Emergencies
 

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 11 December 2018 [GPEI]
:: Featured on http://www.polioeradication.org:  Mohamed Shire, polio expert from Somalia: from smallpox to polio, a life spent pursuing eradication of diseases; Going the distance to end polio in Papua New Guinea: a video diary of vaccination teams travelling for days by road and helicopter to reach even the most remote areas.

Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan – one new case of wild poliovirus (WPV1).
Papua New Guinea – one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) and two cVDPV1-positive environmental samples

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Editor’s Note:
WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 15 Dec 2018]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: 19: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  12 December 2018
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo   13 December 2018
[See Milestones above for more detail]

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Weekly Situation Report 54 – 9 December 2018
[Excerpt]

Highlights
:: The 9th round of water quality surveillance in refugee settlements started from 26 November 2018 and planned to be completed by 12 December 2018.
:: Four days training on Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) was conducted from 26-29 November 2018.  The training targeted health partners providing health services to GBV survivors in the Rohingya refugee camps.
:: Health sector completed the review of JRP projects in the online project system.
:: Third week of the OCV campaign covered 257 682 doses (78.4%) of the targeted beneficiaries.

South Sudan
:: South Sudan set to vaccinate targeted healthcare and frontline workers operating in high risk states against Ebola
Juba 8 December, 2018
[See Milestones above for more detail]

 
Myanmar – No new announcements identified
Nigeria – No new announcements identified
Somalia – No new announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new announcements identified
Yemen – No new announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 15 Dec 2018]
Sudan
:: WHO Member States sign Khartoum Declaration on Sudan and Bordering Countries: Cross-Border Health Security
4 December 2018 – Six countries in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions have signed a declaration committing themselves to strengthening preparedness and response to public health threats and events across borders in an effort to further the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and enhance global health security. The Khartoum Declaration on Sudan and Bordering Countries: Cross-Border Health Security was signed by Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Sudan on 22 November 2018 in Khartoum, Sudan…

Niger
:: Le Niger vaccine 152 000 personnes contre le choléra dans les zones à haut risque
06 décembre 2018

Brazil (in Portugese) – No new announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new announcements identified

Iraq – No new announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new announcements identified
Libya – No new announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new announcements identified
Ukraine – No new announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new announcements identified

WHO-AFRO: Outbreaks and Emergencies Bulletin, Week 49: 01-07 December 2018

The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 57 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:
:: Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Lassa fever in Nigeria
:: Measles in Mauritius
:: Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 15 Dec 2018]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen – No new announcements identified.
Syrian Arab Republic   – No new announcements identified.

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia 
:: Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 69 | 25 November – 9 December 2018
Some 8 million people are projected to continue to receive humanitarian assistance in 2019, requiring US$1.2 billion.

Somalia  – No new announcements identified.

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“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake –No new announcements identified.

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Editor’s Note:
We will cluster these recent emergencies as below and continue to monitor the WHO webpages for updates and key developments.

EBOLA/EVD  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.who.int/ebola/en/
:: 19: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  12 December 2018
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo   13 December 2018
[See Milestones above for more detail]

MERS-CoV [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/
– No new announcements identified.
 
Yellow Fever  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/yellowfev/en/
– No new announcements identified.
 
Zika virus  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/zika/en/
– No new announcements identified.

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 15 Dec 2018]
News Release
Nearly 30 million sick and premature newborns in dire need of treatment every year
Global coalition calls for better care and stronger legislation to save babies on the brink of death
13 December 2018   NEW DELHI/ GENEVA /NEW YORK

Tanzania is first African country to reach an important milestone in the regulation of medicines
News Release
Brazzaville / 10 December 2018: Tanzania is the first confirmed country in Africa to achieve a well-functioning, regulatory system for medical products according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  This means that the Tanzania Food and Drug authority (TFDA) has made considerable improvements in recent years in ensuring medicines in the healthcare system are of good quality, safe and produce the intended health benefit.

“This is a major African milestone and we are very proud of Tanzania’s achievement, which we hope will inspire other countries in the region,” says Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Access to medicines alone, without quality assurance, is not enough.  With this milestone Tanzania makes a big step towards improving the quality of its health care services.”

Medicines are used to prevent illnesses and treat diseases, helping many people to lead full and productive lives. However, if produced, stored or transported improperly, if falsified, or used incorrectly or abused, medicines can be hazardous and can lead to hospitalization and even death.   For these reasons, it is important to have effective regulatory systems that also serve to promote timely access to quality medicines.

Fewer than 30% of the world’s medicines regulatory authorities are considered to have the capacity to perform the functions required to ensure medicines, vaccines and other health products actually work and do not harm patients.  For that reason, WHO and African governments have intensified efforts to bolster the capacity of regulating medicines in the region.

Over the past years WHO has been supporting African countries, including Tanzania to strengthen their regulatory entities.

“The core of WHO’s work is to empower countries through support and knowledge transfer so that they can expand access to health services for their populations,” says Mariangela Simao, WHO Assistant Director General for Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals.  “If countries want to improve health outcomes, they first need to ensure access to safe and quality medical products that actually work and benefit patients.”…

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Weekly Epidemiological Record, 14 December 2018, vol. 93, 50 (pp. 681–692)
:: Schistosomiasis and soiltransmitted helminthiases: numbers of people treated in 2017

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO

Selected Featured News
:: WHO reviews the Expanded Programme on Immunization/ Polio Eradication Initiative to improve immunization and surveillance strategies  [South Sudan]  15 December 2018
:: Members of Parliament commit to advocating for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage in Uganda  13 December 2018
:: Liberia Commemorates World Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Week  12 December 2018

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO urges collective action to ensure that everyone, everywhere can access health care (12/13/2018)
:: As talks get underway at COP24, MERCOSUR Ministers of Health commit to prioritize health in climate change adaptation plans (12/10/2018)
 
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
– No new announcement identified 

WHO European Region EURO
:: Milestones on the road to universal health coverage 11-12-2018

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO delivers surgical supplies to meet the needs in the occupied Palestinian territory
14 December 2018
:: Moroccan House of Representatives votes for a 50% increase in the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages  13 December 2018
:: A life pursuing eradication  11 December 2018
Mohamed Shire, a polio eradication expert from Somalia, speaks about lessons from a life tirelessly working to eradicate first smallpox, then polio

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Exercise Crystal: Ten years of strengthening communication between countries and WHO during emergencies  14 December 2018
A highly infectious strain of deadly bacteria has been released at a music festival and other public events in multiple countries—this is the fictional scenario that confronted participants in Exercise Crystal from 4 to 5 December.
Representatives from 29 countries and areas across the Western Pacific Region took part in the annual simulation exercise, testing their communication and coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) during outbreaks or public health emergencies…

CDC/ACIP [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

No new digest content identified.

