets that linger in the air. The update came Thursday after an open letter signed by more than 200 scientists pressed the …
Read More »WHO acknowledges ‘evidence emerging’ of airborne spread of COVID-19
The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people. “We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol …
Read More »WHO says ‘we cannot let our guard down’ after China pigs study
The World Health Organization (WHO) will “read carefully” a Chinese study on a new flu virus found in pigs, a spokesman said on Tuesday, saying the findings underscored the importance of influenza surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to …
Read More »Oil falls on fears over rising virus cases worldwide
Oil prices fell on Monday as concern grew that a record rise in global coronavirus infections could stall recovery in fuel demand, outweighing tighter supplies from major producers. Brent crude LCOc1 was down 24 cents, or 0.6%, at $41.95 a barrel by 1141 GMT. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude …
Read More »WHO: The second wave of Covid-19 is not inevitable
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed today, Friday, that the second wave of Covid-19 is not inevitable; contrasting its previous warning of a possible second wave of the pandemic. “The situation today is not better than it was at the beginning of the year, while no vaccine or treatment were …
Read More »