Monthly Archives: June 2019

Use of adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine in older-age adults: a systematic review of economic evidence

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 15, Issue 5, 2019
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Review
Use of adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine in older-age adults: a systematic review of economic evidence
Ilaria Loperto, Andrea Simonetti, Antonio Nardone & Maria Triassi
Pages: 1035-1047
Published online: 25 Mar 2019

Improving influenza vaccination uptake among healthcare workers by on-site influenza vaccination campaign in a tertiary children hospital

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 15, Issue 5, 2019
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Improving influenza vaccination uptake among healthcare workers by on-site influenza vaccination campaign in a tertiary children hospital
Melahat Melek Oguz
Pages: 1060-1065
Published online: 19 Mar 2019

Knowledge about influenza and adherence to the recommendations for influenza vaccination of pregnant women after an educational intervention in Greece

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 15, Issue 5, 2019
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Knowledge about influenza and adherence to the recommendations for influenza vaccination of pregnant women after an educational intervention in Greece
Helena C. Maltezou, Pelopidas Pelopidas Koutroumanis, Chrissa Kritikopoulou, Kalliopi Theodoridou, Panos Katerelos, Ioanna Tsiaousi, Alexandros Rodolakis & Dimitrios Loutradis
Pages: 1070-1074
Published online: 20 Feb 2019

Reliability and validity of a survey to identify vaccine hesitancy among parents in Changxing county, Zhejiang province

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 15, Issue 5, 2019
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Reliability and validity of a survey to identify vaccine hesitancy among parents in Changxing county, Zhejiang province
Yu Hu, Yaping Chen, Hui Liang & Ying Wang
Pages: 1092-1099
Published online: 19 Mar 2019

First report of a persistent oropharyngeal infection of type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus (iVDPV2) in a primary immune deficient (PID) patient after eradication of wild type 2 poliovirus

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International Journal of Infectious Diseases
June 2019 Volume 83, p1-170
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0008-9

 

Case Reports
First report of a persistent oropharyngeal infection of type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus (iVDPV2) in a primary immune deficient (PID) patient after eradication of wild type 2 poliovirus
Merav Weil, Galia Rahav, Raz Somech, Tali Stauber, Jacqueline Alfandari, Leah Weiss, Ilana Silberstein, Victoria Indenbaum, Itay Bar Or, Ella Mendelson, Danit Sofer, Lester M. Shulman
p40–43

The Importance of Predefined Rules and Prespecified Statistical AnalysesDo Not Abandon Significance

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JAMA
June 4, 2019, Vol 321, No. 21, Pages 2045-2142
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Viewpoint
The Importance of Predefined Rules and Prespecified Statistical AnalysesDo Not Abandon Significance
John P. A. Ioannidis, MD, DSc
JAMA. 2019;321(21):2067-2068. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4582

In this Viewpoint, John Ioannidis argues against abandoning the notion and language of statistical significance, which has been proposed as a means to diminish oversimplistic interpretations of clinical research. A significance filter in some form is essential for distinguishing signal from noise, he writes, and emphasizes that predefined study design choices, prespecified statistical analyses, transparent and documented deviations from either, and improvement in researchers’ statistical numeracy can minimize overly subjective interpretations of whatever significance measure is used.

Global Health Spending and Development Assistance for Health

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JAMA
June 4, 2019, Vol 321, No. 21, Pages 2045-2142
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Global Health Spending and Development Assistance for Health
Joseph L. Dieleman, PhD; Angela E. Micah, PhD; Christopher J. L. Murray, MD, DPhil
JAMA. 2019;321(21):2073-2074. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.3687
mmmThis Viewpoint reviews the global health role of development assistance for health (DAH) and financial or in-kind assistance provided by western countries via international development agencies and foundations to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and proposes best practices to ensure that DAH continues to be a reliable source of support for LMIC health systems and assists them to develop pandemic preparedness.

Duration of Immunity and Effectiveness of Diphtheria-Tetanus–Acellular Pertussis Vaccines in Children

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JAMA Pediatrics
June 2019, Vol 173, No. 6, Pages 509-610
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Original Investigation
Duration of Immunity and Effectiveness of Diphtheria-Tetanus–Acellular Pertussis Vaccines in Children
Matthieu Domenech de Cellès, PhD; Pejman Rohani, PhD; Aaron A. King, PhD
JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(6):588-594. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0711
This simulation study assesses the duration of immunity and the effectiveness of diphtheria-tetanus–acellular pertussis vaccines in US children.

Innovation in Genomic Data Sharing at the NIH

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New England Journal of Medicine
June 6, 2019 Vol. 380 No. 23
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

 

Innovation in Genomic Data Sharing at the NIH
Bruce M. Psaty, M.D., Ph.D., Stephen S. Rich, Ph.D., and Eric Boerwinkle, Ph.D.
Major advances leveraging large-scale genomic and phenotype data require not only contemporary analytics based on deep learning and artificial intelligence, but also administrative and regulatory innovation.

Treatment of latent infection to achieve tuberculosis elimination in low-incidence countries

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PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 8 Jun 2019)

 

Policy Forum
Treatment of latent infection to achieve tuberculosis elimination in low-incidence countries
Jonathon R. Campbell, David Dowdy, Kevin Schwartzman
| published 06 Jun 2019 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002824
Summary points
:: Tuberculosis (TB) persists in the United States, Canada, and other high-income, low- incidence countries largely because of ongoing reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI).
:: TB elimination in low-incidence countries, defined as an annual incidence of ≤1 case per million, will require extensive screening and treatment of LTBI, including in people for whom the harms of LTBI treatment outweigh the likely benefits: for example, older foreign-born individuals with no recent travel/exposure. Ongoing migration from higher-incidence countries, as well as pockets of transmission in vulnerable subgroups such as prisoners, homeless persons, and drug users, will also continue to pose challenges for TB elimination.
:: Policymakers in low-incidence countries face a choice between a utilitarian approach that tolerates individual net harm to advance public health goals and a patient-centered approach that values shared decision-making but will predictably result in failure to achieve TB elimination.
:: While TB elimination is an important aspirational vision, the ethical implications of this goal—namely the implicit requirement to offer LTBI screening and treatment to individuals who are more likely to experience harm than good—merit careful reflection.

