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  • Four countries in the African region license vaccine in milestone for Ebola prevention

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Ghana and Zambia have licensed an Ebola vaccine, just 90 days after World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification. Registration of the vaccine is expected in additional countries in the coming weeks.

    The licensing of the vaccine means that the manufacturer can stockpile and widely distribute this vaccine to African countries at risk of Ebola virus disease outbreaks. Once licensed doses are available, use of the vaccine will not require clinical trial or other research protocols.

    “The approval of the Ebola vaccine by these countries is another milestone in the fight against this unforgiving disease,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Africa has rallied to cement hard-fought progress to keep its people safe from Ebola.”

    WHO accelerated the licensing and roll-out of the Ebola vaccine by certifying that it met the organization’s standards for quality, safety and efficacy in its fastest vaccine prequalification process ever, announced in November 2019.

    The speed with which this has been achieved has been made possible by a different approach, where national licensing procedures were done in parallel based on one single scientific review process. Usually, these process are done one by one, which can take years. The process was led by WHO with the participation of the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (an African network of national regulatory authorities and ethics committees), the European Medicines Agency, and Merck.

    “The rapid approval of the Ebola vaccine by countries in the Africa Region helps ensure this critical prevention tool will be available when and where it is needed most,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “This kind of collaboration and innovation is a model for other health priorities.”

    The injectable Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, is manufactured by Merck (known as MSD outside the US and Canada). Preliminary study results have shown a 97.5% vaccine efficacy. Data also suggests that vaccinating people who are already infected reduces their chances of dying.

    In response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC, over 290 000 people have been vaccinated under compassionate use protocols. Once licensed doses are available, use of the vaccine in DRC will no longer require these protocols

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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/14-02-2020-four-countries-in-the-african-region-license-vaccine-in-milestone-for-ebola-prevention

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  • World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research

    World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research

    Leading health experts from around the world have been meeting at the World Health Organization’s Geneva headquarters to assess the current level of knowledge about the new COVID-19 disease, identify gaps and work together to accelerate and fund priority research needed to help stop this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.

    The 2-day forum was convened in line with the WHO R&D Blueprint – a strategy for developing drugs and vaccines before epidemics, and accelerating research and development while they are occurring.

    “This outbreak is a test of solidarity — political, financial and scientific. We need to come together to fight a common enemy that does not respect borders, ensure that we have the resources necessary to bring this outbreak to an end and bring our best science to the forefront to find shared answers to shared problems. Research is an integral part of the outbreak response,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I appreciate the positive response of the research community to join us at short notice and come up with concrete plans and commitment to work together.”

    The meeting, hosted in collaboration with GloPID-R (the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) brought together major research funders and over 300 scientists and researchers from a large variety of disciplines. They discussed all aspects of the outbreak and ways to control it including:

    • the natural history of the virus, its transmission and diagnosis;
    • animal and environmental research on the origin of the virus, including management measures at the human-animal interface;
    • epidemiological studies;
    • clinical characterization and management of disease caused by the virus;
    • infection prevention and control, including best ways to protect health care workers;
    • research and development for candidate therapeutics and vaccines;
    • ethical considerations for research;
    • and integration of social sciences into the outbreak response.

    “This meeting allowed us to identify the urgent priorities for research. As a group of funders we will continue to mobilize, coordinate and align our funding to enable the research needed to tackle this crisis and stop the outbreak, in partnership with WHO,” said Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, chair of GloPID-R. “Equitable access – making sure we share data and reach those most in need,  in particular those in lower and middle-income countries, is fundamental to this work which must be guided by ethical considerations at all times.”  

    During the meeting, the more than 300 scientists and researchers participating both in person and virtually agreed on a set of global research priorities. They also outlined mechanisms for continuing scientific interactions and collaborations beyond the meeting which will be coordinated and facilitated by WHO. They worked with research funders to determine how necessary resources can be mobilized so that critical research can start immediately.

    The deliberations will form the basis of a research and innovation roadmap charting all the research needed and this will be used by researchers and funders to accelerate the research response.

    Note to editors

    GloPID-R is a global alliance of international research funding organizations investing in preparedness and response to epidemics.

    World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-02-2020-world-experts-and-funders-set-priorities-for-covid-19-research

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  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding during an Ebola virus outbreak

    Pregnancy and breastfeeding during an Ebola virus outbreak

    Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding in an Ebola outbreak face similar challenges as other population groups, but they have specific health needs which must be met.

    As the second largest Ebola outbreak in history continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo, WHO has released new clinical guidelines for healthcare providers supporting pregnant or breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease.

