Manchester Institute of Biotechnology Develops Cheaper, Sustainable Method to Produce HIV Drug Lenacapavir
Michael Gwarisa Amid growing global pressure to make Lenacapavir more affordable, researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have developed a new method that could significantly reduce the cost and improve the sustainability of manufacturing the long-acting HIV prevention drug. Supported by funding from the Gates Foundation, the scientists applied engineering biology, a rapidly advancing
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Mystery Haemorrhagic Illness Kills Five in Burundi
Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Burundi’s efforts to determine the cause of an illness that has led to five deaths and infected 35 people in Mpanda district, north of the East African country. While preliminary assumptions linked the ailment to Ebola or Marburg virus diseases, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever and
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Argentina withdraws from World Health Organization
Michael Gwarisa Argentina has announced its official withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) citing irreparable differences. Through his official X account, Argentina’s presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said they had significant disagreements with WHO regarding management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the same reason given by US President Donald Trump for exiting the global health body.
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FDA Draft Guidance on Flavored Vapes Aims to Protect Youth
Michael Gwarisa In a move likely to curb rising youth vaping in the Global North, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new draft guidance for flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), establishing the first regulatory framework that emphasises device-level age verification to prevent underage use. Flavored ENDS have long been linked
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New Global Research Grants Open for Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to Study Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Michael Gwarisa Pharmaceutical company Alkermes plc has unveiled a new research funding initiative aimed at supporting psychiatric nurse practitioners who are working to improve treatment for serious mental health conditions. The company announced that applications for the first Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards™ will officially open on March 16, 2026, offering funding opportunities to advanced
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New Single-Pill HIV Treatments Show Strong Results in Global Trials
Michael Gwarisa Two new once-daily HIV treatments taken as a single pill have shown strong results in late-stage clinical trials, raising hopes for simpler treatment options for people living with the virus. The studies were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2026 in Denver, United States. Researchers tested whether the new drugs
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If These Children Were on Planes, the World Would Never Look Away
Michael Gwarisa Visualise this: the world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, a double-deck giant capable of carrying more than 500 people. Now imagine one crashing, killing every child on board. Now imagine it happening again and again, more than thirty times. That is roughly the scale of the estimated 20,000 children killed across Gaza,
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Study Finds US Women Prioritise Pregnancy Prevention Over HIV and STI Protection
Michael Gwarisa For many American women, the fear of an unintended pregnancy outweighs concerns about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, according to new research on multipurpose vaginal rings. The findings are detailed in a new peer-reviewed study titled “Multipurpose vaginal rings: preferences from a national discrete choice experiment survey among US women.” The study
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WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain Steps Down
Michael Gwarisa World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain has announced that she is stepping down from her role, citing health reasons after three years at the helm of the global humanitarian agency. In an official statement, McCain said the decision was taken with deep personal difficulty, describing her time leading the WFP as the
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UK Reports First Successful Birth Using Deceased Woman’s Womb
Sky News has reported a medical breakthrough in the UK: a baby has been born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. Experts say this development could expand options for women facing infertility challenges. Doctors involved highlighted the careful ethical and medical safeguards taken during the procedure. While rare, this achievement may pave the
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