Science tikkun: A framework embracing the right of access to innovation and translational medicine on a global scale

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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 8 Jun 2019)

 

Editorial
Science tikkun: A framework embracing the right of access to innovation and translational medicine on a global scale
Peter J. Hotez
| published 06 Jun 2019 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007117
[See Milestones above for full text]

High prevalence of cervical high-risk human papillomavirus infection mostly covered by Gardasil-9 prophylactic vaccine in adult women living in N?Djamena, Chad

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 8 Jun 2019]

 

Research Article
High prevalence of cervical high-risk human papillomavirus infection mostly covered by Gardasil-9 prophylactic vaccine in adult women living in N?Djamena, Chad
We conducted in 2018 a descriptive, quantitative, population-based, cross-sectional survey estimating the prevalence of cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection and associated risk factors among adult women living in N’Djamena, Chad… These observations highlight the unsuspected high burden of cervical HR-HPV infection in Chadian women, and point the potential risk of further development of HPV-associated cervical precancerous and neoplastic lesions in a large proportion of women in Chad. The high rate of preventable Gardasil-9 vaccine genotypes constitutes the rationale for introducing primary vaccine prevention against cervical cancer in young female adolescents living in Chad.
Ralph-Sydney Mboumba Bouassa, Zita Aleyo Nodjikouambaye, Damtheou Sadjoli, Chatté Adawaye, Hélène Péré, David Veyer, Mathieu Matta, Leman Robin, Serge Tonen-Wolyec, Ali Mahamat Moussa, Donato Koyalta, Laurent Belec
Research Article | published 03 Jun 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217486

Research on food-related chronic diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean: Are we building the evidence for gender-equitable approaches?

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Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
http://www.paho.org/journal/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=101

 
7 Jun 2019
Research on food-related chronic diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean: Are we building the evidence for gender-equitable approaches?
Original research | English |

Strengthening institutional capacity for equitable health research: lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean

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Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
http://www.paho.org/journal/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=101

 

 

7 Jun 2019
Strengthening institutional capacity for equitable health research: lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean
Opinion and analysis | Spanish | English | Portuguese |

Ethics of inclusion: Cultivate trust in precision medicine

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Science
07 June 2019 Vol 364, Issue 6444
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

 

Policy Forum
Ethics of inclusion: Cultivate trust in precision medicine
By Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Stephanie M. Fullerton, Aliya Saperstein, Janet K. Shim
Science07 Jun 2019 : 941-942 Restricted Access
We must explore how studies enhance diversity, inclusion
Summary
Precision medicine is at a crossroads. Progress toward its central goal, to address persistent health inequities, will depend on enrolling populations in research that have been historically underrepresented, thus eliminating longstanding exclusions from such research (1). Yet the history of ethical violations related to protocols for inclusion in biomedical research, as well as the continued misuse of research results (such as white nationalists looking to genetic ancestry to support claims of racial superiority), continue to engender mistrust among these populations (2). For precision medicine research (PMR) to achieve its goal, all people must believe that there is value in providing information about themselves and their families, and that their participation will translate into equitable distribution of benefits. This requires an ethics of inclusion that considers what constitutes inclusive practices in PMR, what goals and values are being furthered through efforts to enhance diversity, and who participates in adjudicating these questions. The early stages of PMR offer a critical window in which to intervene before research practices and their consequences become locked in (3).

Telemedicine infectious diseases consultations and clinical outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

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Systematic Reviews
https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 8 Jun 2019]

 

Protocol
Telemedicine infectious diseases consultations and clinical outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Telemedicine use is increasing in many specialties, but its impact on clinical outcomes in infectious diseases has not been systematically studied and reviewed. The proposed systematic review will evaluate the…
Authors: Jason P. Burnham, Stephanie A. Fritz, Lauren H. Yaeger and Graham A. Colditz
Citation: Systematic Reviews 2019 8:135
Published on: 7 June 2019

Post‐Ebola psychosocial experiences and coping mechanisms among Ebola survivors: a systematic review

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Tropical Medicine & International Health
Volume 24, Issue 6 Pages: i-iv, 657-786 June 2019
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/13653156/current

 

Review Free Access
Post‐Ebola psychosocial experiences and coping mechanisms among Ebola survivors: a systematic review
A myriad of physical and psychosocial sequelae have been reported among Ebola survivors from previous Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks, including the most recent in West Africa. This review examines the various forms of psychological distress experienced by EVD survivors, family and community reactions to EVD survivors and EVD survivors’ coping mechanisms.
P. B. James, J. Wardle, A. Steel, J. Adams
Pages: 671-691
First Published: 07 March 2019

Effectiveness of a multimodal intervention to increase vaccination in obstetrics/gynecology settings

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 26 Pages 3379-3504 (6 June 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/26

 

Research article Abstract only
Effectiveness of a multimodal intervention to increase vaccination in obstetrics/gynecology settings
Sean T. O’Leary, Jennifer Pyrzanowski, Sarah E. Brewer, Carter Sevick, … Amanda F. Dempsey
Pages 3409-3418

Trust collapse caused by the Changsheng vaccine crisis in China

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 26 Pages 3379-3504 (6 June 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/26

 

Research article Abstract only
Trust collapse caused by the Changsheng vaccine crisis in China
Min Zhou, Shujuan Qu, Lindu Zhao, Nan Kong, … Song Wang
Pages 3419-3425
Highlights
:: Public’s reactions toward Changsheng vaccine scandal on the Internet in China.
:: 215,184 unqualified DTP vaccines were reported to be used for child vaccination.
:: Over 80% of comments are negative and express weak confidence to China-made vaccines.
:: Vaccine anxiety influenced by low-satisfaction on vaccine makers and regulation.