    Improving clinical care and reducing mortality

    92-4-000138-1Clear and coherent guidance is needed to meet the combined needs of women requiring Ebola treatment, pregnancy care and management of complications.

    Information on how to protect breastfeeding children and other members in the community from transmission of the disease is also critical.

    Limited scientific evidence on how to best manage these needs has previously been a challenge for affected countries. In addition, misconceptions that pregnant women have a higher mortality rate than other populations with Ebola may in some contexts have put pregnant women at risk of not receiving standard care.

    WHO’s Guideline on the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus reviews existing evidence and provides a single set of recommendations on the care continuum for women exposed to, diagnosed with, or recovered from Ebola.

    This will enable healthcare providers, emergency response teams and health policy-makers to improve prevention and treatment measures in an Ebola outbreak.

    Obstetric care at an Ebola Treatment Centre

    Optimal supportive care should be offered to all pregnant women with Ebola. Likewise, they should be offered experimental treatment and vaccination under the same conditions as non-pregnant populations.

    Ebola virus disease does increase the risk of miscarriage and early labour, requiring close clinical management at Ebola treatment centres. It is important to engage both obstetric providers and those trained in Ebola response.

    This dual expertise is also important because early Ebola and pregnancy-related symptoms can overlap. Pregnant women should be prioritised for testing to confirm an Ebola infection.

    Ebola virus can persist in pregnancy related fluids as well as breastmilk. If healthcare providers are not clear on how to manage Ebola infection risk, they may be less willing to provide care. This stigma can be life-threatening for women who experience complications during delivery.

    The new WHO guidelines advise healthcare workers on how to protect themselves while caring for pregnant women with Ebola virus disease. This includes induced labour or surgical procedures, which carry greater risk of transmission in cases of acute infection. Any invasive treatments should be carried out in full personal protective equipment.

    Breastfeeding recommendations in an Ebola outbreak

    WHO recommends that women with suspected or confirmed Ebola immediately stop breastfeeding and are prioritised for diagnostic testing. Any child exposed to Ebola through breast milk should be placed into safe care, closely monitored for symptoms over a 21-day period and fed with an appropriate breast milk substitute.  

    The guidelines strongly recommend that breastfeeding is only restarted following two consecutive negative tests of breast milk, separated by 24 hours.

    A breast milk substitute should be used even if infection is confirmed for both the mother and her child. Exceptions can be made for infants under 6 months of age who are already infected, if breast milk substitutes are not feasible, affordable, sustainable or safe and separation cannot be implemented safely.

    Women’s health and rights in a disease outbreak

    A disease outbreak does not change women’s and adolescent girls’ fundamental human right to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including evidence-based care during pregnancy and childbirth.

    Women need support to make informed reproductive health care choices for themselves and their children. Women living in an Ebola outbreak should have access to all relevant reproductive options, regardless of economic, cultural, racial or religious status, including contraception and safe abortion to the full extent of the law.

    Pregnant and breastfeeding women across affected communities need equitable and respectful care that considers the risks they face and supports the choices they make.

    Accessing the guidelines and further research

    These guidelines are now available online and may be freely downloaded. The executive summary will be available in French.

    WHO will closely monitor new data as it emerges, as there is still a pressing need to prioritise ongoing research related to Ebola virus transmission.

     

     

     

    Pregnancy and breastfeeding during an Ebola virus outbreak
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-02-2020-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding-during-an-ebola-virus-outbreak

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  • WHO and FIND formalize strategic collaboration to drive universal access to essential diagnostics

    Geneva, Switzerland – 10 February 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) announced today that a memorandum of understanding has been signed by the two organizations to formalize a strategic collaboration that will strengthen diagnosis in resource-poor countries by closing major diagnostic gaps at country level and bolstering disease surveillance that will inform public health initiatives and enhance outbreak preparedness and response.

    “This collaboration is an inspiring development that will take us a long way towards ensuring access to diagnostics to all who need them,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Global health challenges such as the ongoing novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak demonstrates that without these essential elements of health systems, we cannot hope to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. I look forward to working closely with FIND to determine what countries need and to forge a path to deliver these innovations so that no one is left behind.”

    Diagnosis is a driver of patient, financial and health systems impact, and a critical enabler of universal health coverage, but it is also the weakest link in the care cascade. This is especially true in primary healthcare settings in low- and middle-income countries. A unique and unprecedented opportunity exists to expand the role and impact of diagnostics to fully realize their potential to address major health security threats and evolving disease burdens through technological and digital advances.

