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WHO Validates China’s COVID-19 Vaccine, Sinovac, For Emergency Use
World Health Organisation (WHO) has validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
WHO, in a statement, said that the validation gives countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing.
Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company, Sinovac.
WHO has earlier listed the Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India, Astra Zeneca EU, Janssen, Moderna and Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use.
The statement quoted Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products, as saying, “The world desperately needs multiple COVID-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe.
“We urge manufacturers to participate in the COVAX Facility, share their knowhow and data and contribute to bringing the pandemic under control.”
WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a prerequisite for COVAX Facility vaccine supply and international procurement. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer COVID-19 vaccines.
The EUL assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as risk management plans and programmatic suitability, such as cold chain requirements.
The assessment is performed by the product evaluation group, composed by regulatory experts from around the world and a Technical Advisory Group (TAG), in charge of performing the risk-benefit assessment for an independent recommendation on whether a vaccine can be listed for emergency use and, if so, under which conditions.
In the case of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine, the WHO assessment included on-site inspections of the production facility.
The Sinovac-CoronaVac product is an inactivated vaccine. Its easy storage requirements make it manageable and particularly suitable for low-resource settings.
WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) has also completed its review of the vaccine.
On the basis of available evidence, WHO recommends the vaccine for use in adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of two to four weeks.
Vaccine efficacy results show that the vaccine prevents symptomatic disease in 51 per cent of those vaccinated and prevents severe COVID-19 and hospitalisation in 100 per cent of the studied population.
June 2, 2021
One-China policy never to be played with
By Zhong Sheng
The World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), on May 24 refused to include a proposal on Taiwan’s participation in its agenda, which fully indicated that adherence to the one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community.
There is only one China in the world. The Government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.
The one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations and a universal consensus of the international community. The Taiwan region’s participation in international organizations, including the WHA activities, must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle, and the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 provided the legal basis for WHO to abide by the one-China principle.
Before 2016, China made special arrangements for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA on the basis of the fact that both sides uphold the one-China principle. Since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power, it has placed its political agenda over the wellbeing of the people in the Taiwan region, obstinately adhered to the separatist position of “Taiwan independence,” and refused to admit the 1992 Consensus embodying the one-China principle. As a result, the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA has ceased to exist. The rejection of Taiwan’s participation in the WHA is solely a result of the DPP obstinately adhering to the separatist position of “Taiwan independence.”
It is ridiculous for the DPP authorities to portray Taiwan as a missing link in the world’s anti-pandemic efforts and instigate their so-called “diplomatic allies” to make Taiwan-related proposals.
The Chinese Central Government always attaches great importance to the health and well-being of Taiwan compatriots. Under this precondition of abiding by the one-China principle, it has made appropriate arrangements for the Taiwan region’s participation in global health affairs.
To help the anti-pandemic fight on the island, Beijing has shared information with Taiwan 260 times on epidemic development and approved health experts in the Taiwan region to participate in 16 WHO technical activities. Besides, the WHO Secretariat briefed health experts in the Taiwan region three times on pandemic information, and the region has also joined the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access.
It proves that Taiwan enjoys unimpeded channel and sound mechanism for information exchanges with the WHO and countries in the world. The “‘missing link’ rhetoric” is completely groundless.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is still rampant around the world, the 74th WHA shouldered huge responsibility in advancing global anti-pandemic cooperation. The DPP authorities and a few countries, going against the trend of history and making Taiwan-related proposals, are indeed pursuing their own political agenda at the sacrifice of the WHA and the international anti-pandemic cooperation.
To safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the seriousness and authority of the UNGA and WHA resolutions, China would not agree with Taiwan’s participation in this year’s WHA. Ahead of the WHA’s opening, more than 150 countries have expressed through diplomatic channels their support for China’s decision. Over 80 countries have, through sending letters to the WHO, expressed their adherence to the one-China principle and their opposition to Taiwan’s participation in the WHA. This fully indicates that most of the countries in the world are upholding justice and a correct standing on questions related to Taiwan at the WHA.
Taiwan question bears on China’s core interests, where there is not a single inch for compromise. Relevant countries had better not underestimate China’s resolution and capability in safeguarding its core interests and unification. They should abandon their vain hope to meddle in China’s domestic affairs under the excuse of Taiwan question.
May 26, 2021
Covid-19 to be ‘far more deadly’ this year, WHO chief sends out strong warning
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong warning that the second year of Covid-19 is set to be “far more deadly.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, (WHO) Director-General issued the warning on Friday, May 14.
He stated that “we’re on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first.”
The DG added that trickle-down vaccination is not an effective strategy for fighting a deadly respiratory virus as COVID-19 has already cost more than 3.3 million lives.
