On the eve of World Mental Health Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of the sustained burden the COVID-19 pandemic poses on the mental health of frontline health workers, inviting them to share their stories and strategies to better manage and cope with this added challenge. The campaign Mental Health Now – Tell Your Story, will collect written and video stories from healthcare workers in the Americas through Twitter, … [Read more...] about COVID-19: PAHO launches campaign to raise awareness of mental health toll on frontline health workers
Sbitany partners with UNRWA for mental health programmes in Gaza
On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, 10 October, Akram Sbitany & Sons Company signed a cooperation and partnership agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This partnership will support mental health projects for Palestine refugee students in the Gaza Strip. The agreement was signed by Mr. Karim Amer, UNRWA Director of Partnerships, and Mr. Omar Mazen Sbitany, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Sbitany. Under … [Read more...] about Sbitany partners with UNRWA for mental health programmes in Gaza
UNHCR calls to promote quality mental healthcare for refugees
Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on the international community to boost quality mental health support for refugees, internally displaced and stateless people. Sajjad Malik, Director of UNHCR’s Division of Resilience and Solutions, said: “COVID-19 has taken a devastating toll on people forced to flee. The long, protracted nature of the pandemic and its deleterious health, economic and social impacts are exacerbating the stress and anxiety … [Read more...] about UNHCR calls to promote quality mental healthcare for refugees
Global Fund and UNDP to maintain access to essential health services in Afghanistan
On 20 September, the Global Fund and UNDP have signed an agreement to provide interim and emergency funding to sustain the delivery of essential health services to the people of Afghanistan. This agreement seeks to provide the resources needed to bridge the current gap in funding from international donors, prevent the country’s healthcare system from collapsing and protect millions of vulnerable Afghans at risk of losing access to primary health care. Peter Sands, Executive Director of the … [Read more...] about Global Fund and UNDP to maintain access to essential health services in Afghanistan
Gavi, Unitaid and Global Fund welcome WHO recommendation for malaria vaccine
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, global health agency Unitaid and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria welcome the WHO recommendation for wider routine use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine. The recommendation is based on data gathered through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) which took place in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi over a two-year period and a clinical trial around the seasonal delivery of the vaccine in Mali and Burkina Faso, countries that experience high … [Read more...] about Gavi, Unitaid and Global Fund welcome WHO recommendation for malaria vaccine
WHO, UN launch new Strategy to meet world COVID vaccination targets
The World Health Organization has launched the Strategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by mid-2022 (the Strategy) to help bring an end to what has become a two-track pandemic: people in poorer countries continue to be at risk while those in richer countries with high vaccination rates enjoy much greater protection. WHO had set a target to vaccinate 10% of every country, economy and territory by the end of September but by that date 56 countries had not been able to do so, the vast … [Read more...] about WHO, UN launch new Strategy to meet world COVID vaccination targets
USAID launches new project to build better preparedness for future global health threats
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching an ambitious new project that will work with partner countries and the global community to build better preparedness for future global health threats. Discovery & Exploration of Emerging Pathogens - Viral Zoonoses (DEEP VZN), a five-year, approximately $125 million project (pending availability of funds), will strengthen global capacity to detect and understand the risks of viral spillover from wildlife to humans … [Read more...] about USAID launches new project to build better preparedness for future global health threats
Netherlands to contribute an additional €15 million to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria welcomed the decision by the Netherlands to contribute an additional €15 million to the Global Fund's COVID-19 Response Mechanism, on top of the €12 million committed in April 2021. The new funding will help strengthen formal and community systems for health in low- and middle-income countries, protect front-line health workers with training and personal protective equipment (PPE) and mitigate the knock-on impact of COVID-19 on programs … [Read more...] about Netherlands to contribute an additional €15 million to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism
USAID to boost global fight against Covid with $345 million investment
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will plan to provide $345 million for life-saving vaccine assistance, oxygen supplies, and targeted surge support to COVID-19 hotspots. Specifically: $195 million to help countries around the world strengthen their vaccination programs, including setting up vaccination sites, training health workers to administer vaccines, identifying priority at-risk populations, fighting vaccine misinformation, and more. $50 million to … [Read more...] about USAID to boost global fight against Covid with $345 million investment
Key Covid vaccine pharma companies fuelling unprecedented human rights crisis, shows new report
According to the Amnesty International's new report, six companies at the helm of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out are fuelling an unprecedented human rights crisis through their refusal to waive intellectual property rights and share vaccine technology, with most failing to prioritise vaccine deliveries to poorer countries, In a new report, A Double Dose of Inequality: Pharma companies and the Covid-19 vaccines crisis, the organization assessed six of the companies that hold the fate of … [Read more...] about Key Covid vaccine pharma companies fuelling unprecedented human rights crisis, shows new report