    FIND has been an active partner with WHO since 2008 and a WHO Collaborating Centre since 2014, acting in the areas of laboratory strengthening and diagnostic technology evaluation. This expanded collaboration will put in place the building blocks necessary to enable transformative change in a move toward a country-led diagnostics alliance. Initial workstreams will focus on demand-driven access to essential diagnostics and the development of national Essential Diagnostics Lists, alongside collection of data that assist the scale up of diagnostics to support low- and middle-income countries on their paths to universal health coverage.

    “Each and every person has the right to a quality, timely diagnosis,” said Catharina Boehme, CEO of FIND. “Comprehensive diagnostic services underpin functional and efficient health systems not only to manage day-to-day healthcare needs, but also to ensure new disease outbreaks can be spotted and contained quickly. Working closely with WHO as part of a country-led alliance, we will strive to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have what they need to develop their own comprehensive, data-driven diagnostic strategies that enable universal health coverage and empower disease surveillance. Our ambition is that all patients, providers and decision-makers have access to the diagnostic solutions needed for optimal health outcomes.”

    The strategic collaboration agreement will initially run for a period of 5 years, until 2025.

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    About FIND

    FIND is a global non-profit organization that drives innovation in the development and delivery of diagnostics to combat major diseases affecting the world’s poorest populations. Our work bridges R&D to access, overcoming scientific barriers to technology development; generating evidence for regulators and policy-makers; addressing market failures; and enabling accelerated uptake and access to diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Since 2003, we have been instrumental in the development of 24 new diagnostic tools used in 150 LMICs. Over 50 million FIND-supported products have been provided to our target markets since the start of 2015. A WHO Collaborating Centre, we work with more than 200 academic, industry, governmental, and civil society partners worldwide, on over 70 active projects that cross six priority disease areas. FIND is committed to a future in which diagnostics underpin treatment decisions and provide the foundation for disease surveillance, control and prevention. For more information, please visit www.finddx.org

     

    About WHO

    The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. WHO is committed to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health as one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. WHO’s current global programme of work sets out three interconnected strategic priorities: ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages; achieving universal health coverage; and addressing health emergencies and promoting healthier populations. These priorities are linked to three ambitious targets, the “triple billion”: one billion more people to benefit from universal health coverage; one billion more people better protected from health emergencies; and one billion more people enjoying better health and well-being.

     

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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-02-2020-who-and-find-formalize-strategic-collaboration-to-drive-universal-access-to-essential-diagnostics

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  • Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies

    Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies

    Female genital mutilation (FGM) exacts a crippling economic as well as human cost, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

    “FGM is not only a catastrophic abuse of human rights that significantly harms the physical and mental health of millions of girls and women; it is also a drain on a country’s vital economic resources,” said Dr Ian Askew, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. “More investment is urgently needed to stop FGM and end the suffering it inflicts.”

    New modelling reveals that the total costs of treating the health impacts of FGM would amount to USD 1.4 billion globally per year, if all resulting medical needs were addressed. For individual countries, these costs would near 10% of their entire yearly expenditure on health on average; in some countries, this figure rises to as much as 30%.

    The interactive modelling tool that generated these data was launched on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

    Severe physical and mental health impacts for women and girls

    Women and girls living with FGM face serious risks to their health and well-being. These include immediate consequences after being cut, such as infections, bleeding or psychological trauma, as well as chronic health conditions that can occur throughout life.

    Women who have undergone the procedure are more likely to experience life-threatening complications during childbirth. They may face mental health disorders or suffer chronic infections. They may also have pain or problems when they menstruate, urinate or have sexual intercourse. 

    All of these conditions warrant much-needed medical attention and care.

    “High healthcare costs for countries mount because of the tragic personal impacts on women and girls. Governments have a moral responsibility to help end this harmful practice,” says Dr Prosper Tumusiime, Acting Director for Universal Health Coverage and the Life Course in the African Regional Office of WHO. “FGM hurts girls, imposes lifelong health risks on the women they become, and strains the healthcare systems that need to treat them.”

    Preventing FGM brings major benefits for women, girls, communities and economies

    Using data from 27 high-prevalence countries, the Cost Calculator demonstrates clear economic benefits from ending FGM. If it were abandoned now, it shows that the associated savings in health costs would be more than 60% by 2050.

    In contrast, if no action is taken, it is estimated that these costs will soar by 50% over the same time period, as populations grow and as more girls undergo the procedure.

