Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Worries Grow About A Looming Global Food Crisis
Voice of America: Head Of UN Food Agency Says War In Ukraine Will Lead To Worst Food Crisis Since World War II
The head of the United Nations’ food agency says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to the worst global food crisis since World War II. David Beasley, the head of the World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that the month-old war has turned Ukraine “from the breadbasket of the world to breadlines.” He told the Security Council that 50% of the grain it purchases to feed 125 million people around the globe comes from Ukraine, and warned that it will have to start cutting rations in war-torn areas like Yemen, which has already had its food allotment cut in half due to rising costs of food, fuel and shipping. (3/30)
Al Jazeera: AfDB President: Ukraine War Could Trigger A Food Crisis In Africa
In his current role as the president of the African Development Bank, the continent’s largest multilateral lender, Akinwumi Adesina is trying to avert a food crisis on a larger scale. As the war between Russia and Ukraine draws into its second month, natural gas, wheat and fertilizer prices have skyrocketed. Together Russia and Ukraine produce more than a quarter of global wheat exports, and Africa is heavily dependent on both countries. Wheat imports make up 90 percent of Africa’s $4bn trade with Russia and almost half of the continent’s $4.5bn trade with Ukraine, according to AfDB.
In global covid news —
Bloomberg: Desperation Hits Shanghai’s Chronically Ill As Infections Soar
Shanghai’s growing Covid-19 outbreak is causing desperation among residents with chronic medical conditions who depend on the increasingly overwhelmed health care system, as even getting to regular appointments becomes nearly impossible. The Chinese financial hub decision to seal off its 25 million people in two stages this week hasn’t yet slowed the conflagration as local infections jumped more than 30% to a record 5,982 on Wednesday. It’s made daily life a challenge for residents, who struggle to get fresh food and walk their dogs. For those with ongoing health needs, it can add a life-or-death hurdle to the equation. (3/30)
AP: EU Regulator Starts Reviewing Spanish COVID Vaccine Booster
The European Union’s drug regulator said Tuesday it has begun an accelerated review process for an experimental coronavirus vaccine booster made by the Spanish company Hipra. The European Medicines Agency said in a statement that its evaluation is based on preliminary data from laboratory studies and research in adults that compared Hipra’s booster shot to the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech. It said early results suggest the immune response achieved with Hipra “may be effective” against COVID-19, including the hugely infectious omicron variant. (3/29)
Also —
Crain's Cleveland Business: Cleveland Clinic Opens Its London Hospital
Cleveland Clinic has opened the doors of its new hospital in central London, the latest international location for the health system's expanding global footprint. Cleveland Clinic London offers a global network of physicians and specialists to deliver the Clinic's best practices and core values, according to a news release. Its doctor-led model of care is based on research and education. The 184-bed hospital, which opened Tuesday, March 29, is the health system's second in London, following the Cleveland Clinic Portland Place Outpatient Centre. The six-story, 28,000-square foot outpatient facility opened in September 2021 at Portland Place in the Harley Street Medical Area, where outpatient services will continue to be offered. (Coutré, 3/29)
