logo
WHO's Covid-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at age 75

WHO's Covid-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at age 75

Straits Times26-07-2025
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
Dr David Nabarro called for more global cooperation and aid to poorer countries at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
LONDON - Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation's special envoy for Covid-19 since the early stages of the outbreak in 2020, has died at the age of 75, the WHO said on July 26.
'David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,' World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the Briton in a post on X.
Dr Nabarro was also co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.
At the height of the pandemic in 2021, Dr Nabarro called for more global cooperation and aid to poorer countries during a health crisis he said was 'nothing like anything else we've ever seen in my professional life'.
In 2017, he was a candidate for WHO director-general, finishing second to Dr Tedros in the election. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former Milan captain Baresi undergoes lung surgery, says recovery underway
Former Milan captain Baresi undergoes lung surgery, says recovery underway

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Former Milan captain Baresi undergoes lung surgery, says recovery underway

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Former AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi is recovering well after undergoing surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule, the Serie A club confirmed on Sunday. The honorary vice president and former captain for Milan underwent a routine medical check which revealed the issue and will undergo oncological recovery therapy with immunotherapy. "Dear fans, I just want to let you know that it will take me a little time to get back to full strength," Baresi said in a statement. The 65-year-old Baresi is regarded as an icon at San Siro, having spent his entire 20-year career with the club and captaining the team for 15 seasons before retiring in 1997. He was part of the Italy squad that won the 1982 World Cup and captained the team to the 1994 final, which ended in a narrow penalty shootout loss to Brazil. REUTERS

Egypt's state-affiliated TV says two fuel trucks set to enter Gaza
Egypt's state-affiliated TV says two fuel trucks set to enter Gaza

Straits Times

time10 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Egypt's state-affiliated TV says two fuel trucks set to enter Gaza

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox CAIRO - Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on Sunday that two fuel trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel restricted the entry of goods and aid into the Palestinian enclave. Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages were hindering the operation of hospitals, adding that doctors had to prioritise services at some of their facilities. There was no immediate confirmation whether the trucks had entered Gaza. Fuel entry has been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages it took in its October 2023 assault on Israel. Dozens have died of malnutrition in Gaza in recent weeks, according to Gaza's health ministry. It said on Saturday that it had recorded seven more fatalities, including a child, since Friday. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps for more aid to reach its population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. U.N. agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and quickly ease the access to it. COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said 35 trucks have entered Gaza since June, nearly all of them in July. More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the enclave in January and February during the ceasefire, before Israel resumed its major offensive in March. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. REUTERS

More livestock in Japan undergo online medical exams due to veterinarian shortage
More livestock in Japan undergo online medical exams due to veterinarian shortage

Straits Times

time14 hours ago

  • Straits Times

More livestock in Japan undergo online medical exams due to veterinarian shortage

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Farm owner Norihiko Kobayashi points a tablet's camera toward his cow based on instructions from a veterinarian, in Ebetsu, Hokkaido. SAPPORO – Online medical examinations for livestock are becoming more common, particularly in Hokkaido, and part of the reason is due to a shortage of large animal veterinarians. As veterinarians in Hokkaido sometimes need to travel hundreds of kilometers a day, online medical exams are expected to decrease their burden and help them treat animals more quickly. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry is promoting online exams for livestock, aiming to develop a system in which farmers on remote islands and other areas that are not easily accessible can get help for their animals. In June, the press was invited to see how an online medical exam was conducted at a dairy farm in Ebetsu, Hokkaido. The farm keeps nearly 650 dairy cows and other animals. By looking at his tablet, veterinarian Shota Tominaga was able to conduct a visual examination of a cow. 'She probably has hypocalcemia after giving birth,' he said, and gave instructions on how medicine should be administered. 'I'll give her the medicine soon,' said farm owner Norihiko Kobayashi, while speaking to Mr Tominaga through the tablet. The online system, developed by Tokyo-based SB Technology Corp, allows farmers to book appointments for their animals, either through the program or via the Line messaging app. During the exam, they can speak to the veterinarian via their smartphone or tablet, and medical records are stored on cloud services. According to the Nosai Hokkaido agricultural mutual aid association, the system is being used by 71 veterinary clinics in the region. Between June 2 024 and May, the system was used to conduct about 330 medical exams on cows and horses. The online system has enabled veterinarians to examine animals more efficiently in Hokkaido, where farms are far apart. The system also means fewer people visit the farms, reducing the risk of spreading infectious diseases among animals. The agriculture ministry hopes the system will also help shorten exam time and reduce costs. Mr Tominaga says he sometimes visits up to 10 farmers a day. 'Most of my working hours are spent driving,' he said. 'As (the system) reduces travel time, I think I'll be able to treat illnesses more quickly.' Nosai Hokkaido aims to develop a system, based on medical records, by the end of this fiscal year in which medicines that will likely be necessary will be distributed in advance so farmers can administer them as soon as veterinarians tell them to do so. This means farmers will have to have the necessary telecommunication equipment, acquire skills and learn how to administer medicines. 'I believe online exams will be conducted more and more,' said Mr Shigeru Nakao, 60, chief of Nosai Hokkaido's livestock department. The system has also been introduced by Nosai Okinawa, a similar mutual aid association in Okinawa Prefecture, as well as some animal clinics in the Kyushu and Tohoku regions. According to the ministry, of the 40,455 people who had veterinary licenses as of 2022, about 40 per cent worked at animal hospitals for pets. In contrast, only 4,460 veterinarians worked with livestock, meaning there is a shortage of large animal veterinarians. Nosai associations provide mutual aid programs that cover medical costs for livestock owned by member farmers. To promote online medical exams, the ministry had these exams be covered by the programs starting in fiscal 2023. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store