Childhood Immunization in Ethiopia: Accuracy of Maternal Recall Compared to Vaccination Cards

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Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 8 Jun 2019)

 

Open Access Article
Childhood Immunization in Ethiopia: Accuracy of Maternal Recall Compared to Vaccination Cards
by Julia M. Porth, Abram L. Wagner, Yemesrach A. Tefera and Matthew L. Boulton
Vaccines 2019, 7(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines7020048 (registering DOI) – 7 June 2019
Abstract
Health surveys conducted in low- and middle-income countries typically estimate childhood vaccination status based on written vaccination cards, maternal recall (when cards are not available), or a combination of both. This analysis aimed to assess the accuracy of maternal recall of a child’s vaccination status in Ethiopia. Data came from a 2016 cross-sectional study conducted in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ (SNNP) Region of Ethiopia. Vaccine doses received by a given 12–23-month-old child were recorded from both a vaccination card and based on maternal recall and then compared. Concordance, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and Cohen’s Kappa were calculated. Estimates of full immunization coverage were similar when collected via vaccination card (75%) and maternal recall (74%). For fully vaccinated children, comparison of maternal recall versus vaccination card showed high concordance (96%), sensitivity (97%), specificity (93%), PPV (98%), NPV (92%), and Kappa (90%). Accuracy of maternal recall of a child’s vaccination status is high in the SNNP region of Ethiopia. Although determination of vaccination status via vaccination card is preferred since it constitutes a written record, maternal recall can also be used with confidence when vaccination cards are not available.

From Google Scholar & other sources: Selected Journal Articles, Newsletters, Dissertations, Theses, Commentary

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From Google Scholar & other sources: Selected Journal Articles, Newsletters, Dissertations, Theses, Commentary

Trends in Parasitology
Available online 29 May 2019
Transmission-Blocking Vaccines for Malaria: Time to Talk about Vaccine Introduction
CH Coelho, R Rappuoli, PJ Hotez, PE Duffy –
Malaria kills more than 600 000 people yearly, mainly children, and eradication is a global priority. Malaria transmission-blocking vaccines are advancing in clinical trials, and strategies for their introduction must be prioritized among stakeholders and the vulnerable populations exposed to the disease.

Media/Policy Watch

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Media/Policy Watch
This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.

 

The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
U.S.
U.S. Records 1,000th Case of Measles, Officials Blame Misinformation for Outbreak
The United States has recorded 1,001 measles cases so far this year in the worst outbreak of the highly contagious disease in more than a quarter-century, federal health officials said on Wednesday as they issued a new plea for parents to vaccinate their children.
By Reuters
June 5

Africa
Alarm as Ebola Outbreak Reaches 2,000 Cases, Picks Up Speed
The deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has surpassed 2,000 cases and is picking up speed.
By The Associated Press
June 4

Opinion
When Defending Vaccines Gets Ugly
Dr. Peter Hotez has devoted his career to making vaccines more widely available. He routinely gets attacked for it.
By Jeneen Interlandi
June 2

 

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Jun 5, 2019
New York anti-vaccine event attracts pro-vaccine protests amid measles outbreak
Ben Guarino and Lena H. Sun ·

Think Tanks et al

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Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

 

Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
[No new relevant content]

 

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

 

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

 

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 8 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 01 Jun 2019

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Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review is a weekly digest  summarizing news, events, announcements, peer-reviewed articles and research in the global vaccine ethics and policy space. Content is aggregated from key governmental, NGO, international organization and industry sources, key peer-reviewed journals, and other media channels. This summary proceeds from the broad base of themes and issues monitored by the Center for Vaccine Ethics & Policy in its work: it is not intended to be exhaustive in its coverage. You are viewing the blog version of our weekly digest, typically comprised of between 30 and 40 posts below all dated with the current issue date

.– Request an Email Summary: Vaccines and Global Health : The Week in Review is published as a single email summary, scheduled for release each Saturday evening before midnight (EDT in the U.S.). If you would like to receive the email version, please send your request to david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org.

– pdf version:  A pdf of the current issue is available here: Vaccines and Global Health_The Week in Review_1 Jun 2019

– blog edition: comprised of the approx. 35+ entries posted below.

– Twitter:  Readers can also follow developments on twitter: @vaxethicspolicy.
.
– Links:  We endeavor to test each link as we incorporate it into any post, but recognize that some links may become “stale” as publications and websites reorganize content over time. We apologize in advance for any links that may not be operative. We believe the contextual information in a given post should allow retrieval, but please contact us as above for assistance if necessary.

Support this knowledge-sharing service: Your financial support helps us cover our costs and to address a current shortfall in our annual operating budget. Click here to donate and thank you in advance for your contribution.

.
David R. Curry, MS
Executive Director
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy

Major cholera vaccination campaign begins in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo :: 43: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu :: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

DRC – Ebola/Cholera/Measles

Major cholera vaccination campaign begins in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Agencies warn of unprecedented situation in the DRC as cholera and measles epidemics compound Ebola challenges
Geneva / Goma 27 May 2019 – More than 800,000 people will be immunised against cholera in North Kivu in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the launch of a major vaccination campaign today.

The campaign will be implemented by the DRC Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, and funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. A total of 835,183 people in Binza, Goma, Kayina, Karisimbi, Kibirizi, Kirotshe and Rutshuru areas will be vaccinated by 1 June 2019. The campaign will administer the first of two doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) to people in these areas. Following successful implementation, a campaign to administer the second dose will take place at a later stage to provide full protection against cholera.

Over 10,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the country since January 2019, leading to more than 240 deaths. In addition, over 80,000 suspected cases of measles have led to over 1,400 deaths so far this year while a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 was reported in Kasai province earlier this month.

“The DRC is confronted with an unprecedented combination of deadly epidemics,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “While the Ebola outbreak continues to cause untold misery in the East, measles and cholera epidemics are claiming the lives of thousands of people throughout the country. That’s why we are stepping up our response, through this cholera vaccination campaign, through ongoing measles vaccinations in health zones affected by measles outbreaks, as well as through our continued support for Ebola vaccinations in both the DRC and neighbouring countries. We cannot allow this needless suffering to continue.”…

 

::::::

43: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu
28 May2019
…Implementation of ring vaccination protocol
:: As of 25 of May 2019, 124,825 people at risk have consented to and received the rVSV-ZEBOV-GP Ebola vaccine. Of those, 33,046 are contacts and 87,886 contacts of contacts. The total number of vaccines includes 31,016 HCWs/FLWs and 34 522 children 1-17 years of age.

:: In the last week (i.e. 13-20 May 2019), the ring vaccination teams were active in 55 different Aires de Santé and administered 800-1200 doses per day.

