Health News Roundup: Haiti cholera outbreak worsens, COVID-19 cases rise in Americas - PAHO; China reports 23,276 new COVID cases for Nov 16 vs 20,199 a day earlier and more

Xi told Widodo that China will promote joint research and development on vaccines and continue to support Indonesia in building a regional vaccine production centre, according to a readout published by the Chinese foreign ministry. U.S. FDA advisers back Ardelyx's kidney disease drug A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator on Wednesday recommended the approval of Ardelyx Inc's drug for chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis, more than a year after it was initially rejected.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Haiti cholera outbreak worsens, COVID-19 cases rise in Americas - PAHO

The cholera situation in Haiti continues to worsen while COVID-19 cases rose over the past week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. Haitian health authorities have confirmed over 700 cases of cholera and 144 cholera-related deaths since early October, and are investigating more than 7,000 suspected cases, PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne said.

China reports 23,276 new COVID cases for Nov 16 vs 20,199 a day earlier

China reported 23,276 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 16, of which 2,388 were symptomatic and 20,888 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. That compared with 20,199 new cases a day earlier – 1,623 symptomatic and 18,576 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.

Lab-grown meat cleared for human consumption by U.S. regulator

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time cleared a meat product grown from animal cells for human consumption, the agency announced on Wednesday. UPSIDE Foods, a company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks, will be able to bring its products to market once it has been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), said a release from the FDA.

Ebola vaccine candidates expected to be shipped to Uganda next week - WHO

Three Ebola vaccine candidates for a planned clinical trial are expected to be shipped to Uganda next week, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. The candidates include vaccines under development by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, Sabin Vaccine Institute, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Merck & Co Inc.

Chinese and Indonesian presidents pledge more COVID vaccine cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo held formal talks on Wednesday on the Indonesian island of Bali, with both leaders pledging closer cooperation on the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Xi told Widodo that China will promote joint research and development on vaccines and continue to support Indonesia in building a regional vaccine production centre, according to a readout published by the Chinese foreign ministry.

U.S. FDA advisers back Ardelyx's kidney disease drug

A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator on Wednesday recommended the approval of Ardelyx Inc's drug for chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis, more than a year after it was initially rejected. The Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel voted 9-4 in favor of the drug, tenapanor, to be administered as a single therapy for treating high phosphate levels in the blood of patients on dialysis.

England's health service risks missing targets on waiting lists - report

A plan to reduce lengthy wait times in England's state-run National Health Service for elective and cancer care by 2025 is at risk, a report said on Thursday, as funding falls behind inflation and it faces issues with staffing and productivity. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt will set out a raft of tax rises and spending cuts later in the day, with unions warning that the Autumn Statement is the last chance to "save the NHS", and lining up potential strike action over the winter.

Malta set to ease strict anti-abortion laws

Malta is set to ease its strict anti-abortion laws by allowing the termination of pregnancies when the mother's life or health are at serious risk, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Wednesday. The Mediterranean island is the only country in the European Union which has a complete ban on abortion and opinion polls consistently show a strong majority against it, mostly among older persons.

Tyson Foods ends COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees

Tyson Foods Inc confirmed on Wednesday it eliminated a requirement that employees receive COVID-19 vaccinations, a step the company said improved meatpacking operations after plants closed in 2020 due to outbreaks among workers early in the pandemic. The biggest U.S. meat company by sales lifted the mandate on Oct. 31, one year after imposing it, according to a report Tyson filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. The requirement "generally improved our ability to operate our business effectively in fiscal 2022," the report said.

U.S. FDA denies Australian Dairy accelerated approval to sell infant formula

Australian Dairy Nutritionals Group said on Thursday its application for accelerated approval to vend the dairy firm's branded infant formula in the United States has not been accepted by the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Antipodean dairy companies have been queuing up for necessary approvals since May after the United States faced a nationwide shortage of baby food.

(With inputs from agencies.)