Winnie Byanyima* is the Executive Director of UNAIDS
Kansiime and her daughters arrive at the Mbarara Hospital. The three family members all live with HIV and go to the clinic regularly to collect their medication. “When I go to hospital, I am surrounded by other women who have come for treatment. We are there for the same reason,” Kansiime says. “This has helped me overcome stigma and given me strength.” Credit: UNICEF/UNI211907/Schermbrucker
GENEVA, Apr 2 2020 (IPS) – The multi-layered crisis of the Coronavirus epidemic has been a dramatic shock to everyone. But, to communities affected by HIV and AIDS, the crisis has not only brought a further shock to …
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct 12 2021 (IPS) – The world should now be more aware of likely COVID-19 devastation unless urgently checked. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced an to quickly vaccinate many more people to expedite ending the pandemic.
New WHO plan
Perhaps frustrated after being ignored by rich country governments and major vaccine producers, the new WHO plan is relatively modest, but hopefully more realisable. Supported by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the seeks to reduce by inoculating 40% in all countries before year’s end, and 70% by mid-2022.
Jomo Kwame Sundaram
had urged governments to vaccinate at least 10% of th…
Credit: UNICEF/Nahom Tesfaye
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 3 2021 (IPS) – Access to COVID-19 vaccines for many developing countries and most of their people will have to wait as the powerful and better off secure earlier access regardless of need or urgency. More profits, by manufacturing scarcity, will surely cause even more loss of both lives and livelihoods.
Good intentions not enough
To induce private efforts to develop and distribute vaccines, the WHO initiated to ensure more equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. However, interest by vaccine companies has been limited, while some governments – especially from better-off upper middle-income countries – p…