Dr. Richard Sezibera is the former Health and Foreign Minister of Rwanda.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is set to double by 2050. Already, 60% of the population is below the age of 25. This is a huge opportunity for our continent, but it can also be a ticking bomb if we don’t invest and harness the power of this demography.
What better ways are there than to start investing in them from an early age? Primary health care should remain our biggest...
Health
Gender inequality affects women and girls in a multitude of ways, including access to health services. When it comes to vaccines, the overall news is positive: globally, boys and girls are immunised at similar rates. However, there are variations from region to region, and this doesn’t account for specific health needs based on sex.
HPV is one of the most pressing gender-specific diseases that can be prevented with a vaccine. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a key player in preventing...
Vaccines are one of the most crucial modern health tools. They save up to 3 million lives every year — equal to the population of Rome — and they have the potential to save an additional 1.5 million.
There’s no denying the importance of vaccines, but children worldwide are continuing to miss out on this vital tool. Vaccines can save an additional 1.5 million lives, thanks to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Here are five challenges that are preventing vaccination, and what...
This year our campaigners are fighting to raise awareness about the power of a tiny but mighty health intervention: vaccines.
Vaccines are a critical and cost-effective intervention that have the ability to promote good health, boost economies, and reduce poverty. That’s why it’s essential that we fully replenish Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — a global organisation fighting to make sure everyone, everywhere has access to life-saving vaccines — this coming June.
This February, our teams in the United Kingdom and the...
The rapid spread of the coronavirus has captured the world’s attention. Damaging as it may be, this tiny virus is an urgent reminder of our collective vulnerability to transnational threats — and of the urgency of common cause to protect the health of people everywhere.
National responses — factual public information, containment, testing, tracing, treatment — are critical. But so is an international response that seeks to respond to today’s emergency while also preparing the world to deal with the next...
Since the beginning of the year, the spread of coronavirus has dominated the news, and for good reason. So far, the virus has infected over 84,0000 people worldwide and killed about 2,900.
In a new development, Nigeria confirmed the first case of coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa on 28 February. The virus was brought by an Italian citizen working in Nigeria, who is currently stable with no serious symptoms.
It comes as no surprise that coronavirus has now reached sub-Saharan Africa, but...
Globally, rates of extreme poverty are declining. But, that positive progress isn’t reflected when we examine poverty rates at a regional level. 70% of the world’s poorest live in Africa and forecasts indicate that “by 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will live in sub-Saharan Africa.”
So, how can we change this? One key way to stem poverty is to invest in key interventions that will enable people to live healthy and productive lives, like vaccines.
The power of...
Why do we need to invest in global health programmes?
Just look at what’s happening right now with coronavirus. 2020 has just started, and we have already seen the first major health alert of the new decade, following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China. In a short amount of time coronavirus, a contagious respiratory infection that can be fatal, has already spread to nearly every province China, and across the world.
The speed that the virus has spread and the...
The 2020 Gates Letter, marking the 20th anniversary of the Gates Foundation, dropped this week. Each year, the Gates annual letter makes an argument for what, why, and how we should invest to make the most meaningful impact on the world. It paints a portrait of where the world has been, where it currently is, and where it can go with the right action.
This year, the letter takes on the theme of “swinging for the fences,” which is advice...
Vaccines don’t just stop us from getting sick. They help keep us healthy, allowing us to take advantage of all the opportunities that life has to offer. For some, getting vaccinations is a simple trip to the doctor’s office. But for many in the world, it’s a lot harder to access vaccinations.
Victor is a health worker in the rural outskirts of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) capital city. Delivering healthcare in communities affected by extreme poverty is...