Africa CDC   [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://au.int/en/africacdc

No new digest content identified.

China CDC 
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
New website launched…no “news” or “announcements” page identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhfpc.gov.cn/
Selected Updates/ Press Releases/ Notices
Online drug tracing system in the pipeline
China will build an online drug tracing system for vaccine, anesthetic drugs and psychoactive drugs.

Announcements
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CARB-X   [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://cepi.net/
Press releases
CEPI partners with Imperial College to develop transformative rapid-response technology to create vaccines against emerging infectious diseases
Oslo, Norway, Dec 10, 2018 — The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Imperial College London have announced a partnering agreement, worth up to USD8·4 million, to develop a self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccine platform that enables tailored—just-in-time—vaccine production against multiple viral pathogens.
The idea behind this saRNA approach is to harness the body’s own cell machinery to make an antigen (ie, a foreign substance that induces an immune response) rather than injecting the antigen directly…
 
 
EDCTP    [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
Latest news
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Woodruff Health Sciences Center | Dec. 11, 2018
National Academy of Inventors names Rafi Ahmed as Fellow
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named Rafi Ahmed, PhD, as an NAI 2018 Fellow. Ahmed is director of the Emory Vaccine Center, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in Emory University School of Medicine, investigator in the Emory Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and a member of the Winship Cancer Institute…
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News and press releases
News: Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 10-13 December 2018
14/12/2018

Press release: EMA Management Board: highlights of December 2018 meeting
14/12/2018

Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) meeting of 4-6 December 2018
Press release 07/12/2018
[Excerpt]
…The Committee adopted by consensus a positive opinion for an initial marketing authorisation application for Evant, from LABORATORIOS HIPRA S.A, a new vaccine for the active immunisation of chicks from 1 day of age against coccidiosis….
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.
 
FDA [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.
 
December 12, 2018 –
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the agency’s efforts to improve drug quality through vigilant oversight of data integrity and good manufacturing practice
 
December 11, 2018 –
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on new actions advancing the agency’s biosimilars policy framework
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Dengue pre-vaccination screening based on serostatus: rapid tests and implementation strategies
January 14 – 16, 2019 – Les Pensières Center for Global Helath, Veyrier du Lac (France)
 
 
Gavi [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.gavi.org/
 
 
14 December 2018
Japan to send Junior Professional Officers to work at Gavi
Japanese government will fund placements for talented young professionals at the Vaccine Alliance.
 
12 December 2018
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation turns to IFFIm to accelerate funding for new vaccine development
IFFIm’s frontloading capacity will boost CEPI’s efforts to fight the deadliest diseases.
 
Global health leaders hail immunisation as shortest path to healthy lives
Gavi Mid-Term Review closes with commitments to accelerate immunisation programmes in the poorest countries to reach more children with lifesaving vaccines.
11 December 2018
 
Gavi and Mastercard join forces to reach more children with lifesaving vaccines
Strengthening efficiency and reach of health services in developing countries with digital immunisation records.
11 December 2018
 
Serum Founder wins inaugural ‘Vaccine Hero’ award
Dr Cyrus Poonawalla congratulated for life-long commitment to boosting vaccine coverage in the world’s poorest countries.
11 December 2018
 
Gavi and Germany partner to harness blockchain technology
German government and the Vaccine Alliance to explore the application of blockchain technology to increase efficiency of immunisation programmes.
10 December 2018
 
Parsyl and Gavi announce supply chain strengthening partnership
Gavi to make Parsyl’s quality assurance platform available in Uganda and Senegal to address last mile distribution challenge.
10 December 2018
 
South Korea pledges US$15 million to immunise children in world’s poorest countries
New funding will help Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, vaccinate millions of children against deadly diseases.
10 December 2018
 
UAE and Gavi convene leaders to focus on health for next generation
High-level meeting to review access to vaccines in low-income countries and how to accelerate impact.
 
GHIT Fund   [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that devastate the world’s poorest people. Other funders include six Japanese pharmaceutical
December 13, 2018
GHIT Fund Announces New Investments in Vaccines for Dengue and Leishmaniasis, and Drug Screening for Malaria and Tuberculosis
TOKYO, JAPAN (December 13, 2018)—The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today a total of 520 million yen (US$4.6 million*) to support four partnerships to develop new lifesaving drugs and vaccines for malaria, tuberculosis, dengue and leishmaniasis. This includes three new projects and one that will receive continued funding. (Appendix 1)
“At the GHIT Fund, we are delighted to accelerate open innovation between Japanese and non-Japanese R&D entities across the globe,” BT Slingsby, the CEO of GHIT said. “With the new partnerships developed through this investment, we are further strengthening our work through global collaboration to meet the needs of neglected populations worldwide.”
Including the investment projects announced today, GHIT has invested approximately 14.1 billion yen (US$124 million*) in 77 global product development partnerships that leverage Japanese science and capabilities in pharmaceutical research and development. Currently, 23 discovery projects, 13 preclinical projects, and eight clinical trials are under way in low- and middle-income countries.
 
 
Global Fund  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News
Making Uzbekistan Malaria Free is Major Achievement
11 December 2018
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
December 10, 2018
Six Distinguished Leaders in Global Health Join IAVI Board of Directors
NEW YORK – December 10, 2018 – The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) today announced that David L. Blumberg, Jim Connolly, John Nkengasong, Ph.D., John Shiver, Ph.D., Anne Simonds, and Rajeev Venkayya, M.D., have been appointed to IAVI’s board of directors.
“IAVI is pleased that these accomplished leaders have joined our board. We look forward to their partnership as we work to translate scientific discoveries into affordable, accessible public health solutions,” said Mark Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of IAVI. “Their deep expertise across the global health spectrum in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors will strengthen our organization as we explore new and better ways to address public health threats that disproportionately affect people living in poverty.”…
:: DAVID L. BLUMBERG, Vice President, Teva Global Operations and Portfolio Compliance, Teva Pharmaceuticals
:: JIM CONNOLLY, Former President and CEO of Aeras
:: JOHN NKENGASONG, Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
:: JOHN SHIVER, Senior Vice President, Global Vaccine Research and Development, Sanofi Pasteur
:: ANNE SIMONDS, Global Leader, Health, Development and Social Enterprise, Spencer Stuart
:: RAJEEV VENKAYYA, President, Global Vaccine Business Unit, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
 
 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
11 December 2018
Islamic Development Bank and IFFIm announce plans to collaborate on private placement
Sukuk aims to build on Gulf Cooperation Council countries’ support for Gavi programmes.
 
