The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported drug resistance to the world’s gold-standard antiretroviral medicine, dolutegravir  “exceeding levels observed in clinical trials” – with resistance ranging from 3.9% to 19.6%. This was potentially very bad news as dolutegravir has been the recommended first- and second-line HIV treatment for all population groups since 2018 – but […] Continue reading ->
A new declaration by health ministers from African countries that have the highest malaria burden has reaffirmed the “unwavering commitment to the accelerated reduction of malaria mortality”. The declaration, issued Wednesday by ministers convening in Yaoundé, Cameroon at an African-wide WHO conference on malaria, aims to revitalise the campaign to drive deaths from malaria further […] Continue reading ->
Eliminating cervical cancer is within reach, thanks to new commitments by governments, donors and other partners, including pledges of almost $600 million, made at the first-ever global forum on cervical cancer in Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer, although vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause […] Continue reading ->
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has announced the creation of a pooled African medicines procurement mechanism at the 37th African Union Summit, which ended yesterday.  The mechanism aims to spearhead “a new era of predictable demand for African manufacturers, empowering them to plan for the long-term and establish a robust […] Continue reading ->
 Evergreening patents on medical products – extending the lifespan of patents that are about to expire – is an “abuse of the intellectual property system”, an HIV activist told the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Fair Pricing Forum on Thursday. Meanwhile, an industry representative laid out her company’s value-based, country-specific approach to improving access to medicines, […] Continue reading ->
The high price of medicines in many high- and middle-income countries and ensuring medical supply chains during crises were  some of the issues discussed at the Fair Pricing Forum, which opened on Monday. The three-day forum, hosted by the World Health Organization’s (WHO), brings member states and stakeholders together to  discuss how to ensure “optimal access […] Continue reading ->