The search for a COVID-19 vaccine is well underway in India. However, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sparked controversy with what some experts have suggested are dubious claims. The ICMR announced last week that an indigenously-manufactured vaccine may be ready by mid-August. ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said “it is envisaged to […]
Featured Stories
HIV/AIDS medicines: COVID hits access
Lost access to HIV/AIDS medicines is no less than a matter of life and death for those affected – but the COVID-19 pandemic has imperilled access to such drugs and, in turn, the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. This week marks the 23rd bi-annual International AIDS Conference. The event “provides a platform for discussing […]
Progeria: The importance of raising awareness and hope
Earlier this year, I wrote about the efforts of the Progeria Research Foundation to offer new hope to children affected by the rare disease progeria, by boosting access to the drug lonafarnib. To better understand the lives of those affected progeria and the work of the Progeria Research Foundation, I interviewed Audrey Gordon, President and […]
PandemiCast XII: How coronavirus has hit businesses and what the situation looks like going forward
In the twelfth edition of PandemiCast, members of the Baird’s CMC family – co-founders Francois Baird and Marta Dourado and shareholder Frederick Fussi – join moderator Mark Chataway to discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has affected businesses. Edited by Iknoor Kaur. You can watch the video here. Watch previous editions of PandemiCast here.
A gender divide when it comes to COVID-19?
Much has been made of how the COVID-19 pandemic affects groups of society differently – and fault lines may be there when it comes to gender and COVID-19 deaths, recent research suggests. More Indian men are diagnosed with COVID-19 and more COVID-19 deaths are reported among men. However, the case fatality rate (CFR) for COVID-19 […]
The importance of healthcare delivery systems in a pandemic: An interview with Professor Sarang Deo
“People-centred and integrated health services are critical for reaching universal health coverage,” asserts the World Health Organization (WHO). Indeed, if the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of robust healthcare delivery systems – and how existing weaknesses have, in many respects, exacerbated and amplified the pandemic’s effects. As lockdown procedures were […]
International Day of Yoga: A brief history
With today marking International Day of Yoga, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to observe the occasion whilst maintaining the physical distancing measures in place to combat the pandemic. “These are times of distancing,” he said. “But do you know Yoga is what ends distance? Yoga is that which joins or […]
PandemiCast XI: International Day of the African Child
This week we observe International Day of the African Child. COVID-19 is impacting all segments of society and children are hard-hit. In a special edition of PandemiCast, we talk to Professor Anne Njom Nlend and Sheriff Bojang, Jr. about the effect of COVID-19 on children in Africa and their mental, emotional, and physical health. Watch […]
Interview: Anjali Gopalan
Interview with health activist Anjali Gopalan May 2016 The lessons learnt in the 1990s from securing access to antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV and AIDS highlight the role of patients in demanding better access to life-saving medicines. As India, like many other growing economies, faces new, deadly diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, Anjali […]
‘We are all stakeholders in this’ – Sunil Dahiya on why need to act on energy and the environment
On the occasion of World Environment Day earlier this month, I wrote “in fighting climate change and stepping up environmentalism efforts, India has much to gain. To forego this, India has much to lose.” Part of such efforts is rethinking the country’s energy infrastructure. An energy transition will be a vital component of combating climate […]