Category Archives: News

New Research Highlights Safety and Adherence Challenges in Treating Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Results from multi-country trials presented at The Union World Conference on Lung Health offer new insights into the safety, tolerability, and adherence of WHO-recommended treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in children and adults. The studies underscore both progress and challenges in managing MDR-TB, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children. Key Findings from TBCHAMP…

Misuse of Medicines Fuels Antimicrobial Resistance, Threatens Global Health and Food Security

As the world marks World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week (WAAW) from November 18-24, experts and advocates have sounded the alarm on the growing threat of AMR, which endangers global health, food security, and modern medical practices. Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, alongside poor healthcare and environmental practices, are accelerating the crisis. “Antimicrobial resistance is…

Breaking Barriers: Active Case Finding Revolutionizes TB Detection in South-East Asia

Tuberculosis (TB) experts at the Union World Conference on Lung Health have presented promising new research on the impact of active case finding (ACF) in advancing TB detection across communities in South-East Asia.  Findings from community-based ACF programs in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines highlight innovative approaches, including mobile chest X-ray screening, person-centered care, and…

Climate change: how experience-sharing is opening health workers’ eyes

In a sequence of online encounters, thousands of health workers from the Global South discussed how the climate is changing their work. Their insights shed new light on a pressing problem.       29  October  2024     by Ian Jones,  Charlotte Mbuh         A health worker carries a portable cooler for vaccines after…

Meet the nurse helping newcomers to safety in one of Uganda’s largest refugee settlements

According to Daphne Namusoke, the people fleeing conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo aren’t truly secure until they are vaccinated.       17 October 2024     by John Agaba   Nurse Daphne Namusoke needed to come up with a plan if she was going to improve the uptake of vaccines among the…

In the health care sector, expectations of what artificial intelligence can achieve are running high – and in Kenya, innovators are already making waves.

30 October  2024 by Claudia Lacave Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a hot topic, generating significant excitement across various fields. In the health care sector, expectations are especially high. In Kenya, while the government is working on regulations, innovations are already forging ahead. Click on the ‘AI Antibacterial Predictor’ tab,…

How the West lost its grip on measles (and what we can do about it)

Falling vaccination coverage is promoting a resurgence of measles in countries that had previously eliminated it. 8 November 2024 by Linda Geddes In early 2019, a six-year-old boy called Samuel was admitted to a hospital in London, UK, with a rare form of brain inflammation. His family had initially sought medical tests because Samuel had begun…

Mpox in the DRC: vaccination at the heart of the response

Hundreds of thousands of doses of mpox vaccine are rolling out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, embraced with relief in viral hotspots. 6 November 2024</ by Patrick Kahondwa The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has kicked off its vaccination campaign against mpox, the viral disease that has caused outbreaks on several continents in…

Why smaller vials of vaccine might help Zambia expand measles coverage

Switching out ten-dose measles and rubella (MR) vials for five-dose vials has the potential to make a big impact, Fiske Nyirongo learns. 8 November 2024 by Fiske Nyirongo   Registered nurse Memory Mwezi has been serving at Mwimba Health Post’s daily health clinics for long enough to have a pretty good sense of the ebbs…

“Just two drops: This is what I didn’t have”: veteran polio activist Harold Kipchumba

Kipchumba, a former nominated Kenyan senator, has spent decades fighting for the vaccine he didn’t get.  22 October 2024 by Joseph Maina Growing up, Harold Kipchumba dreamed of joining the Kenyan army. In 1986, when he was 22, he showed up on crutches to a military recruitment workout and was turned down on sight: his disability…