Text messages and small cash sums help women in this Kenyan county navigate new motherhood

A Kakamega maternal and child health care programme disburses small payments to keep mothers and babies in touch with the health care system through their most vulnerable months. 13 June 2024 by  Angeline Anyango On a chilly Thursday morning, Veronica Adhiambo makes her way through the Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital (KCGTRH) to…

Keeping gender in mind to stop wild polio in southern Africa

Polio’s shock resurgence in Malawi and Mozambique has, after two years, officially been halted. Gender-conscious tactics proved vital – here’s how. 18 June 2024 by Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) On 14 May 2024, the wild poliovirus outbreak in Malawi and Mozambique – which paralyzed nine children across the countries between February and August 2022 – was officially stopped.…

New Report Led by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Helen Clark suggests measures that need to be taken in order to contribute to global safety

Eight billion people are at risk because of the leaders’ lack of preparation for pandemic threats, according to the former Co-Chairs of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. H5N1 avian influenza is causing a surge in mammal populations and new human infections, while mpox is killing children. Of those DRC deaths from mpox,…

WHO issues warning on falsified medicines used for diabetes treatment and weight loss

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a medical product alert on falsified semaglutides, the type of medicines that are used for treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity in some countries. The alert addresses 3 falsified batches of product of semaglutide class of medicines (of specific brand Ozempic), which have been detected in Brazil in October 2023,…

Experts urge government on scaling up of new preventive measures as Uganda’s response for HIV

By Malik Jjingo In efforts to end the spread of HIV by 2030, researchers have called upon the government to support the increased uptake of new innovations that have been proved to be effective in protecting people against contracting the HIV virus. Preventive measures such us PrEP medicine (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP),…

Landmark Trial in South Africa and Uganda Finds Twice Yearly HIV Prevention Injection Safe and Highly Effective

AVAC welcomes the groundbreaking results of the PURPOSE 1 HIV prevention study among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa and Uganda. Preliminary safety and efficacy results were reported today by Gilead Sciences, the developer of the lenacapavir, one of the HIV prevention drugs that was being studied in the trial. An independent data…