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Feb232024 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

What is ‘Disease X’ and how is the world preparing for it?

Global Health

GHealth News - "Disease X" is a name that the World Health Organization (WHO) has given to an unknown future pathogen with the potential to start a severe global epidemic. "There are things that are unknown, that may happen and anything happening is a matter of when, not if," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) director-general, said during an expert panel in Davos. "So we need to have a placeholder for that, for the diseases we don't know that may come, and that was when we gave the name "Disease X,'" he said, explaining that the concept was first discussed in 2017 and has recently gotten "attention" online. The UN agency added it to a list of priority diseases that require accelerated research and development due to their potential to cause a pub...

Feb162024 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

WHO Launches Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative

Global Health

GHealth News - The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vulnerabilities of global supply chains, particularly impacting low- and middle-income countries' (LMIC) access to essential medical products. The concentration of global manufacturing capacity in a few countries and regions exacerbated this disparity, highlighting the urgent need for equitable solutions. Biological products, such as vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies, offer significant promise in combating global health challenges. However, the limited biomanufacturing capacity in LMICs and a shortage of a qualified workforce impede their production locally for national and regional health needs. In response to the growing need, WHO is launching the Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative. This initiative is coo...

Jan252024 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

8th AMR Conference – Register Now

AMR

GHealth News – Basel, Switzerland's cultural capital, will host the 8th AMR Conference on March 6–7, 2024. This pivotal event will bring together pharmaceutical companies, start-ups, and academics to exchange insights on innovative treatments and diagnostics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. It also provides a platform for researchers to present their work and address the escalating global threats to public health. The conference is jointly organized by BEAM Alliance and bamconn GmbH. For more information and registration, please visit the link below: www.amr-conference.com

Jan152024 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

WHO certifies Cabo Verde as malaria-free

Communicable Diseases

GHealth News - The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country, marking a significant achievement in global health. With this announcement, Cabo Verde joins the ranks of 43 countries and 1 territory that WHO has awarded this certification. Cabo Verde is the third country to be certified in the WHO African region, joining Mauritius and Algeria which were certified in 1973 and 2019 respectively. Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounted for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021. Certification of malaria elimination will drive positive development on many fronts for Cabo Verde. Systems and structures built for malaria elimination have strengthened the health system and will b...

Jan72024 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

How global warming affects our well-being

Climate Change

By: Barton Goldsmith Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it has a profound impact on our emotional well-being. From eco-anxiety to despair, climate change can drive an array of emotional consequences. Climate change, driven by rising global temperatures and extreme weather events, is not confined to its physical manifestations. Its effects extend into the emotional realm, influencing how individuals feel and respond to the world around them. Understanding these emotional responses is crucial for addressing the emotional well-being of communities and individuals. Climate change is often associated with the rise of eco-anxiety, a form of chronic worry and fear about the future of the planet. Researchers like Clayton (2012) have examined how concerns about climate chan...

Jan72024 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

Mask mandates return at some US hospitals as COVID, flu jump

COVID19

GHealth News - Hospitals in at least four U.S. states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness. Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told WABC TV on Wednesday that mask mandates had resumed at all 11 of the city's public hospitals, 30 health centers and five long-term care facilities. "What we don't want is staffing shortages, right? When we saw the omicron wave in 2022, the biggest issues were not only people getting sick, but that we had a lot of frontline health workers, they were out with COVID," Vasan told WABC. The most recent weekly data from the Centers for Disease C...

Dec82023 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

CDC issues health alert for subtype of mpox virus in Congo

Communicable Diseases

GHealth News - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert on Thursday to notify clinicians and health departments about a deadly type of the mpox virus (formerly monkeypox) spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The CDC said it was alerting about the possibility of a subtype of the mpox virus called Clade I in travelers who have been in DRC. Clade I is generally more infectious and leads to more severe infections than another subtype called Clade II. Clade I has not yet been reported in the United States at this time, the CDC added. Recent evidence has shown for the first time Clade I can be transmitted through sexual contact, which has proved to be the main transmission mode for the less deadly strain of the disease...

Nov212023 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

WHO declares loneliness a ‘global public health concern’

Global Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness to be a pressing global health threat, with the US surgeon general saying that its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. WHO has launched an international commission on the problem – led by the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, and the African Union youth envoy, Chido Mpemba – of 11 advocates and government ministers, including Ralph Regenvanu, the minister of climate change adaptation in Vanuatu, and Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of measures for loneliness and isolation in Japan. It comes after the Covid-19 pandemic halted economic and social activity, increasing levels of loneliness, but also amid a new awareness of the importance of the issue. The WHO commission on so...

Nov32023 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

The Relationship Between Your Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

NCDs

Blood pressure and heart rate go hand-in-hand in most people’s minds. After all, these two vital signs usually are measured at the same time at the doctor’s office. But each measures distinctly different factors related to your heart health. Cardiologist Luke Laffin, MD, explains some key differences — and busts some common myths along the way. Heart rate vs. blood pressure: What’s the difference? When you think about heart rate and blood pressure, your mind probably goes straight to your ticker in your chest. And while both measurements are related to your cardiovascular system, they play different roles. Heart rate — sometimes called pulse — is the number of times your heart beats every minute. Changes in your heart rate can be influence...

Oct232023 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

WHO: 13 critical interventions to address antimicrobial resistance

AMR

GHealth News - WHO has released a core package of 13 interventions to guide country prioritization when developing, implementing and monitoring national action plans on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The interventions address the needs and barriers people and patients face when accessing health services through a people-centred approach to AMR. Globally, AMR is one of the leading causes of death responsible for approximately 1.27 million deaths and associated with 4.95 million deaths in 2019.1 Failing to address AMR will have significant economic consequences with an estimated cost to the world’s economy of US$ 100 trillion by 2050.2 While over 170 countries have developed national action plans on AMR, implementation remains fragmented and siloed, and greater politi...