:: Despite the challenges in the field and considering the cases reported between 30 April 2019 and 20 May 2019, only 31/337 (9.2%) of the cases do not have a ring defined and their contacts and contacts of contacts vaccinated. For 113/337 (33.5%) of the cases the ring vaccination was completed and for 193/337 (57.2%) ring vaccination is ongoing at the time of writing this report. This important progress is the result of the use of innovative delivery strategies (i.e. pop-up vaccination and targeted geographic vaccination) and strong community negotiations and engagement…

Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
30 May 2019
A decline in the number of confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases has been reported this week (22 to 28 May). Over the past seven days, a total of 73 new confirmed cases were reported compared to the previous where 127 new confirmed cases were reported. This should be interpreted with caution given the complex operating environment and fragility of the security situation…

Control of Ebola virus disease outbreaks: Comparison of health care worker-targeted and community vaccination strategies :: Efficient vaccination strategies for epidemic control using network information :: Analyzing and forecasting the Ebola incidence in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018–19 in real time

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

Featured Media Content

Epidemics
Volume 27 Pages 1-132 (June 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/epidemics/vol/27/suppl/C
Research article Open access
Control of Ebola virus disease outbreaks: Comparison of health care worker-targeted and community vaccination strategies
Alexis Robert, Anton Camacho, W. John Edmunds, Marc Baguelin, … Rosalind M. Eggo
Pages 106-114

Research article Open access
Efficient vaccination strategies for epidemic control using network information
Yingrui Yang, Ashley McKhann, Sixing Chen, Guy Harling, Jukka-Pekka Onnela
Pages 115-122

Research article Open access
Analyzing and forecasting the Ebola incidence in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018–19 in real time
Andrei R. Akhmetzhanov, Hyojung Lee, Sung-mok Jung, Taishi Kayano, … Hiroshi Nishiura
Pages 123-131

72nd World Health Assembly Closes with Adoption of Resolution on Public Health Topics :: World Health Assembly Update, 28 May 2019 :: World Health Assembly Update, 27 May 2019 :: 72nd session of the World Health Assembly

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Featured Media Content

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

72nd World Health Assembly

72nd World Health Assembly Closes with Adoption of Resolution on Public Health Topics
Geneva, 28 May 2019 (PAHO/WHO) – The 72nd World Health Assembly ended today with the adoption of several resolutions on the world’s most relevant public health issues.

Over the past 9 days, Member States adopted a new global strategy on health, environment and climate change, and committed to invest in safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in health facilities. The countries adopted a landmark agreement to enhance the transparency of pricing for medicines, vaccines and other health products. The new WHO programme budget was approved and a common approach to antimicrobial resistance was agreed upon.

Patient safety was recognized as a global health priority and the 11th Edition of the International Classification of Diseases was adopted. The countries adopted three resolutions on universal health coverage with a focus on primary healthcare, the role of community health workers, and the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in New York in September 2019.

“I cannot emphasize strongly enough what a decisive moment for public health the High-Level Meeting could be. A strong declaration, with strong political support, could transform the lives of billions of people, in realizing what we have always advocated for – health for all,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in his closing remarks at the 72nd World Health Assembly.

We are going to face many challenges in implementing the commitments that we made, Dr. Tedros cautioned. Some of our countries are deeply divided. Some are in severe economic crises. Some are still suffering from years of conflict,” he added. The WHO Director-General urged the countries to translate the adopted resolutions into policies and programs that deliver results.

Tedros said that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the Member States and WHO should also commit to regular accountability regarding the progress and challenges they face in the implementation of these policies. When they return next year, he asked the delegations to be ready to report on the steps they have taken and the progress they have made on primary health care and universal health coverage. Speech

 

Approved resolutions
Migrant and refugee health
Member States agreed on a five-year global action plan to promote the health of refugees and migrants. The plan focuses on achieving universal health coverage and the highest attainable standard of health for refugees and migrants, as well as for host populations.

The plan includes short and long-term steps to mainstream refugee and migrant health care, enhance partnerships, strengthen health monitoring and information systems, and counter misperceptions about migrant and refugee health.

Member States are requesting that the Director-General report back on progress at the 74th World Health Assembly in 2021. Reports at the 74th and 76th World Health Assemblies to be held in 2021 and 2023 will also include information voluntarily provided by Member States and UN agencies, as appropriate.

Globally, the number of international migrants has grown. In the period 2000–2017, the total number of international migrants rose from 173 million to 258 million, an increase of 49%. The number of forcibly displaced people, 68.5 million, is also the highest ever, and includes 25.4 million refugees. Ten million stateless people lack a nationality and do not have access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of movement.

 

Access to medicines
The World Health Assembly today adopted a resolution on improving the transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines, and other health products in an effort to expand access.

The resolution urges Member States to enhance public sharing of information on actual prices paid by governments and other buyers for health products, and greater transparency on pharmaceutical patents, clinical trial results, and other determinants of pricing along the value chain from laboratory to patient.

It asks the WHO Secretariat to support efforts towards transparency and to monitor the impact of transparency on affordability and availability of health products, including the effect of differential pricing.

The aim is to help Member States make more informed decisions when purchasing health products, negotiate more affordable prices, and ultimately expand access to health products for populations.

 

Nagoya Protocol
The Health Assembly asked the Director-General to broaden engagement with Member States, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, relevant international organizations and relevant stakeholders, in order to provide information on current pathogen-sharing practices and arrangements, the implementation of access and benefit-sharing measures, as well as potential public health outcomes and other implications.

The request followed a review of the WHO Secretariat’s report on the public health implications of implementing the Nagoya Protocol, an international agreement on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization.

 

Other resolutions
On previous days, delegations of the member countries adopted several resolutions, including the following:
:: Delegations at the World Health Assembly adopted three resolutions on universal health coverage, with a focus on: primary health care, the role of community health workers, and the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage that will be held in September.

:: The countries agreed to adopt the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) that will become effective on 1 January 2022. The ICD is the foundation for the identification of health trends and statistics globally, and the international standard for reporting diseases and health conditions. It is the diagnostic classification standard for all clinical and research purposes. ICD defines the universe of diseases, disorders, injuries, and other health conditions.

:: They also agreed to recognize patient safety as a key health priority and to take concerted action to reduce patient harm in healthcare settings. An estimated 134 million adverse events occur annually due to unsafe care in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to 2.6 million deaths.