 
IVAC  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVI   [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.ivi.int/
IVI News & Announcements
[Undated]
Nature Communications study addresses MDR typhoid
New study in Nature Communications reveals high burden of multi-drug resistant (MDR) typhoid fever in sub-Saharan Africa associated with two predominant genotypes
IVI epidemiologist Se Eun Park and collaborating scientists report data from Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa (TSAP) program and other sources
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected News; Project Updates, Reports
Central American Migration
US asylum restrictions are deepening Mexican…
Press Release 13 Dec 2018
:: Migrants from Central America are exposed to extreme levels of violence transiting through Mexico, no longer considered a safe country
:: US migration policies are stranding migrants and asylum seekers in Mexico, leaving them vulnerable to further violence
:: MSF urges the US and Mexico to address the issues at the cause of the crisis along the border

Iraq
Iraq’s displaced see no hope on the horizon
Voices from the Field 12 Dec 2018

Refugees, IDPs and people on the move
“Migration is not a crime. Saving lives is not a crime”
Speech 11 Dec 2018

 
 
NIH  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
December 11, 2018
NIH to fund HIV care and prevention research in vulnerable southern U.S. communities
— New program leverages partnerships to discover sustainable, scalable interventions.
 
 
PATH  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
 
14 December 2018
Ireland to support HIV services for the most vulnerable in the United Republic of Tanzania
 
13 December 2018
UNAIDS Board calls for immediate implementation of UNAIDS agenda for change
 
12 December 2018
The need to scale up HIV programmes for key populations in western and central Africa
 
10 December 2018
Launch of a global partnership to eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination
Despite the existence of human rights obligations and policy commitments, HIV-related stigma and discrimination continues to be widespread around the world and in all sectors of society.
Following a call from civil society in 2017 to accelerate and scale up action to address stigma and discrimination, UNAIDS, UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) agreed to co-convene the Global Partnership to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination.
The global partnership was launched on 10 December on the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, during an event in Geneva, Switzerland…
…People living with HIV, adolescents, young people and key populations experience discrimination, including discrimination based on their gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, drug use, sexual orientation and migration status. These added layers of stigma and discrimination increase their vulnerability to HIV and undermine their rights, including the right to health, work and education.
 
10 December 2018
Rwanda’s leadership provides model for advancing global agenda towards ending AIDS
 
 
UNICEF  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
Statement
Yemen peace talks and Hudaydah ceasefire signal hope for country’s children
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
13/12/2018

Press release
Nearly 30 million sick and premature newborns in dire need of treatment every year
Global coalition calls for better care and stronger legislation to save babies on the brink of death
13/12/2018

Press release
Children account for more than one third of Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo – UNICEF
11/12/2018
[See Milestones above for detail]

Statement
UNICEF statement on the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
Statement from UNICEF Director of Data, Research and Policy Laurence Chandy
10/12/2018
 
 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News
We’re changing the way we fund early career researchers
14 December 2018
We are extending our partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences to £8.3 million to support early career researchers moving into an independent role. Alongside this, we’re going to close our Seed Awards in Science in March 2019.

Opinion
Why we’re supporting public engagement beyond the UK
12 December 2018
The case for good public engagement in low- and middle-income countries is strong. But why, and what is Wellcome doing to ensure that our public engagement work makes a difference outside the UK?

News
Sir David Weatherall, 1933-2018
11 December 2018
A doctor and scientist of great compassion and intellect, Sir David Weatherall died on 8 December 2018. He was a member of Wellcome’s Board throughout the 1990s, helping to shape our support for science, particularly research in tropical medicine and genetics.

Explainer
With a mandate to develop new vaccines, CEPI needs global funding
10 December 2018
Vaccines are a vital part of fighting epidemics, but developing new ones is challenging, costly and complex. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) is a new model for funding vaccine development which could drastically change the way we tackle epidemics. Global partnerships between government, industry and philanthropy are at the heart of it. 

 
The Wistar Institute   [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Release   Dec. 13, 2018
Nikon Small World: An Up-close Look at the Unseen World
Wistar hosts top winners of the 2018 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2018/
No new digest content identified.
 
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BIO    [to 15 Dec 2018]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
Dec 14 2018
BIO Statement on Hatch-Waxman Integrity Act of 2018 [Introduction]
“For almost 40 years, the groundbreaking law known as the Hatch-Waxman Act (HWA) has been highly successful in spurring the development of life-saving new treatments while at the same time vastly broadening the availability of low-cost generic pharmaceuticals.”
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
IFPMA   [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
10 December 2018
Unjela Kaleem joins global pharma association as Director of Communications
 
PhRMA    [to 15 Dec 2018]
http://www.phrma.org/press-room
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Industry Watch    [to 15 Dec 2018]
:: Pfizer Initiates Phase 3 Program for 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine for the Prevention of Invasive Disease and Pneumonia in Adults Aged 18 Years and Older
December 14, 2018 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced today the initiation of a Phase 3 program for its 20-Valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (20vPnC) candidate, PF-06482077, for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in the vaccine in adults aged 18 years and older.
“While the full extent of Prevenar 13 protection of adults is still being realized, we anticipate our 20vPnC vaccine candidate will be the next important step to help protect adults from a substantial invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia burden, including disease caused by serotypes not yet covered by any available conjugate vaccine,” said Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development, Pfizer. “As the industry leader in pneumococcal conjugate vaccination, we are proud to start the Phase 3 trials of our third generation pneumococcal vaccine, which received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA in September 2018.”…

:: Merck and Instituto Butantan Announce Collaboration Agreement to Develop Vaccines to Protect Against Dengue Infections
December 12, 2018 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time
KENILWORTH, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, a non-profit producer of immunobiologic products for Brazil today announced a collaboration agreement to develop vaccines to protect against dengue virus disease, the mosquito-borne infection. Instituto Butantan and Merck have licensed certain rights from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development of live attenuated tetravalent vaccines (LATV). Instituto Butantan’s dengue vaccine candidate, TV003, is currently being evaluated in a large Phase 3 study in Brazil.
“By sharing data from our ongoing vaccine development programs, Instituto Butantan and Merck are better positioned to achieve our goal of reducing the significant human and economic toll of dengue virus in Brazil and around the world,” said Dr. Dimas Covas, director, Instituto Butantan. “We look forward to collaborating with Merck, an established global leader in vaccine development.”
Under the agreement, Merck and Instituto Butantan have agreed to collaborate to share clinical data and other learnings from their respective dengue vaccine development programs, both derived from licensed materials from the NIAID. Instituto Butantan will receive a $26 million upfront payment from Merck and is eligible to receive up to $75 million for the achievement of certain milestones related to the development and commercialization of Merck’s investigational vaccine as well as potential royalties on sales. Instituto Butantan will retain responsibility for the manufacturing and commercialization of their investigational vaccine, TV003, in Brazil…

Journal Watch

   Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review continues its weekly scanning of key peer-reviewed journals to identify and cite articles, commentary and editorials, books reviews and other content supporting our focus on vaccine ethics and policy. Journal Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues the Center is actively tracking. We selectively provide full text of some editorial and comment articles that are specifically relevant to our work. Successful access to some of the links provided may require subscription or other access arrangement unique to the publisher.

