United Nations

WHO delivers medicines to conflict zones in Syria and Iraq

The World Health Organization announced on 17 June 2016 that it has successfully delivered tonnes of medical aid into two besieged areas in Syria…

Lower doses of yellow fever vaccine could be used in emergencies, says WHO

An expert panel of the World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that lowering the dosage of yellow fever vaccine could control an outbreak while avoiding vaccine shortages…

WHO guideline offers advice for when child-friendly medicines are unavailable

The first-ever global guideline governing the prescribing and supply of children’s medicines when no authorised product exists has been developed by the World Health Organization and the International Pharmaceutical Federation.…

Counterfeit medicines are a growing threat to global health, WHO meeting hears

Substandard and counterfeit medicines pose a growing threat to global health and greater global efforts are needed to counter the problem, experts have warned at an international forum.  …

World Bank sets up insurance fund to allow rapid response to pandemics

An emergency insurance fund worth up to US$500m has been established by the World Bank Group to assist developing countries in the event of a pandemic.…

UN chief lauds Pfizer’s decision to ban use of its drugs in executions

The United Nations high commissioner for human rights has praised pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s decision to ban the sale and distribution of its drugs to prisons for use in executions by lethal injection.…

WHO announces cheaper drug treatment for multidrug resistant tuberculosis

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published new recommendations that seek to speed up detection and enhance cure rates for patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The WHO recommends the use of a shorter and cheaper treatment regimen, which is taken for 9–12 months,…

Life-saving drugs continue to be excluded from Syrian humanitarian aid convoys

The Syrian government continues to exclude life-saving drugs from international humanitarian aid convoys destined for opposition held areas and is ignoring calls by United Nations officials for unimpeded access.…

Diabetes has quadrupled across the globe, WHO says

The number of adults living with diabetes across the world has increased four-fold since 1980, but access to insulin is a big problem in poor nations, says the World Health Organization (WHO).…

GSK softens approach to patents to widen access to its medicines

GlaxoSmithKline has announced a series of measures designed to widen access to its medicines in the world’s poorest countries.…