:: The countries also adopted a resolution to improve safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in health facilities around the world. To prevent the spread of infections, reduce maternal and newborn deaths, and achieve universal health coverage, the resolution urges Member States to prioritize WASH interventions for safer health care worldwide.

:: A resolution was adopted urging Member States to strengthen infection prevention and control measures including water sanitation and hygiene; enhance participation in the Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System; ensure prudent use of quality-assured antimicrobials; and support the multisectoral annual self-assessment survey.

:: The countries approved a new global strategy on health, environment and climate change, which provides a vision and way forward on how the world needs to respond to environmental health risks and challenges until 2030. They also agreed on a plan of action on climate change and health in small island developing states.

:: Among others, the delegations adopted a resolution to accelerate and scale up action to prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases, primarily cancer, diabetes and heart and lung diseases, and to meet global targets to reduce the number of people who die too young from these diseases. .

28 May 2019 WHO News release
World Health Assembly Update, 28 May 2019
Access to medicines
The World Health Assembly today adopted a resolution on improving the transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines and other health products in an effort to expand access.
The resolution urges Member States to enhance public sharing of information on actual prices paid by governments and other buyers for health products, and greater transparency on pharmaceutical patents, clinical trial results and other determinants of pricing along the value chain from laboratory to patient.

It requests the WHO secretariat to support efforts towards transparency and monitor the impact of transparency on affordability and availability of health products, including the effect of differential pricing.

The aim is to help Member States to make more informed decisions when purchasing health products, negotiate more affordable prices and ultimately expand access to health products for the populations.

Assuring access to medicines is key to advancing universal health coverage. Member States also expressed wide support for the WHO Access Roadmap for Medicines, Vaccines and other health products, which will determine WHO’s work on this issue for the next five years.

 

Nagoya Protocol
The Health Assembly requested the Director-General to broaden engagement with Member States, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, relevant international organizations and relevant stakeholders, to provide information on current pathogen-sharing practices and arrangements, the implementation of access and benefit-sharing measures, as well as the potential public health outcomes and other implications. The request followed a review of the WHO’s Secretariat’s report on the public health implications of implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, an international agreement on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization.

27 May 2019 WHO News release
World Health Assembly Update, 27 May 2019
Member States have agreed a five-year global action plan to promote the health of refugees and migrants. The plan focuses on achieving universal health coverage – and the highest attainable standard of health – for refugees and migrants and for host populations.

The plan includes short and long-term steps to mainstream refugee and migrant health care; enhance partnerships;  strengthen health monitoring and information systems and counter misperceptions about migrant and refugee health.

Member States are requesting that the Director-General report back on progress at the 74th World Health Assembly. Reports to the 74th and 76th World Health Assemblies will also include information provided by Member States on a voluntary basis, and UN agencies as appropriate.

Globally, the number of international migrants has grown. During the period 2000–2017, the total number of international migrants rose from 173 million to 258 million, an increase of 49%. The number of forcibly displaced people, 68.5 million, is also the highest ever, and includes 25.4 million refugees. Ten million stateless people lack a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of movement.

72nd session of the World Health Assembly
20-28 May 2019, Geneva
Main documents

Emergencies

Posted on by

Emergencies

 

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 15 May 2019
:: Health leaders at the World Health Assembly last week in Geneva, Switzerland, welcomed the new Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023, and acknowledged that while a lot had been accomplished, more efforts were needed in order to achieve a lasting polio-free world by 2023.

:: Following the group’s meeting earlier this month, the latest report of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee is available.  The Committee evaluated the latest global poliovirus epidemiology and concluded that the effort to eradicate polio remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).  More.

:: In Cameroon, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was detected from an environmental sample collected on 20 April 2019 in Extreme Nord.  The virus was detected in an environmental sample only – no associated cases of paralysis have been detected.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Pakistan – two wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases and six WPV1-positive environmental samples;
:: Afghanistan – one WPV1-positive environmental sample; Nigeria – two circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2)-positive environmental samples;
:: Somalia – one cVDPV2 case;
:: Cameroon – one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample; and, Iran – one WPV1-positive environmental sample.

Polio: Statement of the Twenty-first IHR Emergency Committee
Regarding the International Spread of Poliovirus
29 May 2019 Statement Geneva
The twenty-first meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the Director-General on 14 May 2019 at WHO headquarters with members, advisers and invited Member States attending via teleconference, supported by the WHO secretariat.

The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV). The Secretariat presented a report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations. The following IHR States Parties provided an update on the current situation and the implementation of the WHO Temporary Recommendations since the Committee last met on 19 February 2019: Afghanistan, DR Congo, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia.

The committee commended all countries that presented on the quality of information provided, and the transparency with which countries discussed their challenges.

Wild poliovirus
The Committee is gravely concerned by the significant further increase in WPV1 cases globally in 2019, particularly in Pakistan where 15 cases have already been reported. In Pakistan transmission continues to be widespread, as indicated by the number of positive environmental isolates in many areas of the country, and the proportion of samples that detect WPV1 is rising. The recent cluster of cases in Lahore also indicates that vulnerabilities still exist outside the high-risk corridors. Notably, the increased rate of infection during what is usually the low season may herald even higher rates of infection in the coming high season unless urgent remedial steps are taken. The committee was very concerned about attacks on vaccinators and on the police protecting them. The increasing refusal by individuals and communities to accept vaccination also needs to be actively addressed. While the committee understood that the recent elections and political transition may have adversely affected delivery of the polio program, it is now essential that the new government renews its efforts, noting that the eradication program in the country is no longer on-track.

