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Feb152025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

Global Health at Risk: WHO Director-General Sounds Alarm on US Funding Cuts

Latest News

GHealth News - During a media briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus discussed the impact of funding suspensions, pointing out disruptions to HIV treatment, delays in polio eradication, and limited resources for tackling mpox outbreaks in Africa. Tedros explained, "The suspension of funding to PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, resulted in an immediate halt to HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services across 50 countries." He emphasized that while life-saving services were granted a waiver, prevention programs for at-risk populations are still excluded, clinics have closed, and health workers have been furloughed. Tedros called on the US Government to rethink its funding strategy, at least until alternative solutions are f...

Feb62025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

FDA Approves Journavx: A Novel Non-Opioid Treatment for Moderate to Severe Acute Pain

Latest News

GHealth News - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Journavx (suzetrigine), a groundbreaking 50mg oral tablet, as a first-in-class non-opioid analgesic for managing moderate to severe acute pain in adults. This new treatment works by targeting pain-signaling pathways in the peripheral nervous system, blocking pain signals before they reach the brain. Journavx is the first drug in this innovative class of pain management medications, offering an important alternative to opioid-based treatments. The FDA's approval is part of ongoing efforts to encourage the development of non-opioid pain treatments and reduce reliance on opioids. The efficacy of Journavx was established in two clinical trials, showing significant pain reduction in patients following abdominoplasty a...

Jan292025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

China Rejects CIA Claim of COVID-19 Lab Leak

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GHealth News - China stated on Monday that a laboratory origin of COVID-19 was "extremely unlikely," following the CIA's assertion that the virus was more likely to have originated from a lab than through natural transmission. "The conclusion that a laboratory leak is extremely unlikely was reached by the China-WHO joint expert team based on field visits to relevant laboratories in Wuhan," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. "This conclusion has been widely recognized by both the international and scientific communities," she added. On Saturday, the CIA reported that the virus was "more likely" to have leaked from a Chinese lab rather than being transmitted through animals.

Jan272025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

New CIA report believes COVID likely originated in a Chinese lab, though it’s not certain

Latest News

GHealth News - The CIA now believes that the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory, based on an assessment that points to China. However, the agency has expressed "low confidence" in this conclusion. This assessment, which was not based on new intelligence, was completed at the request of the Biden administration and former CIA Director William Burns. It was declassified and released on Saturday under the leadership of John Ratcliffe, who was appointed by President Donald Trump and sworn in as CIA Director on Thursday. The agency's findings suggest that, while the total evidence leans toward a lab origin, the evidence is not conclusive, and the CIA has assigned a low degree of confidence to this conclusion due to gaps, contradictions, or...

Jan242025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

Cost-Cutting Measures Announced by WHO Chief After U.S. Exit

Global Health

GHealth News - The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to cut costs and reassess its health program priorities following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the organization, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. Trump announced the withdrawal on Monday, the first day of his second term, accusing the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises. "This announcement has made our financial situation more acute," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in the memo dated January 23. The memo outlined cost-saving measures, including significant reductions in travel expenses and a hiring freeze, except for critical areas. A WHO spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the memo, initially reported by Reu...

Jan242025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

How global collaboration is addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance

AMR

By: Shyam Bishen - World Economic Forum Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global public health and development threats of our time. When infection-causing microbes such as bacteria develop resistance to the medicines we use to treat them, it affects every community and every country across all regions and income levels. Its drivers and consequences are exacerbated by poverty and inequality, making low- and middle-income countries the most vulnerable. AMR jeopardizes many of the advancements of modern healthcare. It not only makes infections harder to treat, it increases the risks associated with many medical procedures, including surgery and cancer care. Severe infections are the second-leading cause of death in cancer patients, and effective ...

Jan202025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

Tanzania confirms outbreak of Marburg virus

Communicable Diseases

GHealth News - Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, announced on Monday the confirmation of a Marburg virus outbreak in the country’s northwest, with one case confirmed so far. “Laboratory tests conducted at Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera, later confirmed in Dar es Salaam, identified one patient as infected with the Marburg virus,” she stated during a press conference in Dodoma, where World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was also present. Last week, Tanzania’s health minister denied any outbreak, asserting that no one had tested positive for the virus. However, the denial followed reports from the WHO indicating that eight suspected deaths from the virus had occurred in the same region on January 10. Victims reportedly exhibited cl...

Jan152025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

Ozempic – What’s the truth behind the hype? | DW Documentary

NCDs

GHealth News - This documentary examines the controversial marketing strategies surrounding a weight-loss injection hailed as a groundbreaking scientific innovation. The injection’s active ingredient, Semaglutide, was originally developed for the treatment of diabetes. For individuals who are slightly or moderately overweight, it appears to offer a convenient method for weight reduction. However, experts caution against its use without proper medical supervision. “For those looking to lose just a few kilograms, these new drugs pose significant risks. We still lack long-term data,” warns Dr. Lucie Favre from an obesity consultation center in Lausanne, Switzerland. She emphasizes that for many individuals, the core issue lies in unhealthy eating habits and inadequate physical activity. “R...

Jan152025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

Is obesity a disease? Sometimes but not always, experts decide

NCDs

Paris (AFP) – Do people with obesity have an illness? A panel of global health experts looking at this controversial question announced Wednesday that the definition of obesity should be split into two categories -- and diagnosed using more accurate measurements. The recommendations hoped to move past the blame and discrimination that often revolve around obesity, which is estimated to affect more than a billion people worldwide. "The idea of obesity as a disease is at the centre of one of the most controversial and polarising debates in modern medicine," said a paper by the 56-expert commission in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal. On one hand, obesity is known to lead to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and other health problems. Th...

Jan82025 by GHealth NewsNo Comments

France identifies first case of new mpox variant, AFP reports

Communicable Diseases

GHealth News - France has confirmed its first case of a new variant of mpox, as reported by the AFP news agency on Monday, citing a statement from the French Ministry of Health. The patient, who had not traveled to Central Africa—the origin of the new virus strain—had been in contact with two individuals who had recently returned from the region. Authorities are currently investigating the source of the infection and tracing all potential contacts. The patient, a woman, was diagnosed in Rennes, located in the northwestern Brittany region, as reported by the French regional newspaper Ouest France. The new variant, known as the clade 1b variant, is associated with the global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August. Germany and Britain also reported their first...