“Vaccine supply remains a key challenge, but this week I’ve been pleased to see leaders & manufacturers working to: share doses with COVAX, make new deals involving tech-transfer and sharing of know-how and call for lifting trade barriers as soon as possible.” Tedros said.
According to the Director-General, in a handful of rich countries, lower-risk groups are now being vaccinated.
“I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to COVAX.
Because in low and lower-middle-income countries, vaccine supply has not been enough to even immunize health and care workers, and hospitals are being inundated with people that need lifesaving care urgently.” He added.
Tedros said that at present, only 0.3% of vaccine supply is going to low-income countries.
The pandemic has killed at least 3,346,813 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in late 2019.
May 15, 2021
COVID-19: WHO commends FCTA’s response
…calls for improved PHC funding
By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
As the FCTA tackles the COVID-19 pandemic in the territory, the World Health Organisation Country representative for Nigeria Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo has described the Administration’s response to the pandemic and other public health challenges as one of the best in Nigeria.
Dr Mulombo made this remark when a delegation of the WHO paid a visit to the FCTA to update the FCT Minister on some key public health issues.
Speaking during the visit, Dr Mulombo said “we will like to appreciate your leadership in the ongoing COVID-19 response, which clearly demonstrates your commitment to attaining the highest state of health for the FCT residents”.
“This is demonstrative in the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 and robust outbreak response which you set up, leading to the highest containment, the highest testing rate per million as well as high vaccination rate of 2.1% of targeted population. It’s one of the highest in Nigeria and even in the world.”
Furthermore he commended the public private partnership through the Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee which established the Molecular diagnostic laboratory, adding that it will improve access to testing for COVID-19 and other diseases and also aid early detection and response to diseases outbreak in the Territory”.
He applauded the Administration for its commitment to the improvement of maternal and child mortality rate in the FCT, saying that the establishment of a task force to address the issue in the Territory, will go a long way in identifying group causes of high maternal and child mortality rates and the development and implementation of programmes to address the challenges identified.
Mulombo said that WHO Is proud of the FCT’s achievement in this regard because its programmes “Really aligns with the UN Secretary General’s strategy for women, children and adolescent health 2016 – 2030, which is articulated around survive, thrive and transform, building on enabling environment”.
Meanwhile Mulombo noted that since Africa has been declared polio free and the whole continent taken off the list of priority area that the global polio eradication will support by January of 2022, there will not be substantial funding to support polio eradication activities.
He urged Nigeria to continue those activities to maintain a polio free status until such a time that global eradication of the disease is achieved.
To this end he called for improved funding for disease control programmes and primary health care at the State and Area Council levels in order to strengthen and improve immunization services in the communities.
FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello commended the WHO office in the FCT for its successes and pledged the Administration’s support for it and other UN programmes within the Territory.
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The Minister also said that emphasis will be placed on  budgetary, support and counterpart funding in order to improve funding for WHO and other public health related programmes.

He however urged WHO to continuously engage relevant private sector stakeholders and encourage private donors, within the country for improved  funding of its polio and other programmes.
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Bello said “As you can see, the coalition of the private of sector people did very well with respect of rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine. So, the same thing could be done for the maintenance and sustainability of what has already been established on polio eradication.”
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 The meeting was also attended by the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, the Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Muhammed Kawu, the Coordinator, WHO FCT office, Dr Fureatu Zakari and other FCTA and WHO officials, including two who joined virtually from the WHO regional office in Brazzaville.
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May 14, 2021
WHO Approves China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccine
The World Health Organization on Friday approved the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use — the first Chinese jab to receive the WHO’s green light.
The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world.
The WHO has already given emergency use listing to the vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab being produced at separate sites in India and in South Korea.
“This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing’s Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.
“The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, or SAGE, has also reviewed the available data, and recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, with a two-dose schedule.”
An emergency use listing by the WHO paves the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve and import a vaccine for distribution, especially those states without an international-standard regulator of their own.
It also opens the door for the jabs to enter the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world and particularly in poorer countries.
The Sinopharm vaccine is already in use in 42 territories around the world, fourth behind AstraZeneca (166), Pfizer-BioNTech (94), and Moderna (46), according to an AFP tally.
Besides China, it is being used in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, and Seychelles, among others.
A clutch of other vaccines are on the road towards WHO emergency use listing, including a second Sinopharm product being made in Wuhan — the city where coronavirus was first detected.
A decision is expected within days on Sinovac, a second Chinese-made vaccine already being used in 22 countries.
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is the next furthest ahead in the process.
-AFP
May 7, 2021
Indian COVID-19 Variant Found In At Least 17 Countries – WHO
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that a variant of Covid-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in over a dozen countries.