Highlighting these concerns, the committee noted the recent detection of WPV1 in sewage in Iran in an area close to the international border with Pakistan. Based on genetic sequencing, the virus is most closely linked to viruses found recently in Karachi, Pakistan. While there is no evidence currently that transmission has occurred in Iran and routine immunization coverage is high there, this finding together with the resumption of WPV1 international spread between Pakistan and Afghanistan suggests that rising transmission in Pakistan correlates with increasing risk of WPV1 exportation beyond the single epidemiological block formed by the two countries. The Iran event is the first such exportation detected since 2014 and signals that the hard fought gains of recent years can easily be reversed…

Vaccine derived poliovirus 
The multiple cVDPV2 outbreaks on the continent of Africa are as concerning as the WPV1 situation in Asia. The emergence of new strains of cVDPV2 in areas where mOPV2 has been used, the recent spread of cVDPV2 into southern Nigeria, including the densely populated Lagos region, and evidence of missed transmission in Nigeria and Somalia suggests that the situation continues to deteriorate. Insufficient coverage with IPV exacerbates the growing vulnerability on the continent to cVDPV2 transmission. Early detection of any international spread from the five currently infected countries and prioritized use of mOPV2 is essential to mitigate further depletion of the limited mOPV2 supply. Repeatedly, cases have occurred in border districts (in Nigeria, close to Benin, in DR Congo close to Angola, in Somalia, close to Ethiopia, and in Mozambique, close to Malawi)…

Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months. The Committee considered the following factors in reaching this conclusion:

Rising risk of WPV1 international spread: The progress made in recent years appears to be reversing, with the committee’s assessed risk of international spread the highest since 2014 when the PHEIC was declared. This risk assessment is based on the following:
:: the first WPV1 exportation outside of the single epidemiological block of Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2014;
:: rising number of WPV1 cases in Pakistan;
:: rising proportion of environmental samples that are positive for WPV1 in Afghanistan and Pakistan;
:: widespread detection of WPV1 in Pakistan in environmental samples;
:: clusters of cases in areas not considered high risk such as Lahore;
:: the fact that all of these observations have been made during the part of the year normally considered as low transmission season;
:: increasing community and individual resistance to the polio program.

Rising risk of cVDPV spread: The newly emerged strains of cVDPV2 in Nigeria and DR Congo, and the increased number of infected states / provinces in these two countries, together with evidence of missed transmission in Nigeria, Somalia and Indonesia also suggests the risk of international spread of cVDPV, especially type 2, is rising.

Falling PV2 immunity: Global population immunity to type 2 polioviruses (PV2) continues to fall, as the cohort of children born after OPV2 withdrawal grows, exacerbated by poor coverage with IPV particularly in some of the cVDPV infected countries. Protracted outbreaks: The difficulty in rapidly controlling cVDPV outbreaks in Nigeria and DR Congo is another risk.

Weak routine immunization: Many countries have weak immunization systems that can be further impacted by various humanitarian emergencies, and the number of countries in which immunization systems have been weakened or disrupted by conflict and complex emergencies poses a growing risk, leaving populations in these fragile states vulnerable to outbreaks of polio.

Surveillance gaps: The appearance of highly diverged VDPVs in Somalia and Indonesia are examples of inadequate polio surveillance, heightening concerns that transmission could be missed in various countries. Similar gaps exist in Lake Chad countries and around the Horn of Africa.

Lack of access: Inaccessibility continues to be a major risk, particularly in several countries currently infected with WPV or cVDPV, i.e. Afghanistan, Nigeria, Niger, Somalia and Papua, Indonesia, which all have sizable populations that have been unreached with polio vaccine for prolonged periods.

Population movement: The risk is amplified by population movement, whether for family, social, economic or cultural reasons, or in the context of populations displaced by insecurity and returning refugees. There is a need for international coordination to address these risks. A regional approach and strong cross-border cooperation is required to respond to these risks, as much international spread of polio occurs over land borders….

 

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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 1 Jun 2019]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Major cholera vaccination campaign begins in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 27 May 2019
:: 43: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu 28 May2019
:: Disease Outbreak News (DONs) Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
30 May 2019
[See Ebola DRC above for detail]

South Sudan
:: In South Sudan, grandmothers breastfeed malnourished grandchildren 28 May 2019
:: The Government of Japan and WHO donate six ambulances to boost health service delivery in South Sudan 28 May 2019

Yemen
:: Donations from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates provide access to health care for millions in Yemen
27 May 2019, Aden/Sana’a — The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed its gratitude to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates for a grant of US$ 20 million, which will support ongoing efforts to stop the spread of cholera in Yemen…

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified

 

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 1 Jun 2019]

Libya
:: Photo essay: WHO emergency teams at work in Libya 26 May 2019

occupied Palestinian territory
:: The Gaza trauma response: One-year analysis of trauma injuries in Gaza 29 May 2019
:: Overcoming barriers to health care access in the West Bank with mobile clinics 27 May 2019

Brazil (in Portugese) – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Cyclone Idai – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

 

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 1 Jun 2019]

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018 – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

 

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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. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syria: Situation Report 3: Recent Developments in Northwestern Syria (as of 31 May 2019)
HIGHLIGHTS
:: Over the past week, airstrikes, shelling and ground fighting intensified across the demilitarized zone in northwest Syria, exacerbating the impact of the conflict on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian service provision in northern Hama, southern Idleb, and western Aleppo governorates.
:: Almost 270,000 displacements from northern Hama and southern Idleb governorates were recorded between 1 and 22 May.
:: A total of 24 health facilities, 35 schools, four facilities providing protection services, three IDP settlements, and one refugee camp were reportedly affected by hostilities in recent weeks…

:: Syria: Humanitarian Response in Al Hol camp, Situation Report No. 4 – As of 29 May 2019 [EN/AR]

Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

 

::::::

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.
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth – No new digest announcements identified

 

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 1 Jun 2019]

Posted on by

WHO & Regional Offices [to 1 Jun 2019]
29 May 2019 News release
WHO highlights huge scale of tobacco-related lung disease deaths

 

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 31 May 2019, vol. 94, 22/23 (pp. 261–280)
Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization, April 2019 – conclusions and recommendations

 

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO welcomes end of emergency phase of the 2019 Lassa fever outbreak but calls on partners to remain mobilized 01 June 2019
:: The Regional Commission for the Verification of Measles Elimination reviewed the progress from five countries 31 May 2019
:: Ethiopia promotes effective early childhood interventions to ensure all children survive, develop and reach their full potential 31 May 2019
:: Over 18 million dollars spent to prepare for Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda 30 May 2019
:: Major cholera vaccination campaign begins in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 27 May 2019
:: Strengthening Zimbabwe’s capacity for supply chain logistics management during Public Health Emergencies 27 May 2019
:: Meeting of the AFRO 11 project National Steering Committee to strengthen national capacity for innovative implementation of IVM for disease prevention and control 27 May 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Tobacco kills one person every 34 seconds in the Americas (05/30/2019)
:: 72nd World Health Assembly Closes with Adoption of Resolutions on Public Health Topics (05/28/2019)
:: Individuals and organizations from across the Americas to receive WHO World No Tobacco Day Award  (05/28/2019)
:: Delegations adopted resolutions on patient safety, emergency and trauma care, water and sanitation, and on the ICD-11 (05/27/2019)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
:: WHO honours tobacco control champions in the European Region 31-05-2019
:: 90% of lung cancers can be avoided by eliminating tobacco use, new WHO report reveals 29-05-2019