If you would like to suggest other journal titles to include in this service, please contact David Curry at: david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research article
Bibliometric analysis of global Lassa fever research (1970–2017): a 47 – year study
Lassa fever has been a public health concern in the West African sub-region where it is endemic and a latent threat to the world at large. We investigated the trend in Lassa fever research using bibliometric a…
Authors: Henshaw Uchechi Okoroiwu, Francisco López-Muñoz and F. Javier Povedano-Montero
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2018 18:639
Published on: 10 December 2018
 

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research article
AVADAR (Auto-Visual AFP Detection and Reporting): demonstration of a novel SMS-based smartphone application to improve acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance in Nigeria
Eradication of polio requires that the acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance system is sensitive enough to detect all cases of AFP, and that such cases are promptly reported and investigated by disease su…
Authors: Faisal M. B. Shuaib, Philip F. Musa, Sisay Tegegne Gashu, Chima Onoka, Salihu Abdullahi Ahmed, Murtala Bagana, Michael Galway, Fiona Braka, Ticha Johnson Muluh, Richard Banda, Godwin Akpan, Ajiboye Tunji, Umar Kabo Idris, Adedolapo Olusoga, Patrick Briand, Nwanyibuife Obiako…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1305
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Transboundary nomadic population movement: a potential for import-export of poliovirus
Nomadic populations have a considerably higher risk of contracting a number of diseases but, despite the magnitude of the public health risks involved, they are mostly underserved with few health policies or p…
Authors: Samuel Bawa, Mojisola Afolabi, Khalid Abdelrahim, Goni Abba, Adamu Ningi, Salome Yakubu Tafida, Sisay G. Tegegne, Charity Warigon, Terna Nomhwange, Sadiq Abubakar Umar, Aron Aregay, Ahmed Fanti, Bakoji Ahmed, Peter Nsubuga, Usman Adamu, Fiona Braka…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1316
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Distribution pattern of poliovirus potentially infectious materials in the phase 1b medical laboratories containment in conformity with the global action plan III
The containment of poliovirus infectious/potentially infectious materials in all biomedical facilities in Nigeria remain crucial to maintaining gains recorded towards polio eradication. Activities involved in …
Authors: Bassey Enya Bassey, Fiona Braka, Faisal Shuaib, Richard Banda, Sisay Gashu Tegegne, Johnson Muluh Ticha, Walla Hamisu Abdullalhi, Olatunji Mathew Kolawole and Yusuf Kabir
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1319
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Polio eradication in Nigeria: evaluation of the quality of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance documentation in Bauchi state, 2016
Nigeria is the only country in Africa that is yet to be certified as polio free. Surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is the foundation of the polio eradication initiative since it provides informati…
Authors: Adamu Ibrahim Ningi, Faisal Shuaib, Luka Mangveep Ibrahim, Jalal-Eddeen Abubakar Saleh, Khalid Abdelrahim, Isah Mohammed Bello, Bashir Abba, Ticha Jonhson Muluh, Fiona Braka, Sisay G. Tegegne, Abdullahi Wallah, Charles Korir, Samuel Bawa, Mahmood Saidu and Peter Nsubuga
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1307
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Stopping circulatory vaccine-derived poliovirus in Kaduna state by scaling up special interventions in local government areas along rivers of interest- kamacha basin experience, 2013–2015
The Kamacha river is one of the five polio environmental surveillance sites in Kaduna State where 13 circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPDs) were isolated between 2014 and 2015. Kamacha river account…
Authors: Audu I. Musa, Faisal Shuaib, Fiona Braka, Pascal Mkanda, Richard Banda, Charles Korir, Sisay G. Tegegne, Suleiman Abdullahi, Gregory C. Umeh, Terna I. Nomhwange, Hadiza Aliyu Iyal, Sambo Ishaku, Usman Adamu, Eunice Damisa, Murtala Bagana, Victor Gugong…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1303
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Assessment of unmet needs to address noncompliant households during polio supplemental immunization activities in Kaduna state, 2014–2016
Despite concerted global efforts being made to eradicate poliomyelitis, the wild poliovirus still circulates in three countries, including Nigeria. In addition, Nigeria experiences occasional outbreaks of the …
Authors: Hadiza Aliyu Iyal, Faisal Shuaib, Madubu Dauda, Abdullahi Suleiman, Fiona Braka, Sisay G. Tegegne, Peter Nsubuga, Terna Nomhwange, Yared G. Yehualashet, Sambo Ishaku, Charity Warigon, Furera Zakari, Gregory Umeh, Lami Samaila, Basirat Abdullahi, Kulchumi Hammanyero…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1309
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Conduct of vaccination in hard-to-reach areas to address potential polio reservoir areas, 2014–2015
The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) seeks to achieve the total realization of its vision through equitable access to immunization as well as utilizing the immunization systems for delivery of other primary h…
Authors: Samuel Bawa, Faisal Shuaib, Mahmoud Saidu, Adamu Ningi, Suleiman Abdullahi, Bashir Abba, Audu Idowu, Jibrin Alkasim, Kulchumi Hammanyero, Charity Warigon, Sisay G. Tegegne, Richard Banda, Charles Korir, Yared G. Yehualashet, Tesfaye Bedada, Chukwuji Martin…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1312
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Impact of engaging security personnel on access and polio immunization outcomes in security-inaccessible areas in Borno state, Nigeria
Nigeria was polio free for almost 2 years but, with the recent liberation of areas under the captivity of insurgents, there has been a resurgence of polio cases. For several years, these inaccessible areas did…
Authors: Loveday Nkwogu, Faisal Shuaib, Fiona Braka, Pascal Mkanda, Richard Banda, Charles Korir, Samuel Bawa, Sule Mele, Mahmud Saidu, Hyelni Mshelia, Aliyu Shettima, Sisay G. Tegegne, Yared G. Yehualashet, Usman Adamu, Peter Nsubuga, Rui G. Vaz…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1311
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Targeting the last polio sanctuaries with Directly Observed Oral Polio Vaccination (DOPV) in northern Nigeria, (2014–2016)
The declaration of poliomyelitis eradication as a programmatic emergency for global public health by the 65th World Health Assembly in 2012 necessitated innovations and strategies to achieve results. Review of…
Authors: Charles Korir, Faisal Shuaib, Usman Adamu, Samuel Bawa, Audu Musa, Abba Bashir, Ayodeji Isiaka, Adamu Ningi, Charity Warigon, Banda Richard, Braka Fiona, Mkanda Pascal, Nkwogu Loveday, Sisay G. Tegegne, Mohammed Abdul-Aziz, Abdullahi Suleiman…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1314
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Lessons learnt from implementing community engagement interventions in mobile hard-to-reach (HTR) projects in Nigeria, 2014–2015
The year 2014 was a turning point for polio eradication in Nigeria. Confronted with the challenges of increased numbers of polio cases detected in rural, hard-to-reach (HTR), and security-compromised areas of …
Authors: Kulchumi Isa Hammanyero, Samuel Bawa, Fiona Braka, Bassey Enya Bassey, Akinola Fatiregun, Charity Warigon, Yared G. Yehualashet, Sisay Gashu Tegene, Richard Banda, Charles Korir, Tesfaye Bedada Erbeto, Martin Chukwuji, Pascal Mkanda, Usman Saidu Adamu and Peter Nsubuga
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1306
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance intensification for polio certification in Kaduna state, Nigeria: lessons learnt, 2015–2016
Nigeria has made remarkable progress in its current efforts to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission despite the re-emergence of wild poliovirus in 2016. The gains made in Nigeria have been achieved through c…
Authors: Gregory C. Umeh, Faisal Shuaib, Audu Musa, Sisay G. Tegegne, Fiona Braka, Pascal Mkanda, Richard Banda, Usman Adamu, Terna I. Nomhwange, Eyiotoyo Arenyeka, Semeeh A. Omoleke, Ticha M. Johnson, Kehinde Craig, Ibrahim Idris, Hadiza Iyal, Ishaku G. Sambo…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1310
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Towards an effective poliovirus laboratory containment strategy in Nigeria
The Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis will declare the world free of wild poliovirus transmission when no wild virus has been found in at least 3 consecutive years, an…
Authors: Johnson Muluh Ticha, Kolawole Olatunji Matthew, Abdullahi Walla Hamisu, Braka Fiona, Pascal Mkanda, Peter Nsubuga, Eberto Tesfaye, Kehinde Craig, Etsano Andrew, Obi Emelife, Faisal Shuaib, Akinkugbe Folasade, Johnson Adeniji, Usman Adamu, Mohammed Dallatu, Geoffrey Oyeyinka…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1304
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Mobilizing political support proved critical to a successful switch from tOPV to bOPV in Kano, Nigeria 2016
Kano is one of the high-risk states for polio transmission in Northern Nigeria. The state reported more cases of wild polioviruses (WPVs) than any other state in the country. The Nigeria Demographic and Health…
Authors: Bashir Abba, Sule Abdullahi, Samuel Bawa, Kabir Ibrahim Getso, Imam Wada Bello, Charles Korir, Audu Musa, Fiona Braka, Adamu Ningi, Peter Nsubuga, Richard Banda, Sisay G. Tegegne, Faisal Shuaib, Usman Said Adamu and Sulaiman Haladu
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1302
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research
Mobilizing political support proved critical to a successful switch from tOPV to bOPV in Kano, Nigeria 2016
Kano is one of the high-risk states for polio transmission in Northern Nigeria. The state reported more cases of wild polioviruses (WPVs) than any other state in the country. The Nigeria Demographic and Health…
Authors: Bashir Abba, Sule Abdullahi, Samuel Bawa, Kabir Ibrahim Getso, Imam Wada Bello, Charles Korir, Audu Musa, Fiona Braka, Adamu Ningi, Peter Nsubuga, Richard Banda, Sisay G. Tegegne, Faisal Shuaib, Usman Said Adamu and Sulaiman Haladu
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18(Suppl 4):1302
Published on: 13 December 2018

