TB Alliance Tuesday announced that one million treatment courses of child-friendly tuberculosis (TB) medicines have been ordered by 93 countries in the three years since the introduction of the products. The new medicines, which were first introduced nationally in Kenya in September 2016, are easier for caregivers to administer and for children to take. The…
South African study finds no difference in HIV risk among implant users
A pivotal clinical trial to address a long-standing question about the relationship between hormonal contraceptive use and the risk of HIV acquisition has found no substantial difference in HIV risk among 7,829 African women who were randomly assigned to use one of three highly effective methods of contraception. Designed to provide high-quality evidence to help…
Uganda confirms first Ebola outbreak, raises fears of an epidemic
Uganda’s first case of Ebola has been confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), marking the first case to be confirmed outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the outbreak began last August. The first confirmed Ebola case was a 5-year-old child from Uganda with…
Canada commits $1.4 billion annually to support women, girls health
Government of Canada has committed $1.4 billion annually, starting in 2023, to support women and girls’ health around the world. Making the historic announcement at the ongoing Women Deliver conference in Vancouver, Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau said the investment will support sexual and reproductive health rights and maternal, newborn, and child health – with $700…
Women Deliver Conference opens in Vancouver
By Gitonga Njeru in Vancouver The Women Deliver Conference opened Tuesday in the coastal seaport city of Vancouver. The conference brings the largest gathering of women leaders from around the world specializing in different professional fields. Over 3,000 delegates have converged in one of North Americas most cosmopolitans’ cities to discuss issues and challenges facing…
DR CONGO: Major cholera vaccination campaign kick off
A vaccination campaign against cholera in North Kivu in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that targets over 800,000 people has on Monday been launched. The campaign is being implemented by the DRC Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners and funded by Gavi,…
Ebola outbreak response gets new funding
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on Monday provided an extra US$ 9.2 million to support Ebola vaccinations in Eastern DRC, where the Ebola outbreak has now claimed over 1,100 lives. The new funding for the WHO will support operational costs for the vaccination effort, funding the vaccination teams, transportation, syringes and other vaccine supplies, as well…
Strengthening health systems to better fight infectious diseases in Africa
The WHO reports that 13 million people die from infectious diseases each year. In some countries, one in every two deaths is a result of an infectious disease; while in Africa, diseases like HIV/Aids, TB, malaria and hepatitis account for the majority of these deaths. Dr Izukanji Sikazwe, CEO of the Centre of Infectious Disease…