Othoman Mellouk

@omellouk.bsky.social

Global health advocate

"It's like watching a train wreck in real time – and not being able to do a thing about it." The U.S. funding freeze and the conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo #DRC has made a dire situation worse, hindering the urgent response to the #mpox emergency. www.npr.org/sections/goa...

Why the good news about the mpox outbreak of 2025 isn't really good after all

The case counts seem to be dropping. But health officials say that's because violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo makes it difficult to get good data. And now U.S. assistance is being disrupte...

npr.org

Huge win for access to life-saving meds in Thailand! The patent was rejected which stops evergreening, where big pharma tries to extend patents on existing drugs. Read more 👉https://makemedicinesaffordable.org/successfully-opposing-big-pharmas-hepatitis-c-drug-monopoly/

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The first batch of a generic version of dolutegravir (DTG), an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV, arrived in Colombia on Thursday as part of a compulsory license, marking a significant milestone for the Colombian government in prioritizing patients over the profits of pharmaceutical companies.

Major Win: First Batch of Dolutegravir Arrives in Colombia Under a Compulsory License - Make Medicines Affordable

The first batch of generic version of dolutegravir (DTG), an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV,  arrived in Colombia on Thursday as part of a compulsory license, marking a significant milestone fo...

makemedicinesaffordable.org

"This is a global disaster. USAID supports HIV testing, treatment and prevention in over 50 countries. This freeze on funding has has shut down clinics and laid off thousands of health workers..." ▶️ Watch this new BBC News interview with IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn!

International AIDS Society on LinkedIn: #savepepfar #saveusaid #putpeoplefirst

"This is a global disaster. USAID supports HIV testing, treatment and prevention in over 50 countries. This freeze on funding has has shut down clinics and…

linkedin.com

My message yesterday: "No local manufacturing plan in Africa can succeed without a bold reform of the intellectual property system. Without it, we are merely building on borrowed ground, unable to truly empower local industries to address Africa’s health needs sustainably."

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📢PEPFAR FREEZE-WAIVER📢 JUST IN: SA health groups have written to Health, Treasury, DIRCO & SA Presidency about need for urgent, reasonable PLAN, to address dire consequences of USG Executive Orders, Waiver, Bans & US Court Rulings, for SA. More here: healthjusticeinitiative.org.za/2025/02/05/p...

PEPFAR FREEZE - Health Justice Initiative (HJI)

A group of civil society organisations has written the following joint letter calling for the South African government to provide a coordinated emergency response to address the healthcare emergency c...

healthjusticeinitiative.org.za

In light of the current crisis in global public health ITPC invites you to join a webinar. The discussion will include the current global health crisis, human rights, HIV science, development, finance and community intelligence. Register for the webinar here: shorturl.at/fpsqJ

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“The abrupt stop is not responsible,” said Solange Baptiste, the executive director of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, an organization that works to improve access to treatment for people with H.I.V. “Lives are at risk when you do that.”

Pause on U.S. Funding Spreads Fear of H.I.V. Spike Across Africa (Gift Article)

Patients and health care advocates said the abrupt decision to halt U.S. funding for a lifesaving H.I.V. program led to widespread confusion. The backtracking didn’t help.

nytimes.com

Guess who finally made it to Blue Sky? 🎉 Hi, I’m Othoman, a passionate advocate for access to medicines and other important stuff. Here, I’ll be sharing thoughts, updates, and maybe a few random musings. Disclaimer: My posts = my opinions. Let’s connect and keep it real (and maybe a little fun)!