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research article
Impact of vaccine delays at the 2, 4, 6 and 12 month visits on incomplete vaccination status by 24 months of age in Quebec, Canada
Timeliness in the administration of recommended vaccines is often evaluated using vaccine delays and provides more information regarding the susceptibility of children to vaccine-preventable diseases compared …
Authors: Marilou Kiely, Nicole Boulianne, Denis Talbot, Manale Ouakki, Maryse Guay, Monique Landry, Chantal Sauvageau and Gaston De Serres
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18:1364
Published on: 11 December 2018
 

BMC Research Notes
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcresnotes/content

Research note
Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Rwanda
We evaluated post-vaccination immunity status and describe potential risk factors associated with the lack of response among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a tertiary care hospital in Kigali, Rwanda.
Authors: Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Jean De Dieu Harelimana, Osee Rurambya Sebatunzi, Aschariya Chinma Atmaprakash, Eric Seruyange, Florence Masaisa, Olivier Manzi, Martin Nyundo and Théobald Hategekimana
Citation: BMC Research Notes 2018 11:886
Published on: 13 December 2018

Clinical Therapeutics
December 2018 Volume 40, Issue 12, p1957-2196
http://www.clinicaltherapeutics.com/current

Review
Pharmacovigilance: An Overview
Paul Beninger
p1991–2004
Published online: August 17, 2018
Abstract
Purpose
Pharmacovigilance (PV) is a relatively new discipline in the pharmaceutical industry. Having undergone rapid growth over the past 2 decades, PV now touches many other disciplines in the research and development enterprise. With its growth has come a heightened awareness and interest in the medical community about the roles that PV plays. This article provides insights into the background and inner workings of PV.
Methods
This narrative review covers the core PV activities and other major areas of the pharmaceutical enterprise in which PV makes significant contributions.
Findings
Drug safety monitoring activities were organized by the US Food and Drug Administration and academic medical centers in the early 1950s in response to growing concern over the occurrence of aplastic anemia and other blood dyscrasias associated with the use of chloramphenicol. This experience was codified in the 1962 Kefauver-Harris Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as adverse event evaluation and reporting requirements. The ensuing decades have seen the development of core PV functions for pharmaceutical companies: case management, signal management, and benefit-risk management. A broader scope of PV has developed to include the following major activities: support of patient safety during the conduct of clinical trials through assuring proper use of informed consent and institutional review boards (ethics committees); selection of the first safe dose for use in humans, based on pharmacologic data obtained in animal studies; development of the safety profile for proper use of a new molecular entity and appropriate communication of that information to the range of relevant stakeholders; attendance to surveillance activities through a set of signal management processes; monitoring the manufactured product itself through collaborative activities with manufacturing professionals; management of benefit–risk to assure appropriate use in medical care after marketing; and maintenance of inspection readiness as a corporate cultural process.
Implications
The extent and pace of change promise to accelerate with the integration of biomedical informatics, analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. This progress has implications for the development of the next generation of PV professionals who will need to be trained in entirely new skill sets to lead continued improvements in the safe use of pharmaceuticals.