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO declares countries measles and rubella free
Amman, Jordan, 28 May 2019 – The Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region has declared that measles and rubella have been eliminated from both Bahrain and Oman, and that Islamic Republic of Iran has eliminated rubella and is about to eliminate measles. The RVC met in Amman, Jordan, on 15–16 May 2019 to…

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

U.S. measles cases in first five months of 2019 surpass total cases per year for past 25 years

Posted on by

CDC/ACIP [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Thursday, May 30, 2019
U.S. measles cases in first five months of 2019 surpass total cases per year for past 25 years
Today, CDC is reporting 971 cases of measles in the United States thus far in 2019.  This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992, when 963 cases were reported for the entire year.
CDC continues to work with affected state and local health departments to get ongoing outbreaks under control.
“Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated. Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease the vaccination prevents,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, M.D. “Your decision to vaccinate will protect your family’s health and your community’s well-being. CDC will continue working with public health responders across our nation to bring this outbreak to an end.”
Outbreaks in New York City and Rockland County, New York have continued for nearly 8 months.  If these outbreaks continue through summer and fall, the United States may lose its measles elimination status. That loss would be a huge blow for the nation and erase the hard work done by all levels of public health.  The measles elimination goal, first announced in 1966 and accomplished in 2000, was a monumental task. Before widespread use of the measles vaccine, an estimated 3 to 4 million people got measles each year in the United States, along with an estimated 400 to 500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations…

MMWR News Synopsis for Friday, May 31, 2019
Scaling Up Testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Among Contacts of Index Patients — 20 Countries, 2016–2018
Index testing is an HIV case-finding strategy targeting the exposed contacts of HIV-positive people for HIV testing. With an HIV positive rate that is more than twice that of all HIV testing approaches combined, index testing was found to be a more efficient approach to HIV case finding.
A new report summarizes data on the index testing approach in 20 countries supported by CDC through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief during October 1, 2016–March 31, 2018. During this period, the index testing approach led to more than 1.7 million HIV tests. The positivity rate for index testing was 9.8% among adults aged 15 and older and 1.5% among children younger than 15. Scale-up of index testing could help increase the number of HIV-positive people who know their status and receive antiretroviral treatment, and as a result, reduce the number of people who can transmit the virus.

Using Social Media To Increase HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex with Men — Beijing, China, 2013–2017
Online technology such as social media platforms may be an effective way to promote HIV testing among hard-to-reach populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly in settings in which this population faces high levels of stigma.
In China, MSM bear a disproportionate burden of HIV infection, and stigmatization of same-sex behaviors presents challenges for HIV prevention and treatment efforts. Effective HIV testing in communities with a high risk of HIV infection is an entry point for an HIV response. “Blued” is a popular gay dating app with over 27 million Chinese registered users. Between 2015 and December 2017, to encourage HIV testing among MSM in Beijing, Blued launched an HIV testing campaign through its online promotion functionality and geolocation capabilities.. A sharp increase in HIV testing followed the campaign, indicating that leveraging social media platforms might be useful in increasing HIV testing among MSM, particularly young adult MSM.

Announcements

Posted on by

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 1 Jun 2019]
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 1 Jun 2019]
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 1 Jun 2019]
http://cepi.net/
29 May 2019
CEPI partners with Brighton Collaboration to support safety assessment of vaccine candidates
The Safety Platform for Emergency vACcines (SPEAC) Project will harness the expertise of the Brighton Collaboration to help assess the safety of various CEPI-funded vaccine candidates undergoing clinical trials.

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/about/
No new digest content identified.

EDCTP [to 1 Jun 2019]
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
No new digest content identified.

Emory Vaccine Center [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News and press releases
29/05/2019
Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 27-29 May 2019
[No vaccine act
ions]

European Vaccine Initiative [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.

FDA [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.

Fondation Merieux [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
Event
6th Annual Meeting of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC)
June 3 – 4, 2019 – Les Pensières Center for Global Health, Veyrier du Lac (France)

Gavi [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.gavi.org/
31 May 2019
Immunisation as a catalyst for women’s health, education, and economic empowerment
2019 Grassroots advocates and world leaders will gather in Vancouver, Canada, from 3-6 June for the Women Deliver conference to explore solutions to achieve a more gender equal world under the theme “Power. Progress. Change.” The meeting will be the world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women. As a gender equal health intervention, immunisation plays a key role in keeping girls, adolescents and women healthy

Kingdom of Norway contributes NOK 600 million to IFFIm
29 May 2019

Major cholera vaccination campaign begins in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
27 May 2019
[See DRC Ebola/Cholera above for detail]

GHIT Fund [to 1 Jun 2019]
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
No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
No new digest content identified.

Hilleman Laboratories [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

 

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
29 May 2019
Kingdom of Norway contributes NOK 600 million to IFFIm
New donation will back Vaccine Bonds to fund CEPI’s fight against deadly diseases.
Geneva, 29 May 2019 – The Kingdom of Norway has agreed to donate NOK 600 million to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). The donation is intended to support the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI). In a novel arrangement approved by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, IFFIm is planning to issue bonds on international capital markets, backed by the donation from Norway, which hosts CEPI…

IFRC [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Media Advisory: Women Deliver Conference: Gender inequality in humanitarian crises, deadly gender divide in Ebola
Vancouver/Geneva, 31 May 2019 – The global head of the world’s largest humanitarian network will highlight the deadly consequences of gender inequality in the wake of disasters and conflicts, during a high-profile plenary session at the Women Deliver C …
31 May 2019

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina dying while seeking safety
Thousands of people trapped in Bosnia and Herzegovina desperately need humanitarian assistance and some are dying while trying to find shelter, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
30 May 2019

