Industry News

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the addition of another therapeutic to the world’s arsenal against COVID-19, but urges producing companies and governments to address the high price and limited production of the Regeneron antibody combination and ensure safe and appropriate handling of the medicine.

WHO is urging leaders attending the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to guarantee equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and other life-saving tools; ensure the world is better prepared to respond to future pandemics; and renew efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and a group of global health leaders today issued an urgent call for vaccine equity globally and in Africa in particular. The leaders stressed that the worst pandemic in the last hundred years will not end unless and until, there is genuine global cooperation on vaccine supply and access. They also reiterated the WHO’s global vaccination target for 70% of the population of all countries to be vaccinated by mid- 2022.

Antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that happens when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. The germs change over time, no longer responding to medicines thus making infections harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat. This, in turn, results in higher health care costs for both individuals and governments. “Preventing and controlling antibiotic resistance calls for a multi-pronged approach, of which vaccines is one”, says Dr Stanley Midzi, WHO Health Systems Strengthening Advisor.

We wish to inform you that the WHO Consultation on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines for Use in the 2022 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Season will take place virtually from 13-23 September 2021, followed by an Information Meeting on the 24 September 2021, with vaccine manufacturers and national vaccine regulatory agencies. More information is available on the website here. The WHO recommendation will be based on the analysis of recent influenza viruses worldwide.

On 7 September 2021 WHO and FAO jointly released the annual World Food Safety Day report highlighting around 300 different events organized around the world on the occasion of World Food Safety Day (7 June 2021). Celebrations were held in 90 countries by international organizations, governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, academics and individuals.

Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face inconsistent supply of quality-assured vaccines and are therefore dependent on importation to fill the gaps in supply. It is recognized that local production can improve timely access and safeguard health security in vaccine supplies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for innovative health technologies that can help countries improve health outcomes by providing shortcuts to solutions despite lack of infrastructure and resources. However, many of the new technologies that have come to market are unaffordable or unsuitable for low- and middle-income countries.

At its third meeting, the Multilateral Leaders Taskforce on COVID-19 (MLT), the heads of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization - met with the leaders of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), Africa CDC, Gavi and UNICEF to tackle obstacles to rapidly scale-up vaccines in low- and lower middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, and issued the following statement:

A rapid communication released by the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Programme has announced important updates to guidance on the management of tuberculosis (TB) in children and adolescents. This includes new recommendations on diagnostic options, treatment regimens, as well as treatment decision algorithms and optimal models of care for the delivery of child and adolescent TB services.