Developing World Bioethics
Volume 18, Issue 4  Pages: 307-432  December 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14718847/current

Articles
The views of ethics committee members and medical researchers on the return of individual research results and incidental findings, ownership issues and benefit sharing in biobanking research in a South Indian city
Manjulika Vaz, Mario Vaz, Srinivasan K
Pages: 321-330
First Published: 17 May 2017

Developing World Bioethics
Volume 18, Issue 4  Pages: 307-432  December 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14718847/current

Mapping research ethics committees in Africa: Evidence of the growth of ethics review of health research in Africa
Boitumelo Mokgatla, Carel IJsselmuiden, Doug Wassenaar, Mary Kasule
Pages: 341-348
First Published: 03 May 2017

Developing World Bioethics
Volume 18, Issue 4  Pages: 307-432  December 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14718847/current

Informed consent, community engagement, and study participation at a research site in Kigali, Rwanda
Jennifer Ilo van Nuil, Evelyne Kestelyn, Grace Umutoni, Lambert Mwambarangwe, Marie M. Umulisa, Janneke van de Wijgert, Raffaella Ravinetto
Pages: 349-356
First Published: 11 May 2017

Developing World Bioethics
Volume 18, Issue 4  Pages: 307-432  December 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14718847/current

Haitian people’s expectations regarding post‐disaster humanitarian aid teams’ actions
Lonzozou Kpanake, Ronald Jean‐Jacques, Paul Clay Sorum, Etienne Mullet
Pages: 385-393
First Published: 28 July 2017
Open Access

Developing World Bioethics
Volume 18, Issue 4  Pages: 307-432  December 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14718847/current

Community sensitization and decision‐making for trial participation: A mixed‐methods study from The Gambia
Susan Dierickx, Sarah O’Neill, Charlotte Gryseels, Edna Immaculate Anyango, Melanie, annister‐Tyrrell, Joseph Okebe, Julia Mwesigwa, Fatou Jaiteh, René Gerrets, Raffaella Ravinetto, Umberto D’Alessandro, Koen Peeters Grietens
Pages: 406-419
First Published: 16 August 2017

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 28, Issue 6, December 2018
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/28/6

Editorials
Primary health care 40 years after Alma Ata 1978: addressing new challenges in a changing society
Jan De Maeseneer; Sally Kendall
Extract
In the 40 years since the Alma Ata Declaration the world has changed enormously. On the one hand, the world is much richer and healthier. On the other hand, those advances are unevenly spread, with growing numbers of people living precarious existences, many displaced from their homes. Health care has also changed. Advances in technology, including the advent of Big Data, coupled with adoption of evidence-based models of care have been transformational, especially for primary health care…

Global Public Health
Volume 14, 2019   Issue 2
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

Article
Rituals of global health: Negotiating the World Health Assembly
Rachel Irwin & Richard Smith
Pages: 161-174
Published online: 13 Aug 2018

Global Public Health
Volume 14, 2019   Issue 2
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

Article
Global governance and the broader determinants of health: A comparative case study of UNDP’s and WTO’s engagement with global health
Unni Gopinathan, Nick Watts, Alexandre Lefebvre, Arthur Cheung, Steven J. Hoffman & John-Arne Røttingen
Pages: 175-189
Published online: 31 May 2018
 

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 73,  October 2018
https://odihpn.org/magazine/mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-in-humanitarian-crises/

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: the humanitarian response
More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 fleeing violence and persecution in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Over a million are sheltering in overcrowded camps without adequate assistance or protection. Stateless in Myanmar and denied refugee status in Bangladesh, the Rohingya have few rights or freedoms. Monsoons and cyclones are causing landslides, destroying shelters and infrastructure and disrupting services.

This edition of Humanitarian Exchange focuses on the humanitarian response to the Rohingya crisis. In the lead article, Mark Bowden outlines the historical, local and national political context in Bangladesh, and its operational implications. Amal de Chickera highlights the links between statelessness and displacement, and the international community’s failure to prioritise human rights in its dealings both with Bangladesh and with Myanmar. Puttanee Kangkun and John Quinley document the persistent persecution and denial of rights the Rohingya have faced for decades. Jeff Crisp reflects on the premature, involuntary and unsafe return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1970s and 1990s, and asks whether this could happen again.

Sally Shevach and colleagues explore how the ‘localisation’ agenda has influenced the operational response, and Kerrie Holloway draws on research by the Humanitarian Policy Group to test the common assumption that local actors necessarily have a better understanding of people’s needs. Nasif Rashad Khan and colleagues and Ashish Banik reflect on their experiences of engaging with the international humanitarian response system. Margie Buchanan-Smith and Marian Casey-Maslen discuss evaluation findings relating to communication and community engagement, a theme taken up by Nick Van Praag and Kai Hopkins, who report on a Ground Truth survey on refugees’ perceptions of assistance. Julia Brothwell discusses the British Red Cross/Bangladesh Red Crescent involvement in disaster preparedness and risk reduction during the monsoon season, and Gina Bark, Kate White and Amelie Janon outline the consequences of long-term exclusion from basic healthcare services in increasing vulnerability to preventable diseases. Matthew Wencel and colleagues round off the issue with reflections on data collection coordination and other challenges associated with monitoring large concentrations of refugees.

JAMA
December 11, 2018, Vol 320, No. 22, Pages 2283-2387
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Viewpoint
Institutional Conflicts of Interest and Public Trust
Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD; Bettie Sue Masters, PhD; Dan Sharphorn, JD
JAMA. 2018;320(22):2305-2306. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.18482
This Viewpoint discusses recent problems with undisclosed conflicts of interest and proposes broadening disclosure requirements beyond individuals to include the institutions funding the research.

JAMA
December 11, 2018, Vol 320, No. 22, Pages 2283-2387
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Should Failure to Disclose Significant Financial Conflicts of Interest Be Considered Research Misconduct?
Jeffrey R. Botkin, MD, MPH
JAMA. 2018;320(22):2307-2308. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.17525
This Viewpoint proposes that failure of authors to completely disclose conflicts of interest (COIs) should be considered a form of research misconduct subject to institutional review and sanctions if appropriate to establish a basic standard of consistent COI reporting.

