Good morning, Pokuaa back with your global health news. Today we are looking at the collision of two global crises:Covid and climate, and how these are impacting the work of humanitarian agencies.

Bringing you some good news, the WHO has given Guinea the all-clear for the second Ebola outbreak declared in February.

And finally, the world asks how effective the Chinese manufactured Sinovac and Sinopharm Covid vaccines are, as these doses seem to be struggling against the rapidly spreading variants.

24.06.2021

Global health news

Red Cross volunteers on their way to deliver relief packages on a boat. Without electricity and clean water, residents could only rely on relief packages to survive. (Credit: Yen Duong/International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).

🌪️😷Covid storms into complex humanitarian crises. As part of their workload organisations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are battling with hurricanes, flash flooding, droughts and heatwaves which worsens each year due to climate change. With all these complexities at hand, Covid flew into the picture making these agencies' work all the more difficult, however, it seems they are finding adaptive ways to conquer what we term the triple threat: Covid, climate and conflict.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Here’s what else is happening

World Health Organization formally declares end of Guinea’s second Ebola outbreak
Health Policy Watch (EN)
The controversial lucrative business of Swiss arms deals, the industry seems to be booming despite Covid.
Swissinfo (EN)
"The worst is yet to come": UN experts warn about the imminent effects of climate change.
Le Temps (EN)
Nuclear-weapons spending shot up in the middle of the pandemic, a new report says.
PassBlue (EN)
UN Rights Council needs to address China , Ethiopia, systemic racism and climate change.
Human Rights Watch (EN)
Pandemic ‘rolled back’ sustainable development funding for weak economies: UNCTAD.
UN News (EN)

Graphic of the day

💉❓Are China’s Covid vaccines underperforming? Across the globe hundreds of millions of the Chinese manufactured Sinopharm and Sinovac Covid vaccines have been sold. However, there are some worrisome indications that these doses may not be performing as well as expected, particularly against rapidly spreading variants. Still, the World Health Organization warns that it is too early to draw conclusions and that more data is needed.

Health Policy Watch (EN)

Next on the agenda

📍25 June | An open conversation with Carl Hart about drugs and drug policy This event, coinciding with drug policies based on health and human rights, marked on 26 June each year, invites attendees to discuss alternatives to current prohibitive and ineffective drug policies around the world. Neuroscientist Carl Hart, an expert on the subject will lead the conversation.

Graduate Institute (EN)

📍29 June | Covid-19 vaccine supply chain, regulatory transparency The technical symposium is a follow up to the World Trade Organization meeting on Covid-19 and vaccine equity. This session will promote transparency in the regulatory landscape and emphasise how international cooperation can contribute to manufacturing, approving and disseminating vaccines.

WTO (EN)

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Have a good day!

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