Americas, Argentina
Major humanitarian conference to explore regional crises, migration
Buenos Aires/Panama/Geneva, 17 May 2018 – Red Cross leaders from across the Americas and around the world are gathering in Buenos Aires from 21-

IVAC [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.ivi.int/
IVI News & Announcements
New push to develop world’s first vaccine against the deadly Strep A bacteria killing hundreds of thousand
30 May 2019, SEOUL, South Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and Australia’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) will coordinate a global push to free the world of Group A Streptococcus (Strep A), the contagious bacteria that kills half a million people every year and is developing resistance to antibiotics.
The British biomedical research foundation, the Wellcome Trust, has granted $2.25 million to IVI and MCRI to coordinate world efforts to develop a vaccine against Strep A and find manufacturers…

IVI´s Board of Trustees welcomes new members at annual meeting
24 May 2019, SEOUL, Korea — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) held its first face-to-face meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT) for 2019 in Seoul, Korea on May 23-24. In addition to reviewing IVI’s achievements and activities of the past year, the Board discussed and delineated this year’s plans for further accelerating IVI’s growing impact on global health.
The meeting brought together 16 members or designees of the Board from around the globe, including Board Chairman Mr. George Bickerstaff, the Managing Director of M.M. Dillon & Co.; Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI; and representatives from IVI’s signatory countries. The Board also welcomed three new members:
Dr. Catharina Maijgren Steffensson, representing Sweden on the BOT, is currently the Associate Director/Medical Director Nordics at Sarepta Therapeutics. She has a solid background in gene therapy & HIV research and has previously worked at the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and Gilead.
Prof. Ziad Ahmed A. Memish, is currently a Professor at the College of Medicine, AlFaisal University; Senior Consultant, Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine and Director of the Research Department at Prince Mohamed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Saudi Arabia, and Adjunct Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University in the U.S. He has served as the Deputy Minister of Health for Public Health, with the Saudi Ministry of Health, and served on many national, regional and international boards including: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Member of the Executive Board of WHO and the Executive Council of International Society of Infectious Diseases.
  Dr. Anthony Ford-Hutchinson is currently a Board Member or Scientific Advisor to multiple startup companies, including the position of CSO of Rbonova Inc, as well as not for profit organizations, the Hepatitis B Foundation, SAGE Bionetworks, the Wellcome Trust, CARB-X and CEPI. He has over 40 years of experience in pharmaceuticals, including an extensive tenure at Merck & Co with positions including Executive Vice President of Basic Research and Senior Vice President of Vaccine R&D…

JEE Alliance [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected News; Project Updates, Reports
Yemen
A day treating wounded in Yemen’s Al Salakhana hospital
Project Update 30 May 2019

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Crisis update – May 2019
Crisis Update 30 May 2019

Honduras
MSF expands efforts to control dengue epidemic in northern Honduras
Project Update 29 May 2019

Ethiopia
Bringing healthcare to places where no health posts exist
Project Update 27 May 2019

NIH [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
May 29, 2019
Experimental drug completely effective against Nipah virus infection in monkeys
— Nipah virus can cause neurological and respiratory disease; the mortality rate is about 70%.

The Human Microbiome Project expands the toolbox for studying host and microbiome interactions
May 29, 2019 — New studies provide a framework for future studies of the role of the microbiome in health and disease.

PATH [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
May 30, 2019 by PATH
New diagnostic will help propel development of improved malaria tests and support surveillance
Seattle, WA, and Logan, UT, May 30, 2019—PATH and Quansys Biosciences, Inc. have announced the launch of a new diagnostic tool designed to help researchers develop more sensitive and reliable malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and to support public health surveillance. The Q-Plex™ Human Malaria Array (5-Plex) is a quantitative immunoassay that simultaneously measures multiple malaria antigens.
With almost half of the world’s population at risk for malaria and more than 200 million cases annually, the disease is a public health priority. Accurate diagnostics are critical to both disease management and public health surveillance. RDTs are a critical tool in malaria case management, particularly in remote settings, providing access to prompt diagnosis…

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
31 May 2019
The little-known links between cervical cancer and HIV

29 May 2019
Voluntary medical male circumcision accelerating in Malawi

UNICEF [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
Joint statement: 1 UN for family leave and childcare
31/05/2019

Statement
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore gives remarks during the Third International Conference on Safe Schools
As delivered
28/05/2019

Press release
Attack in Taiz leaves 7 children dead, brings total child casualties in Yemen to 27 in just over 10 days
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
26/05/2019

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Posted on 28 May 2019
Article pick of the Week: How the anti-vaccine movement crept into the GOP mainstream
Published in POLITICO    27 May 2019 By Arthur Allen
The anti-vaccine movement, which swelled with discredited theories that blamed vaccines for autism and other ills, has morphed and grown into a libertarian political rebellion that is drawing in state…

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News | 31 May 2019
Wellcome updates open access policy to align with cOAlition S
Following a large consultation, we have updated our open access (OA) policy so it now aligns with Plan S. The changes will apply from 1 January 2021.

The Wistar Institute [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
No new digest content identified.

 

::::::

BIO [to 1 Jun 2019]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
May 31 2019
BIO Releases 5th Annual Emerging Therapeutic Company Trend Report Showing Record Year for Venture Capital Funding
Washington, D.C. (May 31, 2019) – Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released the 2019 Emerging Therapeutic Company Trend Report, highlighting ten years (2009-2018) of biotechnology funding and deal making across five areas: venture capital, Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), follow-on public offerings, licensing, and acquisitions. The report also contains a 2019 snapshot of the industry’s clinical pipeline to highlight the significant contribution of emerging companies.

May 29 2019
BIO Honors Dr. Emil D. Kakkis with 2019 Henri A. Termeer Biotechnology Visionary Award
BIO announces the winner of this year’s Henri A. Termeer Biotechnology Visionary Award: Emil D. Kakkis, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ultragenyx (NASDAQ: RARE) and Founder, EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases. The award, which will be presented to Dr. Kakkis on June 5 during the BIO 2019 International Convention keynote session, recognizes Dr. Kakkis’ transformative work to accelerate research and development of novel treatments for rare diseases.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
LG Chem received a $33.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a 6-in-1 combination vaccine to prevent childhood diseases

IFPMA [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
No new digest content identified.

PhRMA [to 1 Jun 2019]
http://www.phrma.org/press-room
No new digest content identified.

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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