WHO
Time has come for global pandemic treaty: WHO Chief
"This is an idea whose time has come," said Ghebreyesus, in his closing remarks at the WHO's 74th World Health Assembly (WHA), which took placee online from May 24 to Tuesday. Ghebreyesus said that the defining characteristic of the pandemic is the lack of sharing: of data, information, pathogens, technologies and resources.
Covid-19 variants to be given Greek alphabet names: WHO
A group of experts convened by the health organization recommended the new labelling, which "will be easier and more practical to (be) discussed by non-scientific audiences," the WHO said on Monday, DPA news agency reported. The organization said that the existing systems for naming and tracking genetic lineages of SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes Covid-19 - will remain in use by scientists and in scientific research.
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 168.5mn: WHO
As of Saturday morning, the current global caseload and death toll stood at 168,599,045 confirmed cases and 3,507,477, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 32,869,009 and 586,890, respectively, according to the WHO. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,555,457 cases.
UK launches plans for 'Global Pandemic Radar' to tackle variants
The World Health Organization (WHO) will lead an implementation group, supported by the Wellcome Trust, to launch this new international partnership to identify, track and share data on new the variants and monitor vaccine resistance in populations, according to a statement issued by the government on Friday.
Covid claimed over 3 mn lives more than reported in 2020: WHO
While the WHO's official death toll due to Covid-19 is around 3.4 million so far, the actual number could be at least 6-8 million, showed the global health body's annual World Health Statistics report 2021. "This number would truly be two to three times higher. So I think safely about 6-to-8 million deaths could be an estimate on a cautionary note," WHO's Assistant Director General for Data and Analytics, Samira Asma, was quoted as saying at a virtual briefing.
Europe recorded 60% dip in new Covid cases past month: WHO
The WHO's announcement comes as the European Union plans for reopening its borders for fully vaccinated tourists and other nonessential travellers. The weekly number of new cases across Europe dropped to nearly 685,000 last week from 1.7 million in mid-April, the New York Times reported, Hans Kluge, the WHO's European director as saying.
WHO asks rich countries to delay child vax, donate jabs
The statement comes as, last week, the US, Canada and Switzerland laid out plans to begin coronavirus vaccine shots for adolescents. The global distribution of Covid vaccines remains vastly uneven. Four of the world's high-income countries, with a population of 1.2 billion (16 per cent of global population), account for 4.6 billion doses
WHO to restart Covid drug trial with focus on immune responses
The clinical trial, named Solidarity, was first announced on March 18 by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The latest trial will test three drugs that dampen inflammation -- Infliximab, Imatinib and Artesunate.
WHO validates China's Sinopharm Covid vaccine for emergency use
"This afternoon, the WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm, Beijing's Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality," WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said during a webinar on Covid-19. The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group.
WHO lauds US' decision to lift patent protections on Covid jabs
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the decision on Wednesday saying that President Joe Biden's "administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines".
Advertisement