The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India had as of Tuesday been detected in over 1,200 sequences uploaded to the GISAID open-access database “from at least 17 countries”.
“Most sequences were uploaded from India, the United Kingdom, USA and Singapore,” the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.
The WHO recently listed B.1.617 — which counts several sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics — as a “variant of interest”.
But so far it has stopped short of declaring it a “variant of concern”.
That label would indicate that it is more dangerous that the original version of the virus by for instance being more transmissible, deadly or able to dodge vaccine protections.
India is facing surging new cases and deaths in the pandemic, and fears are rising that the variant could be contributing to the unfolding catastrophe.
The explosion in infections in India — 350,000 new cases were recorded there on Tuesday alone — has driven a surge in global cases to 147.7 million.
The virus has now killed more than 3.1 million people worldwide.
The WHO acknowledged that its preliminary modelling based on sequences submitted to GISAID indicates “that B.1.617 has a higher growth rate than other circulating variants in India, suggesting potential increased transmissibility”.
It stressed that other variants circulating at the same time were also showing increased transmissibility, and that the combination “may be playing a role in the current resurgence in this country.”
“Indeed, studies have highlighted that the spread of the second wave has been much faster than the first,” the WHO said.
It highlighted though that “other drivers” could be contributing to the surge, including lax adherence to public health measures as well as mass gatherings.
“Further investigation is needed to understand the relative contribution of these factors,” it said.
The UN agency also stressed that “further robust studies” into the characteristics of B.1.617 and other variants, including impacts on transmissibility, severity and the risk of reinfection, were “urgently needed”.
AFP
April 28, 2021
WMD: Malaria knocks 11.6 m pregnant women, 822,000 infants in 33 countries – WHO
…Nigeria loses US$1.1b to malaria absenteeism
… warms Malaria outbreaks imminent as new Malaria strain invades horn of Africa
By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
As the world marks the 2021 World Malaria Day, WMD, today the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti has disclosed that due to lack of intermittent preventable treatment by two out of three pregnant women there were 11.6 million cases of malaria among pregnant women and 822,000 infants were born with low birth weight reported cases in 33 countries.
Moeti disclosed this in a message to mark the WMD today.
In her message to mark the 2021 WMD with the theme, ” Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria, said every malaria case is preventable and every malaria death is unacceptable.
We grieve over 384,000 preventable malaria deaths in the WHO African Region in 2020, she said.
According to WHO, the spread of malaria in responsible for an average reduction of 1.3 of Africa’s economic growth while Nigeria loses an estimated US $1.1 billion every year to malaria absenteeism and productivity.
Furthermore WHO urged countries to help risk population countries to alleviate the malaria scourge citing that in 2019 one in three households did not have an Insecticide – Treated bed net and 48% of under- 5 children did not sleep under an ITN.
Meanwhile, WHO has raised an alarm over new strain of malaria invading the horn of African region caused by genetic mutations of new malaria parasites (pfhrp2/3) gene in recent times with the potential to cause devastating outbreaks in cities and towns.
The global health organization reiterated it’s commitment to revisit the stagnated progress in the malaria fight in the past five years in order to attain the 2030 targets of a malaria free continent.
It also called for urgent action to stop the scourge of this disease and to get on track towards the global malaria goals of a 90% reduction in cases and deaths by 2030.
“This includes investment to expand access to malaria interventions for groups that have been left behind, such as children and pregnant women.”
“Together, we need to move from the perception of malaria as a health problem, to understanding this disease as a threat to socio-economic development that requires a multispectral response.”
With an all-of-society response to draw the line against malaria, together, we can ensure African societies, economies and individuals, prosper, WHO said.
April 25, 2021
The WHO report on the joint WHO-China study of COVID-19 origins published
By Zhang Penghui, Zhang Jinruo, People’s Daily
On March 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on the joint WHO-China study of COVID-19 origins in Geneva,Switzerland, and released a report:WHO-convened Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part. The report said that the lab-leak theory is “extremely unlikely.”
A joint study was conducted from 14 January to 10 February 2021 in thecity of Wuhan, China.The joint international team comprised 17 Chinese and 17 international experts from other countries. They made studies in the areas ofthe following three parts, epidemiology, animals and environment, and the molecular epidemiology and bioinformatics.
The 120-page document, composed after the team’s 28-day field study in Wuhan, the capital city of China’s Hubei Province earlier this year, shed light on the likeliness of different pathways for the origins of COVID-19.
They concluded that it’s a “likely to very likely pathway” for the virus to infect humans through an intermediate host, while introduction of the virus through a laboratory incident was “extremely unlikely.” And in between, direct zoonotic spillover is considered to be a possible-to-likely pathway, while cold food chain products are a possible pathway.
