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Gavi and UNICEF welcome approval of new oral cholera vaccine – World – ReliefWeb

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 18 April 2024 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF welcome the news that a new oral cholera vaccine (OCV), Euvichol-S, has now received WHO prequalification and can be made available to countries around the world. The prequalification of this new product will help EuBiologics, the manufacturer, produce more volumes of vaccine, faster, and at a lower cost – a key step to expanding supply amidst the on-going acute global upsurge of cholera outbreaks.

Today’s approval will help increase the overall supply of oral cholera vaccines available in 2024, with approximately 50 million doses now forecasted to be available to the global stockpile this year, compared to 38 million in 2023. Euvichol-S is an important product innovation: a simplified formulation of Euvichol-Plus that reduces the number of vaccine components – delivering a vaccine that studies have shown remains equally effective against key cholera serogroups while lowering production cost and complexity – thus allowing for larger volumes to be produced faster.

Cholera has been surging globally since 2021, with high case fatality rates despite availability of simple, effective and affordable treatment. The large number of outbreaks has led to unprecedented demand for vaccines from impacted countries. While global oral cholera vaccine supply has increased eighteen-fold between 2013 and 2023, the large and sustained spike in demand has put a strain on the global stockpile of cholera vaccines. Partners and countries are working urgently on cholera response, prevention and control measures in the face of this crisis, and have called on countries, manufacturers and others to support. Most recently, Gavi, UNICEF and partners announced the largest ever global deployment of cholera diagnostics to support surveillance and response.

“Prequalification of Euvichol-S represents a lifeline for vulnerable communities around the world,” said Dr Derrick Sim, Managing Director of Vaccine Markets and Health Security at Gavi. “Every vaccine dose delivered through Gavi programmes today represents years of planning and investment to shape the market so supply matches countries’ needs. The approval of this new product could not have come at a more important time given the acute upsurge of cholera outbreaks we are seeing worldwide. We commend EuBiologics for their role in ensuring countries around the world have access to cholera vaccine as part of their response toolkit.”

EuBiologics is currently the only supplier of OCV to the global stockpile, although other manufacturers are expected to have products available in the coming years. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance works to shape the OCV market, and funds the global stockpile of OCV doses, along with transport and vaccination activities in lower-income countries. UNICEF leads on procurement and delivery of doses to countries. Use of the stockpile for emergency response is overseen by the International Coordination Group for Vaccine Provision (ICG), led by WHO.

“Despite cholera being preventable and easily treatable, children continue to suffer from this potentially fatal disease. UNICEF has already secured access to all the available doses of the just-approved vaccine and will deliver these to the countries at the highest possible speed,” said Leila Pakkala, Director of UNICEF Supply Division. “The approval means that UNICEF can increase the procurement and delivery of cholera vaccines by more than 25 per cent, pushing back harder on deadly cholera outbreaks.”

Notes to editors:

Media contacts

Sara Alhattab
UNICEF New York
Tel: +1 917 957 6536
Email: salhattab@unicef.org

Meghana Sharafudeen
Gavi
Tel: +41 79 711 55 54
Email: msharafudeen@gavi.org

Laura Shevlin
Gavi
Tel: + 41 79 529 92 87
Email: lshevlin@gavi.org

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United Methodist Church lifts 40-year ban on LGBTQ clergy – CNN

CNN
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The United Methodist Church overturned its 40-year ban on gay clergy Wednesday, marking a historic shift in the church’s stance on homosexuality.

The church has long been divided into factions over LGBTQ inclusion and even weighed splitting into two separate churches over the issue, CNN previously reported.

In 1984, the church banned “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from becoming members of the clergy, and later added performing or celebrating same-sex unions to “a list of chargeable offenses that could result in a church trial,” according to a timeline of the church’s history with the LGBTQ community.

The Methodist community spent the ensuing decades debating, fighting and praying over their stance on gay clergy and LGBTQ members. But Wednesday’s vote by the church’s top legislative body signaled a historic shift toward acceptance and inclusion.

In a 692-51 vote, church leaders passed several rules without debate, including overturning both its ban on gay clergy and the penalties for holding same-sex marriages, according to the United Methodist News service.

After the vote, Hope Morgan Ward, a retired bishop in the United Methodist Church, prayed the church would be used as “peacemakers and servants” and be “welcoming of all people into the embrace of God.”

According to the Methodist news service, members cheered, cried and hugged after the vote.

“We’ve been going on like this since the ’70s and, finally, in just a brief few minutes with no debate, it was gone. And now we can get on about the business of the church,” Marilyn Murphy, an observer from the church’s South Carolina conference, told the news service.

LGBTQ advocates within the church hailed the decision.

Matt Patrick, co-pastor at the University United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, told CNN he became emotional after the church announced the decision.

“I did tear up this morning at the announcement of the vote because it was just a huge relief to see justice had been done after so many years,” he said. “There’s just been a lot of pain in order to get us to this place.”

Though the prohibition on gay clergy has been removed from the church bylaws, Patrick said the work will continue to ensure the Methodist church is as an inclusive place for everyone.

“Where we go from here, God only knows,” he said.

More changes are expected as the legislative conference continues in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This is a developing story. Please check back for the latest updates.

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Corruption’s Grip on Road Infrastructure Slows Malawi’s Development – VOA Zimbabwe

Economic and accountability bodies in Malawi urge the government to address flaws in the public procurement system. A 2021 Malawi Assurance Report on Public Infrastructure Projects suggests pervasive corruption in Malawi’s public sector. The construction industry is particularly affected.

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Livetalk – VOA Zimbabwe

Livetalk is a 30-minute call-in TV (simulcast) talk show engaging Zimbabweans in-country and in the diaspora to air their views on developments taking place in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. The program aims to enlighten citizens on critical issues by engaging experts, non-state actors, politicians and government officials. Join us Monday to Friday 1800-1830UTC, 2000-2030pm Zimbabwe time.