Big Pharma may have to reveal government deals in WHO’s draft pandemic rules
London, UKReuters Pharmaceutical companies could be made to disclose prices and deals agreed for any products they make to fight future pandemics, under new rules being drawn up by the World Health Organization and reviewed by Reuters. A draft version of the WHO’s pandemic accord, which it hopes will be adopted by the UN health […]
In a first, COVAX to send COVID shots only to least covered nations
Brussels, BelgiumReuters A global scheme designed to ensure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines will this month for the first time distribute shots only to countries with the lowest levels of coverage, the World Health Organization said. Co-led by the WHO, COVAX has since January largely allocated doses proportionally among its 140-plus beneficiary states according to […]
India’s COVID-19 cases dip from peak, calls for shutdown mount
New Delhi/Bengaluriu, IndiaReuters Calls grew for India to impose a nationwide lockdown as new coronavirus cases and deaths held close to record highs on Monday, increasing pressure on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 366,161 new infections and 3,754 deaths reported by the health ministry were off a little from recent peaks, taking […]
Fire from oxygen tank blast in Baghdad COVID-19 hospital kills 82
Baghdad, IraqReuters A fire caused by an oxygen tank explosion at a COVID-19 hospital in Baghdad took at least 82 lives and forced some people to leap through windows out of the burning building, witnesses and authorities said on Sunday. As rescuers combed the smoke-charred building, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi blamed negligence and suspended his […]
“Going hungry”; garment workers cut back on food as pandemic hits wages
Phnom Pehn, CambodiaThomson Reuters Foundation Garment workers stitching clothes for major fashion brands are “going hungry” and taking out loans to feed their families due to pay cuts imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, according to global labour rights advocates. Among workers who have held onto their jobs, one in five experience hunger on a daily […]
US college cuts tuition to make Christian education more accessible
RNS Gordon College in Wenham in the US state of Massachusetts announced a 33 per cent tuition cut Thursday, joining two other Council for Christian Colleges and Universities members that have reset their tuition in the last two weeks in an effort to make private Christian education more accessible. The cut will go into […]
“Education emergency” as third of world’s children lack remote learning
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation One in three schoolchildren across the world have been unable to access remote learning during coronavirus school closures, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Thursday, warning of a “global education emergency”. Nearly 1.5 billion children were affected by school closures as countries locked down to prevent the disease from spreading, […]
Caribbean Indigenous people return to roots as COVID-19 shrinks tourism
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation Indigenous cultures in the Caribbean, struggling as their tourism-dependent economies are ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, are returning to traditional farming and fishing roots for their livelihoods, local experts said last week. Being forced to look to older, more organic ways of survival can be a silver lining within the devastation […]
Musician with albinism says coronavirus raises risk of attack
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation The coronavirus pandemic has left people with albinism in fear of attack and murder in parts of Africa where their body parts are used for lucky charms, a Zambian musician with the condition has said. John Chiti, 35, said there had already been one murder in Zambia since the virus emerged […]
Pope: Rich can’t get priority for vaccine, poor need help
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis on Wednesday warned against any prospect that rich people would get priority for a coronavirus vaccine. “The pandemic is a crisis. You don’t come out of it the same – either better or worse,” Francis said, adding improvised remarks to his planned speech for his weekly public audience. “We must come […]