1-5 | Myanmar’s public healthcare system is in disarray. Days after the military seized power on 1 February, medical staff walked out of their jobs, spearheading the civil disobedience movement that saw government employees of all stripes go on strike. Most have not returned. Those on strike who continue to practice in underground clinics risk being attacked and detained by the authorities. At least 28 healthcare professionals have been killed since 1 February, and nearly 90 remain arrested.
11-4 | Following the release of US pharmaceutical company Moderna’s astronomical third quarter 2021 sales figures from its only product, the COVID-19 vaccine, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urged the company to immediately share its mRNA vaccine technology and know-how through the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer Hub in South Africa.
7-16 | In the South African provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), social unrest, including widespread looting, has led to the disruption of crucial healthcare services and access to food and other essentials. To date, 72 people are reported killed in the violence with hundreds more sustaining injuries, including lacerations, gunshot and burn wounds.
4-23 | The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is restarting its emergency response today in India amid a surging second wave of COVID-19 in Mumbai in Maharashtra state. The city is very densely populated, and poor hygiene conditions in parts of the city could lead to a rapid spread of the virus if more isn’t done to prevent transmission and treat people who have fallen ill. New infections across the country have reached more than 300,000 cases in a single day—a global record.