Latest news with #pandemicpreparedness
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Michelle Murti appointed Toronto's new medical officer of health
Michelle Murti has been appointed Toronto's new medical officer of health, after city council's approval. Her start on Sept. 3 is subject to the approval of the province's Ministry of Health. Dr. Murti currently serves as associate chief medical officer of health for Ontario. "She has played a pivotal role in pandemic preparedness, emergency response and health system transformation," the city said in a news release Wednesday. Dr. Murti has a medical degree, a public health Master's degree and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in public health and preventive medicine. She is also licensed in family medicine and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. "Under Dr. Murti's leadership, Toronto Public Health will continue to build on its legacy of innovation, resilience and impact as one of Canada's leading local public health agencies," the city said. Dr. Murti says she is honoured to be taking on this role. "I look forward to working alongside the incredible Toronto Public Health staff and with community and city partners to protect and improve health, reduce health inequities and make Toronto a healthy and resilient place where we can all live, work and play," she said in the release. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said this move is a step forward. "I am confident that Dr. Murti is well-prepared to take on the top leadership role for Toronto Public Health in its service to our residents," she said in the release. Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey will continue to serve as Toronto's acting medical officer of health until Sept. 2.
CBC
7 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Michelle Murti appointed Toronto's new medical officer of health
Michelle Murti has been appointed Toronto's new medical officer of health, after city council's approval. Her start on Sept. 3 is subject to the approval of the province's Ministry of Health. Dr. Murti currently serves as associate chief medical officer of health for Ontario. "She has played a pivotal role in pandemic preparedness, emergency response and health system transformation," the city said in a news release Wednesday. Dr. Murti has a medical degree, a public health Master's degree and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in public health and preventive medicine. She is also licensed in family medicine and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. "Under Dr. Murti's leadership, Toronto Public Health will continue to build on its legacy of innovation, resilience and impact as one of Canada's leading local public health agencies," the city said. Dr. Murti says she is honoured to be taking on this role. "I look forward to working alongside the incredible Toronto Public Health staff and with community and city partners to protect and improve health, reduce health inequities and make Toronto a healthy and resilient place where we can all live, work and play," she said in the release. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said this move is a step forward. "I am confident that Dr. Murti is well-prepared to take on the top leadership role for Toronto Public Health in its service to our residents," she said in the release. Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey will continue to serve as Toronto's acting medical officer of health until Sept. 2.
Zawya
7 days ago
- Health
- Zawya
Unicef, World Bank join forces with South Africa for pandemic readiness
A mechanism set to support pandemic preparedness in low- and middle-income countries is set to be launched later this week. The Department of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), will officially launch the Pandemic Fund. As the project lead for this initiative, the Department of Health aims to strengthen South Africa's capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. According to the joint statement, the launch, scheduled for Thursday in Pretoria, represents a significant milestone in global health security efforts. The Pandemic Fund, hosted by the World Bank, is a global financing mechanism that provides catalytic funding to support pandemic preparedness and response in low- and middle-income countries. 'South Africa's engagement through this project reinforces its leadership and commitment to advancing health system resilience,' the statement read. The launch will feature keynote remarks from national and international leaders, the unveiling of South Africa's Pandemic Fund implementation strategy, a panel discussion on pandemic preparedness, and opportunities for media engagement and networking with key stakeholders. The gathering will feature senior officials from various departments, including Health, Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development, as well as Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment. Representatives from the WHO, Unicef, FAO, the Pandemic Fund Secretariat, development partners, civil society organisations, and the media will also be present. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Arab News
23-07-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Pakistani officials push for unified climate-health strategy under comprehensive national framework
ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistani officials on Tuesday urged stronger cross-sector coordination to address the country's rising climate-linked health risks, as stakeholders gathered in Islamabad to reaffirm support for the One Health Pakistan initiative, a national framework linking human, animal and environmental health. The meeting was held at COMSTECH and co-hosted by the Health Services Academy and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. It brought together officials from the health, environment and development sectors, along with representatives from the World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and World Wide Fund for Nature. The session focused on building a climate-resilient health workforce and integrated response systems for pandemic preparedness. 'We must reaffirm our collective commitment to the One Health Pakistan initiative,' said Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr. Nelson Azeem. 'The challenges we face are interlinked, and so must be our response.' Other speakers warned that unchecked pollution, biodiversity loss and weak institutional coordination were accelerating zoonotic disease outbreaks and undermining early warning systems. Participants proposed the creation of dedicated One Health Units within provincial and federal departments to streamline disease surveillance and climate-health response planning, potentially funded through Annual Development Plans, Public Sector Development Program or international pandemic preparedness programs. Those present also agreed to turn dialogue into concrete action by strengthening inter-agency coordination, investing in integrated surveillance systems and scaling up climate-resilient health planning nationwide.
Bloomberg
01-07-2025
- Health
- Bloomberg
Singapore Disease Testing Helps Fill the Gap Left by US Funding Cuts
Several times a year, a dozen or so health professionals from across Southeast Asia spend a week in Singapore examining human excrement. They scoop sewage out of manholes and bring it back to a bright, sterile lab at the city-state's environmental agency, where they concentrate the wastewater, dribble it into test tubes and evaluate it for pathogens. At these training sessions, organized by Duke-NUS Medical School —a leader in infectious disease research—they learn how to extract genetic materials that might indicate the presence of viruses. The aim of the workshops is to train scientists from the region to identify disease outbreaks and stop them before they can spread. At the end of the weeklong program, the participants head home, where they'll pass their newfound knowledge on to colleagues. 'The training helps equip countries with a skilled workforce to prepare for future pandemics,' says Vincent Pang, an epidemiologist at the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness.
