Health News Roundup: Explainer-Biden said the pandemic is over. Is it?; Uganda declares Ebola outbreak after Sudan strain found and more

Hundreds of people may have died from diseases spreading after the flooding, authorities in the southern Sindh region said, with villagers there saying potable water shortages meant they were drinking and cooking with flood water. COVID-19 pandemic remains a global emergency but end could be in sight: WHO The coronavirus pandemic remains a global emergency but the end could be in sight if countries use the tools at their disposal, a spokesperson for the World Health Organisation told a briefing on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Explainer-Biden said the pandemic is over. Is it?

What is the status of COVID-19 now that President Joe Biden has told the CBS 60 Minutes news program the pandemic is over in the United States? HAS THE U.S. FORMALLY DECLARED THE END OF THE PANDEMIC?

Uganda declares Ebola outbreak after Sudan strain found

An outbreak of Ebola has been declared in Uganda after health authorities confirmed a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain, the health ministry and World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. A 24-year-old man in Uganda's central Mubende district showed symptoms and later died.

Deadly childhood diseases rise in Ethiopia's Tigray as war hampers vaccinations

Deadly diseases such as measles, tetanus and whooping cough are on the rise in Ethiopia's Tigray region after vaccination rates plunged during the civil war that broke out nearly two years ago, doctors and regional health officials say.

The percentage of children in Tigray receiving routine vaccines has fallen below 10% this year, data from the Tigray Health Bureau shows, undoing years of government efforts to boost immunization rates.

GAVI financing to allow for immediate funds for next pandemic

Global vaccine alliance GAVI has set up financial instruments that will allow the group to immediately access pledged donor funding if it needs to buy vaccines for future pandemics, Chief Executive Seth Berkley told Reuters. Berkley said that in 2020 and 2021, GAVI was limited in its ability to buy COVID-19 vaccines because even though donors had committed $2.4 billion, the vaccine alliance only had $400 million in cash on hand.

Merck to start studying lower dose of HIV drug after FDA hold

Merck & Co Inc said on Tuesday it would start fresh late-stage studies of its HIV treatment, islatravir, months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration put the trials on hold, citing safety concerns. The FDA has reviewed and agreed with the plan to study lower-dose versions of the once-daily pill for treating HIV patients, the company said.

Pakistan flood-borne diseases kills 9 more, toll surpasses 1,550

At least nine more people died from water-borne diseases that have attacked tens of thousands of displaced people living in areas devastated by the Pakistan floods, officials said on Tuesday, warning they risked losing control of the spread of infections. Hundreds of people may have died from diseases spreading after the flooding, authorities in the southern Sindh region said, with villagers there saying potable water shortages meant they were drinking and cooking with flood water.

COVID-19 pandemic remains a global emergency but end could be in sight: WHO

The coronavirus pandemic remains a global emergency but the end could be in sight if countries use the tools at their disposal, a spokesperson for the World Health Organisation told a briefing on Tuesday. The comments come after U.S. President Joe Biden declared "the pandemic is over" in an interview aired on Sunday.

Hong Kong flags COVID quarantine policy change, wants an orderly opening-up

Hong Kong said on Tuesday it aims to make an announcement soon on its controversial COVID-19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals, as it wants to keep the city connected with the rest of the world and allow an "orderly opening-up". The city's leader, John Lee, said he was conscious Hong Kong needed to retain its competitiveness, adding that authorities were keen to bring back events and activities to the city.

Cancer victims urge court to end J&J bankruptcy roadblock to lawsuits

People suing Johnson & Johnson over the company's talc products urged an appeals court on Monday to revive their claims, saying the profitable company should not be allowed to use a bankrupt subsidiary to block lawsuits alleging the products cause cancer. They asked a panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss the bankruptcy of J&J's subsidiary LTL Management, saying that LTL is a "concocted" corporation set up solely to stop them from getting their day in court.

Haleon believes it is not liable for any potential Zantac liabilities

Haleon believes it is not liable for any claims that may arise from U.S. litigation over the heartburn drug Zantac, the London-listed company's CEO Brian McNamara told Reuters on Tuesday. More than 2,000 legal cases related to Zantac have been filed in the United States over allegations that the compound contains a probable carcinogen.

(With inputs from agencies.)