WHO approves first mpox vaccine to boost access in Africa

The MVA-BN vaccine from the Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic was prequalified by the WHO on Friday and has already been approved in Europe and the United States, for use by adults. WHO approval will accelerate access for millions, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak. WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the prequalification […]

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World News in Brief: UNICEF mpox response in DR Congo, ‘unprecedented’ threat to Sudan’s heritage, call to suspend Cambodia journalism charter

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded more than 21,000 suspected cases of the viral disease, including over 5,000 confirmed cases and 700 deaths.   Over the past week, UNICEF received its first vaccine shipments totalling 215,000 doses, with more expected to arrive soon. Supplies and training Meanwhile, the children’s agency is supporting […]

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Over 22,500 have suffered ‘life-changing injuries’ in Gaza: WHO

These include severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injuries and major burns. Israeli forces pushed into Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel. Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, highlighted that the surge in rehabilitation […]

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Gaza: UN envoy condemns deadly strike on camp in humanitarian zone

Thousands of displaced Palestinians were staying in the camp in Khan Younis, and at least 19 people were killed, according to latest media reports. ‘Nowhere is safe in Gaza’ “While the IDF said it struck Hamas militants who were operating in a command-and-control centre embedded inside the Humanitarian zone, I underline that international humanitarian law, […]

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Gaza war continues to shut hundreds of thousands out of class

Almost 625,000 children in the enclave have already lost an entire school year following the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on communities in southern Israel and the ensuing Israeli military operation in Gaza. They are now joined by more than 45,000 six-year-old children poised to enter first grade, […]

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The world must ‘wake up and help Sudan out of the nightmare of conflict’ says WHO’s Tedros

“The scale of the emergency is shocking, as is the insufficient action being taken to curtail the conflict,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Speaking to reporters from the Red Sea City of Port Sudan, Dr. Tedros said the conflict had so far killed more than 20 000 people […]

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Investing in clean air can saves lives and combat climate change

This year’s International Day for Clean air and Blue Skies, celebrated annually on 7 September, is focused on the theme ‘Invest in #CleanAirNow’ and highlights the economic, environmental and health benefits of investing in clean air. The Day was established in 2019 after the UN General Assembly noted how detrimental air pollutants are and recognised […]

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Mpox: Equitable vaccine access crucial for Global South

The call for access to all in need by Special Rapporteur Tlaleng Mofokeng, coincided with the arrival of vaccine shipments and the start of planned rollouts by health authorities in some of the African nations most impacted. Nigeria received some 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine last week, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo […]

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Gaza: 160,000 more children vaccinated against polio in southern Gaza

UN agencies and partners in the Strip will continue to vaccinate “as many Gazan children as possible” during the agreed humanitarian pauses, before moving to the north of the war-shattered enclave, UNRWA added. Thousands of families visited health centers to get their doses from UN medical teams, UNRWA reported. In southern Gaza, more than 152,000 […]

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Gaza: Polio vaccination campaign moves to southern areas

The campaign moved to southern areas of the Gaza Strip following the successful completion of the first phase in the centre of the enclave, thanks largely to pauses in the fighting. UNRWA along with partners provided the first dose of polio vaccine to children under 10 years old at the Japanese Health Centre in the […]

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