FDA Approves First Injectable Treatment for HIV Pre-Exposure Prevention.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first ever injectable drug for HIV prevention on Dec. 20. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Apretude (cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension) for use in at-risk adults and adolescents weighing a…

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Ecuador becomes first country to mandate Covid vaccines for children from age of 05.

Ecuador has become the first country to make Covid vaccines mandatory for children as young as five years. "In Ecuador, vaccination against Covid-19 is declared compulsory," the health ministry said in a statement. This comes in amid growing fears of the Omicron v…

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Global Health Security Index - 2021.

The 2021 GHS Index measures the capacities of 195 countries to prepare for epidemics and pandemics. All countries remain dangerously unprepared for future epidemic and pandemic threats, including threats potentially more devastating than COVID-19.  Sri Lanka ranked at 105th …

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COVID vaccine card mandatory from January to enter public places.

The government of Sri Lanka has made the COVID-19 vaccination card mandatory to visit public places from January 01, 2022. Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella announced this in a tweet posted today (Dec. 21). Earlier this month, the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control deci…

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WHO approves India’s ‘Kovovax’.

The World Health Organization (WHO) added Kovovax, an anti-Covid vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under license from US pharmaceutical company Novavax, to its emergency use list. In this way the number of vaccines approved by the global health body…

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The World Health Organization has launched Omicron variant study tracker.

The World Health Organization has launched the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant assays and animal models study tracker. The tracker compiles information that will facilitate matching those who have materials for Omicron-related studies with those who need them. The WHO’s research …

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Malaria deaths hike by 69,000 in 2020 due to COVID pandemic - WHO.

Healthcare disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic helped malaria kill 69,000 more people in 2020 than the previous year, but a worst-case scenario was averted, the World Health Organization said. In total over 627,000 people globally - most of them babies in the poor…

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Sri Lanka has confirmed its first case of "Omicron" variant.

Sri Lanka has confirmed its first case of Omicron Covid-19 variant, the Health Promotion Bureau announced on Friday (03 December). The virus strain was detected in a Sri Lankan national who recently returned to the island on November 24 from Nigeria, according to Chief Epide…

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"Omicron" coronavirus variant poses very high global risk.

The Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk of infection surges that could have “severe consequences” some areas, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday 29 November 2021. The U.N. agency urged its 194 memb…

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The World Health Organization has declared a new Covid Variant and named it "Omricon".

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new coronavirus variant to be "of concern" and named it "Omicron". It had a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggested an increased reinfection risk, the WHO said. It was first reported to the…

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South Africa detects new COVID-19 variant.

Scientists in South Africa said they had detected a new COVID-19 variant with multiple mutations.  The variant – called B.1.1.529.  Initially it looked like some cluster outbreaks, but from yesterday, the indication came from our scientist colleagues from the Network of Genom…

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President orders to import "Molnupiravir" antiviral pill.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana to take steps to import Molnupiravir tablet (antiviral medication for COVID-19) through the State Pharmaceutical Corporation in the same manner the Covid vaccines were brought down. The instructio…

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Worldwide tobacco users fall by 25M people since 2015.

Worldwide tobacco use has decreased by 25 million people since 2015 despite a growing population, and this trend is projected to continue in the coming years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The WHO global tobacco trends report shows that there are around 1.3 billi…

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Britain approves Merck's COVID-19 pill in world first.

Britain on Thursday 04 November 2021 became the first country in the world to approve a potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in a boost to the fight against the pandemic. B…

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Covaxin gets WHO approval for emergency use listing.

The World Health Organisation granted the much-awaited Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech, a move that will allow people inoculated with Covaxin to travel abroad without restrictions. Covaxin vaccine was also reviewed by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Gr…

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking 20 sublineages of the Delta variant

The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking 20 sublineages of the Delta variant which is still dominant in global circulation, a leading epidemiologist said.   WHO Technical Lead on Covid-19 Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said there are four variants being tracked the Delta vari…

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New genes identified for fibromuscular dysplasia.

Three new genetic variants that regulate gene expression in the arteries are connected to fibromuscular dysplasia, an arterial disease that can cause dangerous consequences for the heart and vessels, according to a new study. The findings, published in Nature Communications …

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Israel detects 1st case of COVID-19 Delta variant "AY4.2".

The first case of the new COVID-19 Delta variant "AY4.2" was detected in Israel on Tuesday (19th), the country's Ministry of Health said.  This is the variant that was previously detected in several European countries, the ministry noted. It was diagnosed in an…

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WHO Global TB report for 2021.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released the ‘Global TB report for 2021, where it highlighted the effects of COVID-19 which led to a huge reversal in the progress of Tuberculosis (TB) elimination. The report also mentioned India as the worst-hit country in TB elimin…

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Covid-19 treatment Sri Lanka explores possibility of using Merck’s oral antiviral pill.

Sri Lanka is exploring the possibility of using the oral antiviral pill developed by the pharmaceutical giant ‘Merck’ for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, Daily Mirror learns.  Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) which developed the pill has already applied for U.S. emergency use…

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