JAMA
December 11, 2018, Vol 320, No. 22, Pages 2283-2387
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Editorial
Conflicts of Interests, Authors, and Journals – New Challenges for a Persistent Problem
Howard Bauchner, MD; Phil B. Fontanarosa, MD, MBA; Annette Flanagin, RN, MA

Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (JPIDS)
Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2018
https://academic.oup.com/jpids/issue

On Vaccination
Lemons and Lyme
Stanley A Plotkin
Extract
The world is a curious place, as you may have noticed, or, more accurately, people have curious opinions. One might think that a disease that is estimated to occur in more than 300000 people each year would be one that everybody would like to prevent [1], but that is not the case for Lyme disease, which, in this country, is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.Figure 1 shows the geographical distribution of cases [1]. It is odd that there is a lobby against the development and deployment of a vaccine against the disease by people who…

The Lancet
Dec 15, 2018   Volume 392Number 10164p2515-2654, e16
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
The right to health
The Lancet
Human Rights Day is recognised annually on Dec 10, and this year is especially important since it is the 70th anniversary of the day that the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration, through its 30 Articles, proclaims the rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. Today, Lawrence Gostin and colleagues, including the director-general of WHO, look back at the evolution of human rights in global health over the past 70 years and outline key messages for the future of health as a human right.

Gostin and colleagues describe how human rights became embedded in global health governance, beginning with WHO’s Constitution in 1946, which enshrined “the highest attainable standard of health” as one of the fundamental rights of every human being. But the Cold War superpowers took divergent positions on human rights and although the Declaration of Alma-Ata reaffirmed health as a right in 1978, many governments proved unable to implement appropriate policies. Gostin and colleagues describe how it was not until the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s that momentum grew behind universal access to treatment. Global health law, such as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and security, through the International Health Regulations, helped to embed health-related rights. Now, WHO considers universal health coverage through strengthened primary health care as core to the right to health and to achieving the sustainable development goals.

Recognition of the importance of human rights in protecting health is fundamental and is as crucial today as it was in 1948. As a common standard of achievement for all nations, promoting respect for these rights and freedoms is critical. But with constant rights violations taking place worldwide, and global threats such as climate change, armed conflict, and mass migration, the future of rights-based global health efforts is in the balance.

The Lancet
Dec 15, 2018   Volume 392Number 10164p2515-2654, e16
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Articles
Global patterns of mortality in international migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Robert W Aldridge, Laura B Nellums, Sean Bartlett, Anna Louise Barr, Parth Patel, Rachel Burns,
Sally Hargreaves, J Jaime Miranda, Stephen Tollman, Jon S Friedland, Ibrahim Abubakar
Open Access
258 million people reside outside their country of birth; however, to date no global systematic reviews or meta-analyses of mortality data for these international migrants have been done. We aimed to review and synthesise available mortality data on international migrants.

The Lancet
Dec 15, 2018   Volume 392Number 10164p2515-2654, e16
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Health impacts of parental migration on left-behind children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Gracia Fellmeth, Kelly Rose-Clarke, Chenyue Zhao, Laura K Busert, Yunting Zheng, Alessandro Massazza, Hacer Sonmez, Ben Eder, Alice Blewitt, Wachiraya Lertgrai, Miriam Orcutt, Katharina Ricci, Olaa Mohamed-Ahmed, Rachel Burns, Duleeka Knipe, Sally Hargreaves, Therese Hesketh,
Charles Opondo, Delan Devakumar
Open Access
Globally, a growing number of children and adolescents are left behind when parents migrate. We investigated the effect of parental migration on the health of left behind-children and adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The Lancet
Dec 15, 2018   Volume 392Number 10164p2515-2654, e16
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

The Lancet Commissions
The UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health: the health of a world on the move
Ibrahim Abubakar, Robert W Aldridge, Delan Devakumar, Miriam Orcutt, Rachel Burns, Mauricio L Barreto, Poonam Dhavan, Fouad M Fouad, Nora Groce, Yan Guo, Sally Hargreaves, Michael Knipper, J Jaime Miranda, Nyovani Madise, Bernadette Kumar, Davide Mosca, Terry McGovern,
Leonard Rubenstein, Peter Sammonds, Susan M Sawyer, Kabir Sheikh, Stephen Tollman, Paul Spiegel, Cathy Zimmerman on behalf of the UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health
Executive summary [excerpt]
With one billion people on the move or having moved in 2018, migration is a global reality, which has also become a political lightning rod. Although estimates indicate that the majority of global migration occurs within low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), the most prominent dialogue focuses almost exclusively on migration from LMICs to high-income countries (HICs). Nowadays, populist discourse demonises the very same individuals who uphold economies, bolster social services, and contribute to health services in both origin and destination locations. Those in positions of political and economic power continue to restrict or publicly condemn migration to promote their own interests. Meanwhile nationalist movements assert so-called cultural sovereignty by delineating an us versus them rhetoric, creating a moral emergency.
In response to these issues, the UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health was convened to articulate evidence-based approaches to inform public discourse and policy. The Commission undertook analyses and consulted widely, with diverse international evidence and expertise spanning sociology, politics, public health science, law, humanitarianism, and anthropology. The result of this work is a report that aims to be a call to action for civil society, health leaders, academics, and policy makers to maximise the benefits and reduce the costs of migration on health locally and globally. The outputs of our work relate to five overarching goals that we thread throughout the report…

Nature 
Volume 564 Issue 7735, 13 December 2018
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Comment | 12 December 2018
Debate ethics of embryo models from stem cells
International discussion must guide research…
Nicolas Rivron, Martin Pera,[…] & Rosario Isasi

New England Journal of Medicine
December 13, 2018   Vol. 379 No. 24
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
History of Medicine: Influenza Cataclysm, 1918
David M. Morens, M.D., and Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D.
This year marks the centennial of an influenza pandemic that killed 50 million to 100 million people globally — arguably the single deadliest event in recorded human history. Evidence suggests that another pandemic at least as severe may occur one day.