The report alsomentioned that “some of the suspected positive samples were detected even earlier than the first case in Wuhan, suggesting the possibility of missed circulation in other countries,” adding that “Nonetheless, it is important to investigate these potential early events.”
The report also raised recommendations for further study from the joint international team, including continuing to develop an integrated global database, sequencing early casesor samples collected in future SARS-CoV-2-global tracing studies, establishing a global expert group to support joint traceability research on the suspected origin ofthe epidemic,and analyzing the different role of the cold chain in the possible introduction of the virus in a marketand the possible spread within a market following the introduction of the virus in a market byan infected human.
A Member State Briefing on the report of the international team studying the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is held on the same day. Peter K. Ben Embarek, leader of the international team of experts to Wuhan, introduced the field work and research results of the team, extending the team’s collective sincere thanks to Wuhan locals for their cooperation during their research.
Liang Wannian, leader of the Chinese team of experts, said that the report is the joint efforts of Chinese and foreign experts. He emphasized that the team adhered to scientific method in the research cooperation based on evidence. It is part of the global tracing study. All the conclusions and recommendations of the report are based on a global perspective, and future research will not be limited to a certain region.
Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, said that the international experts from China and the WHO had demonstrated a scientific and open spirit and the Chinese government at all levels had provided necessary assistance for their work in Wuhan, which fully reflected the open, transparent and responsible attitude of China, and was highly appreciated by experts from both sides.The traceability research is a scientific work that should be carried out by global scientists. It is also a global task. The China-WHO joint research will play a good role in promoting traceability in other countries and regions around the world, and provide positive and useful guidance for better understanding the virus.
March 31, 2021
Underfunding major threat to TB control in Nigeria- WHO
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

As Nigeria marks the 2021 World Tuberculosis, TB, Day, the World Health Organization, WHO, has noted underfunding as a major threat to eradicating the disease from the country.
In a message delivered at a press conference yesterday in Abuja to commemorate the WTBD , the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo made this known.
Mulombo said, “TB control budget in Nigeria continue to be drastically underfunded. About 70% of the TB budget in 2020 were underfunded, this is a major threat to the country efforts in achieving the set targets.”

According to Mulombo, too many people and their household are pushed into poverty when they contract TB due to lost income, transport costs and other expenses, adding that 70% of the TB patients in Nigeria and their families are affected by catastrophic cost due to TB.
He noted that another troubling factor for TB control in Nigeria is low detection, adding that un- detected TB cases can further constitute poor reservoir that can fuel ongoing transmission of TB in the community as one undetected infectious TB case is able to infect between 12 to 15 people every year.
The WHO Nigeria Country Representative said that two years after Nigeria at a UN High Level Meeting on TB in 2018 made a commitment to diagnose and treat over 1.1 million TB cases and place about 2.2 million clients on TB preventive Therapy (TPT) from 2018 to 2022 the country is far away from achieving these targets.
WHO called for collective action across all sectors to address the challenges and accelerate progress towards ending TB in Nigeria by 2030.
Determinants of health such as poverty, under nutrition, tobacco smoking, and co-morbidities such as HIV continue to drive the TB epidemic, WHO noted.
The global health agency said it has developed the multisectoral accountability framework to support Nigeria and all countries to update their TB policies and to implement WHO guidelines.
Mulombo said, “Tuberculosis is curable and treatable; I implore anyone coughing for two weeks or more to go for TB test in the nearest health facility. “
Daybreak reports that the theme for the 2021 World TB Day is ” The Clock is Ticking”.
March 24, 2021
COVID-19 Kills More African Men Than Women – WHO Study
Women in Africa are less likely to die from Covid-19 than men, but more likely to succumb to maternal complications due to limited access to reproductive services since the pandemic started, the UN said Thursday citing reports.
A study of 28 African countries including Guinea, Mauritius and Uganda showed that on average women accounted for a slightly smaller proportion of coronavirus infections and deaths compared to men.
Overall around 41 percent of reported Covid-19 cases were women, although the figures ranged widely from 31 percent in Niger to more than 57 percent in South Africa.
“In most countries, women are somewhat less likely to die from Covid-19 than men,” World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti told an online news conference.
But the pandemic had exposed gaps in health services, with women suffering the brunt of disrupted access to care.
“There was a rise in maternal deaths in 10 countries,” Moeti said, making reference to another study that collated data between February and July 2020.
The highest jumps were recorded in the Comoros, Mali, Senegal and South Africa.
Access to sexual and reproductive care was already poor on the continent before coronavirus hit.
But access was made worse by restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, pushing more women to seek risky informal abortions, Moeti explained.
Overstretched hospitals were often unable to see patients seeking non-coronavirus related services, she added.
More data is still needed to determine the full extent of the effect.
AFP
March 5, 2021