Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Biden administration to rejig HHS to boost pandemic response – The Washington Post
The Biden administration is reorganizing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create an independent division that would lead the country’s pandemic response, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The move will make the HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) an agency at par with organizations such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the report said, citing seven people briefed on the plan and a memo obtained by The Washington Post.
WHO reports 14,000 cases of monkeypox globally, five deaths in Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 14,000 cases of monkeypox worldwide, with five deaths reported in Africa, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. Most of the cases reported thus far have been found in Europe, particularly among men who have sex with men, the WHO said, although all the deaths have occurred in Africa, the region where monkeypox outbreaks have historically been found.
New Zealand steps up border protections against foot and mouth disease
New Zealand said late on Wednesday it had increased measures to prevent foot and mouth disease (FMD) from getting into the country after the disease was recently found in the Indonesian tourist resort of Bali. “With FMD recently found in the tourist hotspot of Bali, we’ve taken concrete steps to boost our work at the border in recent weeks including a public awareness campaign,” said Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.
Australia battles fresh Omicron outbreak as COVID deaths rise
Australia reported one of its highest daily death tolls from the novel coronavirus on Thursday while hospital admissions hovered near record levels, as authorities struggle to get ahead of highly contagious Omicron variants. The BA.4/5 variants are good at evading immune protection from vaccination or prior infection and have been driving a surge of new infections globally.
Court allows Georgia ‘heartbeat’ abortion ban to take effect
A Georgia law banning abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks, will take effect after a federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected a challenge to it by abortion providers. Chief Judge William Pryor of the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel that the state had a “rational basis” for the law, given its interest in “providing full legal recognition to an unborn child.”
Shionogi sinks in Tokyo trade after panel again delays COVID pill approval
Shares in Shionogi & Co posted their steepest fall in three months on Thursday after a health ministry panel again delayed emergency approval for the Japanese drugmaker’s oral treatment against COVID-19. The stock dropped 8.5% to 6,901 yen as of 10:22 JST, the most since April 13, leading decliners on the benchmark Nikkei index, which was down 0.4%.
Denying refugees and migrants healthcare violates rights, WHO says
Millions of migrants and refugees are being denied adequate health care and should be included in the health systems of host countries as a human right, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. In its first attempt at reviewing the implications of migration on global healthcare policy, the WHO called for urgent action to support vulnerable populations who cross frontiers.
Vaccine group invites African states to apply for malaria shot support
Nine months after the world’s first malaria vaccine was recommended for use, the international vaccine alliance Gavi invited countries to apply for financial support to roll out the jab, particularly targeting young children in Africa. The World Health Organization endorsed GSK Plc’s four-dose Mosquirix shot in October last year, saying it could save thousands of lives.
China’s Shenzhen vows to ‘mobilize all resources’ to curb the COVID spread
China’s southern megacity of Shenzhen vowed to “mobilize all resources” to curb a slowly spreading COVID-19 outbreak, ordering strict implementation of testing and temperature checks, and lockdowns for COVID-affected buildings. Shenzhen, with a population of nearly 18 million, reported 22 new locally transmitted cases for Wednesday, with the daily count creeping up from single digits earlier this month.
The U.S. announces $1.2 billion healthcare crackdown tied to telehealth, cardiovascular tests
The U.S. Justice Department unveiled a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud crackdown on Wednesday, revealing criminal charges against 36 defendants for alleged fraudulent billing schemes tied to telemedicine, genetic and cardiovascular testing, and equipment. The criminal charges, which were unsealed across 13 federal districts between July 11 through July 20, target clinical laboratory owners, marketers, medical professionals and telemedicine executives.
(With inputs from agencies.)