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Research Article
Economic impact of dengue in Mexico considering reported cases for 2012 to 2016
Adriana Zubieta-Zavala, Malaquias López-Cervantes, Guillermo Salinas-Escudero, Adrian Ramírez-Chávez, José Ramos Castañeda, Sendy Isarel Hernández-Gaytán, Juan Guillermo López Yescas, Luis Durán-Arenas
| published 14 Dec 2018 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Abstract
Background
Given that dengue disease is growing and may progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), data on economic cost and disease burden are important. However, data for Mexico are limited.
Methodology/Principal findings
Burden of dengue fever (DF) and DHF in Mexico was assessed using official databases for epidemiological information, disabilities weights from Shepard et al, the reported number of cases and deaths, and costs. Overall costs of dengue were summed from direct medical costs to the health system, cost of dengue to the patient (out-of-pocket expenses [medical and non-medical], indirect costs [loss of earnings, patient and/or caregiver]), and other government expenditures on prevention/surveillance. The first three components, calculated as costs per case by a micro-costing approach (PAATI; program, actions, activities, tasks, inputs), were scaled up to overall cost using epidemiology data from official databases. PAATI was used to calculate cost of vector control and prevention, education, and epidemiological surveillance, based on an expert consensus and normative construction of an ideal scenario.

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for Mexico in 2016 were calculated to be 2283.46 (1.87 per 100,000 inhabitants). Overall economic impact of dengue in Mexico for 2012 was US$144 million, of which US$44 million corresponded to direct medical costs and US$5 million to the costs from the patient’s perspective. The estimated cost of prevention/surveillance was calculated with information provided by federal government to be US$95 million. The overall economic impact of DF and DHF showed an increase in 2013 to US$161 million and a decrease to US$133, US$131 and US$130 million in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Conclusions/Significance
The medical and economic impact of dengue were in agreement with other international studies, and highlight the need to include governmental expenditure for prevention/surveillance in overall cost analyses given the high economic impact of these, increasing the necessity to evaluate its effectiveness.
Author summary
Dengue fever is caused by a flavivirus transmitted predominantly by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Infection causes a broad spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms, from mild disease, such as dengue fever to a life threatening form known as dengue hemorrhagic fever. The disease is widespread in tropical regions. Measures such as vector control can slow the spread of infection, and most countries where the disease is endemic, Mexico included, have programs in place to this end. However, faced with other health issues that also require attention, it is important to quantify the suffering caused by dengue and also its economic costs. In this study, we aimed to produce detailed figures for Mexico to complement and refine those available from international studies. Such information will help guide how the money budgeted for health in dengue is spent.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 15 Dec 2018]

Research Article
The demographics of vaccine hesitancy in Shanghai, China
Vaccine hesitancy has been little studied in low- and middle-income countries but is a potential concern because vaccine refusal may increase the burden of infectious diseases and impede control efforts. The aim of this study was to compare vaccine hesitancy between locals, long-time city residents, and non-locals, who have more recently moved to the city from either other urban or rural areas, in Shanghai, China
Jia Ren, Abram L. Wagner, Anna Zheng, Xiaodong Sun, Matthew L. Boulton, Zhuoying Huang, Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
Research Article | published 13 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209117

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
[Accessed 15 Dec 2018]

Insights from direct studies on human dengue infections
Scott B. Halstead
PNAS published ahead of print December 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1819607116

Science         
14 December 2018  Vol 362, Issue 6420
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Introduction to special issue:
Revealing the brain’s molecular architecture
[New issue; No digest content identified]
 

Science Translational Medicine
12 December 2018  Vol 10, Issue 471
http://stm.sciencemag.org/

Focus
Big data and black-box medical algorithms
By W. Nicholson Price
Science Translational Medicine12 Dec 2018 Restricted Access
New machine-learning techniques entering medicine present challenges in validation, regulation, and integration into practice.

Science Translational Medicine
12 December 2018  Vol 10, Issue 471
http://stm.sciencemag.org/

Research Article   Diagnostics
A point-of-care diagnostic for differentiating Ebola from endemic febrile diseases
By David Sebba, Alexander G. Lastovich, Melody Kuroda, Eric Fallows, Joshua Johnson, Ambroise Ahouidi, Anna N. Honko, Henry Fu, Rex Nielson, Erin Carruthers, Cyrille Diédhiou, Doré Ahmadou, Barré Soropogui, John Ruedas, Kristen Peters, Miroslaw Bartkowiak, N’Faly Magassouba, Souleymane Mboup, Yanis Ben Amor, John H. Connor, Kristin Weidemaier
Science Translational Medicine12 Dec 2018 Restricted Access
A multiplexed point-of-care diagnostic using surface-enhanced Raman scattering detects Ebola, Lassa, and malaria in blood and serum samples.
Discerning febrile diseases
Many infectious diseases present with common clinical symptoms, such as fever, which complicates diagnosis at the point of need. Sebba and colleagues developed an assay using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags to distinguish Ebola virus infections from Lassa and malaria. The no-wash triplex assay workflow adds a small volume of blood and buffer to dried SERS reagents and delivers a readout within 30 min. The assay detected parasite- and virus-specific antigens spiked into the blood, Ebola infections in nonhuman primates, and Ebola and malaria infections in human blood samples collected from endemic regions during field testing. Although further testing is required, this assay could be useful during febrile disease outbreaks.
Abstract
Hemorrhagic fever outbreaks such as Ebola are difficult to detect and control because of the lack of low-cost, easily deployable diagnostics and because initial clinical symptoms mimic other endemic diseases such as malaria. Current molecular diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction require trained personnel and laboratory infrastructure, hindering diagnostics at the point of need. Although rapid tests such as lateral flow can be broadly deployed, they are typically not well-suited for differentiating among multiple diseases presenting with similar symptoms. Early detection and control of Ebola outbreaks require simple, easy-to-use assays that can detect and differentiate infection with Ebola virus from other more common febrile diseases. Here, we developed and tested an immunoassay technology that uses surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags to simultaneously detect antigens from Ebola, Lassa, and malaria within a single blood sample. Results are provided in <30 min for individual or batched samples. Using 190 clinical samples collected from the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, along with 163 malaria positives and 233 negative controls, we demonstrated Ebola detection with 90.0% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity and malaria detection with 100.0% sensitivity and 99.6% specificity. These results, along with corresponding live virus and nonhuman primate testing of an Ebola, Lassa, and malaria 3-plex assay, indicate the potential of the SERS technology as an important tool for outbreak detection and clinical triage in low-resource settings.

Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 15 Dec 2018)

Open Access  Editorial
T Cell Memory to Vaccination
by Stephen M Todryk
Vaccines 2018, 6(4), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines6040084 (registering DOI) – 14 December 2018
Abstract
Most immune responses associated with vaccination are controlled by specific T cells of a CD4+ helper phenotype which mediate the generation of effector antibodies, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), or the activation of innate immune effector cells. A rapidly growing understanding of the generation, maintenance, activity, and measurement of such T cells is leading to vaccination strategies with greater efficacy and potentially greater microbial coverage