As people travel they spread infectious diseases. While rates have gone down, greater interconnectedness and mobility has increased the difficulty of predicting and preventing outbreaks. Over the past few years, the global health community has battled epidemics like Ebola and Zika. Currently, Brazil is in the midst of its worst Yellow Fever outbreak in decades and health workers are struggling … Read More
Financial Inclusion for a Healthier World
We are currently experiencing an unprecedented global movement for women’s equality. With efforts like #MeToo, International Women’s Day and the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women the world is giving due attention to issues affecting women. A recent study by BNY Mellon and the UN Foundation found that closing the gender gap in women’s access to financial products and … Read More
Progress Towards a Zika-Free Future
Less than two years after the Zika virus was linked to congenital birth defects such as microcephaly, vaccine candidates are undergoing Phase I trials. The Lancet reported on promising candidates in an article late last year. The formalin inactivated virus vaccine is a proven technology and has been used against polio since the 1950s. In Phase I, this particular vaccine … Read More
Africa Business and Investment Forum Recap
On January 30th, Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) held the Africa Business and Investment Forum alongside the 30th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the forum, private and public sector leaders gathered to discuss measures in support of private-sector led growth in Africa. Roundtable discussions were held on trade, energy, … Read More
Looking at the GLASS Half Full: Hope Stems from AMR Surveillance System
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has gained much traction over the past few years and yesterday marks the release of the first report by the Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System (GLASS). The report revealed widespread AMR across 22 countries. It found that bacteria resistant to at least one common antibiotic was as high as 82% in some countries. “Some of the world’s most … Read More
The Heavy Burden of Obesity in Africa
Weight gain has been accelerating across the globe due to a myriad of factors including a growing economy, fast food expansion and a shift towards more sedentary living. Worldwide, 39% of adults were overweight and 13% were obese in 2016. Since obesity rates are not disbursed equally throughout the world, some countries (like the U.S.) are noted for carrying more … Read More
On the Road to Reducing Traffic Incidents
The World Bank Group recently released a report evaluating the economic cost of road traffic injuries (RTIs), especially in developing countries. Out of the 1.25 million deaths that occur on the world’s roads every year, 90% are in LMICs. While road accidents are emotionally traumatic and tragic, they also pose a broader financial burden on countries. Reducing road traffic injuries … Read More
Egypt’s Leap Towards Universal Health Care
Egypt recently approved a new universal health coverage law that will expand healthcare to the entire population, including the roughly 30% who could not previously afford it. The new scheme will set fees based on an individual’s income level. Although participation will be required, those in the lowest socio-economic bracket will be covered by the state. Additional funding will be … Read More
What’s more extreme than extreme poverty?
No, the answer is not base jumping, it’s ultra-poverty. In a world of growing inequality between rich and poor, the global community is prioritizing ending poverty in all its forms everywhere with the first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 1). Over the last few decades, much of the progress toward ending extreme poverty stemmed from boosting those closest to the poverty … Read More
Remember when 100 healthy volunteers swallowed live typhoid bacteria?
Well, the vaccine being tested during that trial, Typbar TCV, the world’s first conjugate typhoid vaccine, has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2016 alone, there were an estimated 130,000 deaths from typhoid. As the potential for antimicrobial resistance increases, so too does the incidence of multi-drug resistant typhoid. This vaccine gives hope to those working to … Read More