Global Health

GHealth News - "Disease X" is a name that the World Health Organization (WHO) has given to an unknown future pathogen with the potential to start a severe global epidemic. "There are things that are unknown, that may happen and anything happening is a matter of when, not if," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) director-general, said during an expert panel in Davos. "So we need to have a placeholder for that, for the diseases we don't know that may come, and that was when we gave the name "Disease X,'" he said, explaining that the concept was first discussed in 2017 and has recently gotten "attention" online. The UN agency added it to a list of priority diseases that require accelerated research and development due to their potential to cause a pub...

GHealth News - The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vulnerabilities of global supply chains, particularly impacting low- and middle-income countries' (LMIC) access to essential medical products. The concentration of global manufacturing capacity in a few countries and regions exacerbated this disparity, highlighting the urgent need for equitable solutions. Biological products, such as vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies, offer significant promise in combating global health challenges. However, the limited biomanufacturing capacity in LMICs and a shortage of a qualified workforce impede their production locally for national and regional health needs.  In response to the growing need, WHO is launching the Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative. This initiative is coo...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness to be a pressing global health threat, with the US surgeon general saying that its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. WHO has launched an international commission on the problem – led by the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, and the African Union youth envoy, Chido Mpemba – of 11 advocates and government ministers, including Ralph Regenvanu, the minister of climate change adaptation in Vanuatu, and Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of measures for loneliness and isolation in Japan. It comes after the Covid-19 pandemic halted economic and social activity, increasing levels of loneliness, but also amid a new awareness of the importance of the issue. The WHO commission on so...

GHealth News - The latest photos for the World Health Summit taking place in Berlin, and discussing different global health issues. Source: World Health Summit

The World Health Summit brings you the world's leading international, inter-sectoral and inclusive global health conference that will set the agenda for a healthier future. October, 15-17, 2023JW Marriott Hotel BerlinStauffenbergstraße 2610785 Berlin& Digital 3 Days | 300+ Speakers | 100+ Nations | 60+ SessionsWith ceremonial opening and reception on Sunday, October 15 The World Health Summit’s central topics in 2023 include: Learning from COVID-19 for Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Recommitting to Universal Health Coverage Sustainable Health for People and Planet G7/G20 Measures to Enhance Global Health Equity and Security Harnessing the Power of Digital Technologies for Global Health World Health Organization’s 75th Anniversary In...

GHealth News - The Virchow Foundation for Global Health is honoured to announce Rose Gana Fomban Leke as the 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health Laureate. With this award, Professor Leke’s distinctive and exceptional lifetime achievements comprising outstanding contributions to global health, pioneering infectious disease research towards a malaria-free world and relentless dedication in advancing gender equality are recognized. Rose Leke, a distinguished scientist and immunologist from the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon, has dedicated her life as a researcher to eradicating malaria, addressing health inequities and structural disparities, and combating communicable diseases, making her an internationally celebrated advocate for global health. The Virchow Prize Committee states that...

GHealth News - Over the past 15 years, Germany has strategically expanded its role in global health against the backdrop of geopolitical developments, upheavals, and crises to become one of the largest political and financial contributors in the field. One of Germany's key priorities has been to fortify its strong but fragmented research landscape in global health. In January, 2020, a 5-year infrastructure programme from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; costing approximately €3 million) culminated in the progressive establishment of the German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA), a national, interdisciplinary, and cross-institutional platform for global health research. Led by an interdisciplinary steering committee, the platform aims to foster innovative, equ...

The World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday urged countries around the world to work towards unlocking the power of traditional medicine and provide evidence and action-based suggestions that can be interpreted into a global strategy. He was speaking at WHO’s first global summit on traditional medicine, which is part of the ongoing G-20 Health Ministers’ meeting in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat. “I hope that the Gujarat Declaration will integrate use of traditional medicines in national health systems, and help unlock the power of traditional medicine through science,” Dr. Tedros said at the event, which is being co-hosted by the Ministry of Ayush. Ancient wisdom, modern science Also addressing the meeting, Health Minister Mansukh Ma...

From 12 to 13 June 2023, our annual flagship event Global Health Talk takes place in Berlin. As a service for you, we put together an overview of interesting global health events taking place in and around Berlin in the days before and after our event. Join this year’s Global Health Talk We are delighted to invite you to this year’s Global Health Talk on 12 - 13 June 2023 at the Umweltforum Berlin (Pufendorfstraße 11, 10249 Berlin) or virtually.The Global Health Talk offers opportunities to engage with global health actors from different stakeholder groups as well as high-level representatives from from the German Government and to discuss relevant global health issues such as Global Health Financing, interrelations of international Global Health Processes, Climate and Health as well...

GHealth News - The head of the World Health Organization urged countries on Monday to carry out reforms needed to prepare for the next pandemic, hailing their "historic" decision to accept a major budget hike at the U.N. agency's annual assembly. Speaking at the assembly weeks after ending the global emergency status for the COVID-19 pandemic, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was time to advance negotiations on preventing the next pandemic. "We cannot kick this can down the road," the WHO director-general said in a major address to the agency's member states, warning that the next pandemic was bound to "come knocking". "If we do not make the changes that must be made, then who will? And if we do not make them now, then when?" he said. The 10-day annual World Health Assembly i...