New technologies to help transform livelihoods, boost productivity and enhance food and nutrition security

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

African governments and regional economic blocs have been urged to increase funding for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) and create an enabling environment for technology adoption. This would transform livelihoods and enable the continent to benefit from modern agricultural innovations such as biotechnology including gene-editing and other emerging technologies for sustainable economic growth. This call…

Getinge Partners with IFC to Bolster Supplies of Life-saving Equipment Across Africa

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

A leading manufacturer of medical and life sciences equipment, Getinge, has joined IFC’s Africa Medical Equipment Facility, an initiative designed to help healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa have better access to life-saving equipment and supplies, IFC announced today. Sweden-headquartered Getinge’s participation in the IFC-led facility will expand opportunities for medical clinics and hospitals in Africa to…

WHO releases guidelines on quality care for women and newborns in first weeks after childbirth

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched its first ever global guidelines to support women and newborns in the postnatal period – the first six weeks after birth.  The guidelines include 63 recommendations, combining relevant existing recommendations with 31 that are new or updated. These are now the official WHO reference point for all aspects of postnatal care.…

Belgium funds UNICEF’s urban cash assistance and mentorship programme for 3,000 vulnerable adolescent girls

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

The Government of Belgium has today announced a financial contribution of EUR 4.2 million (approx. 16bn Ugandan shillings) to UNICEF that will see 3,000 vulnerable in and out-of-school girls in Kampala receive support through mentorship, linkages to essential social services and a cash transfer to enable them to transition safely into adulthood. The four-year Belgian…

An estimated 1.2 million people died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, more deaths than HIV/AIDS or malaria

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

More than 1.2 million people – and potentially millions more – died in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, according to the most comprehensive estimate to date of the global impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The analysis of 204 countries and territories, published in The Lancet, reveals that AMR is now a…

First real-world study reports effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 in India

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

Study includes more than 2,700 healthcare workers in Delhi, India, who were symptomatic and underwent RT-PCR testing for COVID-19. Findings suggest 50% vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses of BBV152. This vaccine effectiveness is lower than the vaccine efficacy suggested by Bharat Biotech’s phase 3 randomised control trial results. The authors note several…

COVID-19 pandemic led to stark rise in depressive and anxiety disorders globally in 2020, with women and younger people most affected.

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

First global estimates of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in 2020 suggests additional 53 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million cases of anxiety disorders were due to the pandemic. Women and younger people were the most affected by major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders in 2020. Countries hit hardest…

Treatment of COVID-19 with fluvoxamine reduces risk of prolonged hospitalisation, finds largest trial to date

Press ReleaseLeave a comment

The fluvoxamine arm of the TOGETHER trial, a randomised adaptive platform trial investigating the efficacy of repurposed treatments for COVID-19 among high-risk Brazilian adult outpatients, is the largest trial of the SSRI fluvoxamine as a COVID-19 treatment to date. Of the 741 participants who were treated in an emergency setting for COVID-19 after receiving fluvoxamine,…