Leaders from governments, pharmaceutical companies and charitable organizations convened at a five-day summit in Geneva to pledge new commitments to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The summit coincided with the launch of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Fourth Report on NTDs, showing transformational progress against these debilitating diseases, and a commitment by the…
Public Health expert gives talk at Kenyan exhibition
A Robert Gordon University (RGU) lecturer has given a presentation on public health as part of a wider tour to promote the university in East Africa. Anne Whitcombe, from RGU’s School of Health Sciences, has been overseas with a number of fellow academics from across the university, showing prospective applicants what they can expect from…
Kenya elderly want government action against depression
Erick Odhiambo Older persons in Kenya Friday joined hands to ask the government to act and address the increasing cases of depression. Meeting in various places today in Nairobi, the older persons noted that depression is a matter of great concern for them. Dr Cleopas Mailu, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, said Kenya is to…
GHIT Fund Invests in Late-stage Trial for Child-friendly “Snail Fever” Medicines
Harman Opondo Completion of Phase 3 trial for treatment of “Snail Fever” (aka schistosomiasis) is final step before regulatory and WHO submission; GHIT also announces new investment in novel malaria vaccine and therapeutic for dengue, continued support for innovative tools to tackle malaria and neglected tropical diseases The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund),…
Outdated Vaccine Delivery Systems impede their impact, Researchers Say
Four in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are impacted by vaccine stockouts leading to 89 percent probability that immunization delivery services will be compromised, a collection of new articles published today in Vaccine journal shows. According to the collection, outdated vaccine supply and distribution systems are delaying and limiting the impact that vaccines have on…
TB Alliance Sublicenses Promising Anti-Tuberculosis Drug from the Medicines Patent Pool
Herman Opondo On World Tuberculosis Day, TB Alliance and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced a licensing agreement for the clinical development of sutezolid, an antibiotic drug candidate which demonstrated encouraging results in early studies. The sublicense pertains to the development of sutezolid in combination with other TB drugs and follows the MPP’s license for…
Africa unified against threat of polio
More than 190 000 polio vaccinators in 13 countries across west and central Africa will immunize more than 116 million children over the next week, to tackle the last remaining stronghold of polio on the continent. The synchronized vaccination campaign, one of the largest of its kind ever implemented in Africa, is part of urgent…
Merck marks “International Women’s Day” with Africa’s first female president H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Merck marked “International Women’s Day” with the launch of “Merck More than a Mother” and “Merck STEM for Girls and Women” program for the first time in Liberia. “Merck More than a Mother” will empower infertile women in Liberia through improving access to information, health, change of mind-set and economic empowerment. “Merck More than a…