On the 6th of October, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced its approval to use a malaria vaccine, known as RTS,S, or Mosquirix, in children in areas where malaria infection rates are moderate or high, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria remains a persistent threat to global health; the World Economic
A recent report into children’s HIV rates, prevention, and treatment in 2020 has concluded that targets set for the year were not met, halting advances made in treating and preventing the disease. The report was a collaboration between the Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free initiative, UNAIDS, the United Nations
In what the BBC has described as a “rare” move the United Nations (UN) has condemned the recent military coup in Myanmar and called for an arms embargo against the country. Although the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on June 18th is not legally binding, it carries significant political
Refugees in Malawi living outside of the country’s only refugee camp in Dzaleka have been ordered to return to the camp in a move criticized by human rights agencies. An estimated 2,000 refugees are currently living amongst local communities, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), some of whom are
On April 7th, Amnesty International released its annual report for 2020/2021 entitled “The State of the World’s Human Rights,” which includes a global as well as a regional analysis of 149 different countries. Key themes covered in the report are health and social protection, which includes the far-reaching impacts of
The COVAX Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC), launched on the 4th of June by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance and jointly led by Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), has now delivered over 12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 19 different
Human Rights group Amnesty International published an article on 2 February calling on officials in Guinea to investigate the deaths of four individuals being held in detention in the Guinean capital, Conakry. These deaths come after the country’s president Alpha Condé controversially won the October 2020 election, sparking protests and
A year has passed since the novel coronavirus emerged in the city of Wuhan in December 2019. In that year, the virus, now known as SARS-Cov2, has spread across the world, causing an estimated 1.6 million deaths to date. Now, an end finally seems in sight as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
Modern technology in its many forms is pervasive throughout our lives and society today. As with most revolutionary shifts, technological innovation—including in communications, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics technologies—has been applied both for the good and for the bad. Just as the innovation of the car allowed us to travel
Reporting from the BBC into the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in their dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, has shed light on the emergence of two videos documenting Azerbaijani soldiers potentially carrying out a war crime: capturing and killing two Armenian soldiers. Azerbaijan has denied their involvement and has stated
Sunday, October 18th is set to be the date for Bolivia’s snap elections. Finally, Bolivia’s future president and government will be decided on after the two previously planned re-run elections were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This election re-run follows the disruptive and inconclusive elections in October 2019. Sparked
The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has gone to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which strives to counter hunger and food insecurity, particularly in countries suffering under violence, conflict or war. Last year, the WFP supported an estimated 97 million people in 88 different countries. In the announcement of this
Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has been easy to push aside other global health crises. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of these; it is a global health issue that has been flying under the radar. AMR refers to a process when viruses, fungi, and bacteria develop resistance to drugs
The Sahel region of Africa, which spans the continent and includes nine countries that are located between the Sahara and the Sudanian Savannah, has seen widespread flooding following prolonged periods of heavy rain since seasonal rains began in August. These rains are thought to be the most severe that the
Pro-democracy protests in the Thai capital Bangkok this weekend have grown in magnitude as thousands of protesters have gathered to call for reform of the monarchy and for the Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to resign. The BBC reports that authorities have put numbers at the Saturday demonstration at 18,000 but
The latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is growing in magnitude and there seems now to be a threat of spread to neighbouring African countries. This eleventh outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Equateur Province, a north-western region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was
Afghanistan has been plagued by conflict and poverty for decades. As the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the globe, the political and economic situation in Afghanistan has had severe consequences both on the health of the population with regards to the COVID-19 disease and on their future well-being as a result
Thousands of protesters once again gathered on the streets of Minsk on Sunday to protest against the re-election of incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko. Demonstrators were accompanied by a hefty police presence, including large numbers of riot police. BBC reports indicate that at least 140 individuals were arrested. This latest wave
A Sudanese man, who has now been identified as Abdulfatah Hamdallah, was tragically found dead on the Sangatte beach in Calais earlier this week. It is understood that his death is not linked to any activity by immigration networks or people smugglers, and that his crossing attempt was self-coordinated with
Border conflicts in the last few weeks between Israel and Hezbollah have led to a rise in tensions between both sides. The most recent news of what Israel claims to be a Hezbollah-initiated raid on June 27th has sparked inflammatory statements from both sides, and further clashes seem likely. This