    Since 1997, great efforts have been made to end FGM, through work within communities, research, and changes in legislation and policy. 26 countries in Africa and the Middle East now explicitly legislate against FGM, as well as 33 other countries with migrant populations from FGM-practicing countries.

    WHO is also working with countries to raise awareness of the harmful impacts of the practice among their health workers, and to engage them in prevention efforts.

    “Many countries and communities are showing that abandoning female genital mutilation is possible,” states Dr Christina Pallitto, scientist at WHO. “If countries invest to end female genital mutilation, they can prevent their girls from undergoing this harmful practice and promote the health, rights and well-being of women and girls.”

    Female genital mutilation is internationally recognized as a human rights violation. It has no medical benefits and causes only harm. WHO’s position is that FGM must never be carried out.

    Further information

    The FGM Cost Calculator will be available here, as of 00:30 CET 6 February 2020:
    www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-economic-cost-of-female-genital-mutilation

    More on FGM

    Notes for Editors

    About FGM

    FGM includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. More than 200 million girls and women alive today are estimated to have undergone the practice across 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated.

    FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and 15 years of age.

    About the FGM Cost Calculator

    The WHO FGM Cost Calculator shows the economic cost of treating the health complications caused by FGM across 27 high-prevalence countries. These costs were calculated using the WHO One Health tool and other available scientific evidence.

    Users of the tool can calculate costs by country in a ‘business as usual’ scenario; a scenario of partial abandonment of FGM, and full abandonment of FGM over a 30-year period. In addition, the distribution of costs by different types of health complications is presented by country.

    The tool does not consider other indirect costs that hit families and communities, or the socio-economic impacts of the practice, which would be significantly higher still.

    The 27 countries modelled include Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Còte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Soudan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen.

    Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-female-genital-mutilation-hurts-women-and-economies

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  • Heavy hitters: Obesity rate soars among professional baseball players

    Heavy hitters: Obesity rate soars among professional baseball players

    Major League Baseball players have become overwhelmingly overweight and obese during the last quarter century, say health researchers.

    David E. Conroy, Penn State professor of kinesiology, and colleagues looked at 145 years of data on professional baseball players’ body mass. The researchers found that the athletes’ weight held steady for over 100 years, with the majority of them weighing in at what is considered “normal,” – i.e., with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.

    However, around 1991 the average player’s BMI began to rise, and over the last 25 years nearly 80 percent of players fall into the overweight or obese category with a BMI above 25. Obesity in the general U.S. population began to rise in the mid-1970s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    “Research exists that shows how having extra weight can help with certain aspects of baseball,” said Conroy, also professor of human development and family studies. “The more force a batter can put into the ball, the further it will travel.”

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  • Despite efforts, childhood obesity remains on the rise

    Despite efforts, childhood obesity remains on the rise

    The alarming increase in U.S. childhood obesity rates that began nearly 30 years ago continues unabated, with the biggest increases in severe obesity, according to a study led by a Duke Clinical Research Institute scientist.

    “Despite some other recent reports, we found no indication of a decline in obesity prevalence in the United States in any group of children aged 2 through 19,” said lead author Asheley Skinner, Ph.D., associate professor at Duke. “This is particularly true with severe obesity, which remains high, especially among adolescents.”

    Skinner, along with colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University, analyzed data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, a large, ongoing compilation of health information that has spanned decades.

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  • Study analyzes impact of switch from nuclear power to coal, suggests directions for policy

    Study analyzes impact of switch from nuclear power to coal, suggests directions for policy

    Since incidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, many countries have switched from nuclear power to electricity production fired by fossil fuels, despite the environmental consequences of burning fuels such as coal. A new study used data from the United States to analyze the costs and benefits of electricity production from coal-fired versus nuclear sources. The study’s authors conclude that policymakers should look at nuclear power as a low-carbon electricity source, but that utilities will need to have incentives to do so.

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  • Google pledges new $10 bn investment in US in 2020

    Google pledges new $10 bn investment in US in 2020

    Google said Wednesday it would invest more than $10 billion in US offices and data centers in 2020, including its new campus planned for New York City and projects in 10 other states.

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  • Personalization of online services: Helpful customization or furtive manipulation?

    Personalization of online services: Helpful customization or furtive manipulation?

    Whether we are looking for a restaurant tip, researching health information, or scrolling through social media posts, algorithms use the personal data they gather on us to determine what we are shown online. But how aware are people of the impact algorithms have on their digital environments? A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the University of Bristol has conducted a survey of 1,065 people in Germany to address these questions.

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