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New COVID-19 strain poses serious reinfection risk; The latest health stories from around the world

Health experts across the globe are signalling alarm as they begin reporting that Omicron BA.5, the coronavirus strain that is currently outpacing other variants in infection and has become the dominant strain in the United States (US) and abroad, has the ability to reinfect people within weeks of contracting the virus. Andrew Robertson, the chief …

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WHO’s monkeypox declaration receives criticism; The latest health stories from around the world

After a meeting behind closed doors, an expert panel of the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on 25 June that the rapidly growing monkeypox epidemic does not yet warrant the status of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)—a verdict the agency has accepted. (www.science.org/content/article/who-monkeypox-decision-renews-debate-about-global-alarm-system-outbreaks?) The panel’s conclusion was widely criticized by virologists, epidemiologists, …

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Monkeypox declared public health emergency of international concern; The latest health stories from around the world

The World Health Organization (WHO) opted against calling the recent monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak is “clearly an evolving threat,” the WHO said in a statement Saturday, though it doesn’t constitute an international public health emergency “at this moment.” An emergency committee convened on Thursday to discuss the outbreak. …

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WTO waters down IP restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines; The latest health stories from around the world

The World Trade Organization (WTO) approved a politically important deal Friday to water down intellectual property restrictions for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines after an almost two-year effort involving scores of high-level meetings and much political arm twisting. During the early morning hours in Geneva, WTO ministers approved a package of agreements that included the …

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China reiterates commitment to “zero-COVID”; The latest health stories from around the world

Xi Jinping reiterated China’s commitment to zero-COVID, declaring “persistence is victory”, as Shanghai and Beijing were hit with new lockdowns, shutdowns, and mass testing drives just a week after the cities celebrated the easing of restrictions. (www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/10/xi-jinping-says-persistence-is-victory-as-covid-restrictions-return-to-shanghai-and-beijing) In response to China’s worst outbreak of the pandemic, Shanghai spent months under an arduous and strict citywide …

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An astonishing decline in child immunisation numbers in Africa amid the rage of COVID-19, yet another victim of the pandemic

UNICEF reports that a staggering 23 million children worldwide missed out on essential vaccines through routine immunisation services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the Day of the African Child, 16th April 2022, we take an in-depth look into how African children were affected by this plight, as seen through the eyes of local communities.

All nations must benefit from monkeypox research urge scientists; The latest health stories from around the world

As cases of monkeypox in wealthier Western nations spark a flurry of scientific research to combat the outbreak, scientists are urging the world to make sure lower-income nations benefit from the fruits of that labour as well. More than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported by at least 30 countries outside of Africa, …

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Monkeypox cases continue to increase; The latest health stories from around the world

The global tally of monkeypox cases has surpassed 200 and continues to increase daily, reaching across 21 countries, according to the latest report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. On Wednesday, the agency reported 219 confirmed cases worldwide, including 9 in the United States (US) and 71 in the United Kingdom(UK). Later …

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Unusual global spread of monkeypox continues; The latest health stories from around the world

Public health officials announced more monkeypox cases in the United Kingdom (UK) on Monday, as efforts ramp up to contain the first multinational outbreak of the virus that has led to cases in at least 14 countries according to a report in www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/22/monkeypox-uk-health-security-agency-to-announce-more-cases? The unusual outbreak of the rare disease has sparked a wave of contact …

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North Korea officially announces COVID-19 outbreak; The latest health stories from around the world

Even as most of the world rises to a slowly receding COVID wave, North Korea on Sunday reported 15 additional deaths from “fever” after the country recently announced its first-ever cases of COVID-19 and ordered nationwide lockdowns, television channel NDTV citing AFP reports said. www.ndtv.com/world-news/north-korea-coronavirus-north-korea-covid-north-korea-coronavirus-cases-north-koreas-explosive-covid-outbreak-820-620-cases-in-3-days-2977028 State media KCNA said a total of 42 people had …

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