Health
Scientists studying the new mpox strain that has spread out of Democratic Republic of Congo say the virus is changing faster than expected and often in areas where experts lack the funding and equipment to properly track it. That means there are multiple unknowns about the virus itself, its severity
Health
Uganda has confirmed two more mpox virus infections, bringing the number of cases in the east African country to four, according to the health ministry. The two new patients were infected with the clade 1b strain of the virus, health ministry director general of health services Henry Mwebesa told Reuters,
Health
Thailand on Thursday confirmed Asia’s first known case of a new, deadlier strain of mpox in a patient who had traveled to the kingdom from Africa. The patient landed in Bangkok on August 14 and was sent to hospital with mpox symptoms. The Department of Disease Control said laboratory
Health
The first mpox case reported by the Philippines this year is a mild variant and not the deadly strain sparking global alarm, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Wednesday. The highly transmissible Clade 1b strain of the virus has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has
Health
A World Health Organization official stressed on Tuesday that mpox, regardless of whether it is the new or old strain, is not the new COVID, as authorities know how to control its spread. “We can and must tackle mpox together,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, in a
Health
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has requested Japan for supplies of mpox vaccines and syringes amid the worst outbreaks of the disease in the central African country. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is preparing to provide the supplies to the DRC, in cooperation with
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Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic said on Saturday it plans to ramp up production of its mpox vaccine and work with international health organisations to ensure fair access as the disease has been declared a global public health emergency. The company, one of the few drug firms that have an
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Nigeria has recorded 39 cases of mpox since the beginning of the year, a health official said as concern mounts over the global spread of the disease. The cases were across the country and have not been fatal, according to Jide Idris, the director-general of the Nigeria Center for Disease
Health
The head of the World Health Organization on Thursday called for increased production of cholera vaccines, highlighting what he called a “critical shortage” around the globe. The UN health agency said 307,433 cases of cholera and 2,326 deaths have been reported in 26 countries up to July 28.
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Sweden on Thursday announced the first case outside Africa of the more dangerous variant of mpox, which the WHO has declared a global public health emergency. The country’s public health agency confirmed to AFP that it was the same strain of the virus that has surged in the Democratic
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The African Union’s health watchdog on Tuesday declared a public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak on the continent, saying the move is a “clarion call for action.” The outbreak has swept through several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus formerly called monkeypox
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World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday called an “emergency” meeting of international experts amidst growing worries over the mpox virus. With mpox spreading outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tedros said the WHO emergency committee would meet “as soon as possible” to advise him on “whether
Health
How are you feeling? There has been a vibe in BBC HQ that friends, colleagues and family have been having a grottier year than usual – shaking off one cold only to rapidly catch another, rolling from infection to infection. “The reality is we're lacking data and so we
Health
Patients using Novo Nordisk’s wildly popular weight-loss drug Wegovy and its similar medicines for type 2 diabetes may be at increased risk for a sight-threatening eye condition, according to data from a study published on Wednesday. Wegovy and Novo’s diabetes drugs Ozempic and Rybelsus all contain the same
Health
Covid-19 is still killing around 1,700 people a week around the world, the World Health Organization said Thursday, as it urged at-risk populations to keep up with their vaccinations against the disease. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sounded a warning on declining vaccine coverage. Despite the continued death toll,
Health
The spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as scientists warned separately of a dangerous strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “There is a critical need to address the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa,” Rosamund Lewis, the