Announcements

Announcements

 

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
JANUARY 27, 2020
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute obtains license for continued development of M72/AS01E tuberculosis vaccine candidate from GSK
SEATTLE, January, 27, 2020 – Today, the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) announced that GSK has licensed its M72/AS01E(3) tuberculosis disease (TB) vaccine candidate to the Gates MRI, paving the way for continued development and potential use of the vaccine candidate in countries with high TB burdens.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 1 Feb 2020]
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
News Release
Gates Medical Research Institute obtains license for continued development of M72/AS01E tuberculosis vaccine candidate from GSK
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute obtains license for continued development of M72/AS01E tuberculosis vaccine candidate from GSK
:: The M72/AS01E tuberculosis vaccine candidate demonstrated in a phase IIb trial the potential to reduce active pulmonary TB by half in adults with latent TB infection
:: Developing a new vaccine against TB is a global health priority to accelerate progress toward ending the TB epidemic and one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
:: The licensing agreement is a significant step forward to continue the development of the vaccine candidate for countries with high TB burdens.
27 January 2020 – Today, the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) announced that GSK has licensed its M72/AS01E tuberculosis disease (TB) vaccine candidate to the Gates MRI, paving the way for continued development and potential use of the vaccine candidate in countries with high TB burdens. “Clinical trial results to date suggest that the M72/AS01E vaccine candidate could play a significant role in protecting vulnerable populations around the world from developing active TB. If that proves true, it could transform the fight against humanity’s deadliest infectious disease,” said Penny M. Heaton, M.D., CEO of Gates MRI. TB is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, with 10 million new cases and 1.5 million deaths in 2018 alone. The burden of disease is concentrated with over 97% of reported TB cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries…

 

CARB-X [to 1 Feb 2020]
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 Feb 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest news
CureVac and CEPI extend their Cooperation to Develop a Vaccine against Coronavirus nCoV-2019
CEPI funds CureVac’s development of a vaccine against coronavirus nCoV-2019. The aim of the partnering agreement is to rapidly advance a vaccine candidate into clinical testing.
31 Jan 2020

 

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

EDCTP [to 1 Feb 2020]
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
30 January 2020
World NTD Day: the fight to end Neglected Tropical Diseases
EDCTP is a proud partner and supporter of this first World NTD Day, a call to action to end the burden of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Pivotal in the renewed global focus on NTDs was the London Declaration of…

 

Emory Vaccine Center [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

 

European Medicines Agency [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
News: Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 27-30 January 2020
CHMP, Last updated: 31/01/2020
…The Committee recommended granting a marketing authorisation for Vaxchora (Cholera vaccine (recombinant, live, oral)) for prophylaxis against cholera, a very serious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae, in adults and children….

 

European Vaccine Initiative [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.

 

FDA [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
January 29, 2020 – FDA launches mobile-friendly database with information on life-saving HIV drugs as part of ongoing mission to empower the public through increased access to information and data

January 28, 2020 – FDA Continues Strong Support of Innovation in Development of Gene Therapy Products

January 27, 2020 – FDA Announces Key Actions to Advance Development of Novel Coronavirus Medical Countermeasures

 

Fondation Merieux [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Announcement
The Mérieux Foundation’s Emerging Pathogens Laboratory obtains accreditation according to European standard NF EN ISO/IEC 17025
January 23, 2020, Lyon (France)
This accreditation standard lays down the general requirements for competence, impartiality and consistency of laboratory activities. It promotes efficient and …

Project
The Haiti Ministry of Public Health and Population of Haiti launches its first National Health Research Policy
January 22, 2020, Port-au-Prince (Haiti)
Aware of the importance of research as an essential tool for improving people’s health, the Ministry of Public Health and …

 

Gavi [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
News
Indonesia to protect four million children a year against pneumonia
Indonesia set to introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) into routine immunisation programme
Barcelona, 29 January 2020

 

GHIT Fund [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that No new digest content identified.

 

Global Fund [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
Updates
Technical Evaluation Reference Group: Thematic Review on Sustainability, Transition and Co-Financing Policy
31 January 2020

Funding Model
Funding Request Tracker for the 2020-2022 Funding Cycle
28 January 2020

 

Hilleman Laboratories [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
PRESS RELEASE
Hilleman Board announces leadership changes
27th January 2020
The Board of Directors of Hilleman Laboratories today announced that Dr Davinder Gill will leave his current role as CEO of Hilleman Laboratories on 31 January 2020, after more than eight years at the company. Dr Gill is relocating to the United States where his family is based.
He will be replaced by Dr Raman Rao, who will assume the role as CEO on 1 February. Dr Rao has more than 22 years’ experience in research and development, manufacturing and commercialisation of vaccines for infectious diseases, and is joining from Takeda Vaccines where he was Vice President of Global Product Operations.
Dr Gill joined Hilleman in 2012 after two decades in the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector….

 

Human Vaccines Project [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

IAVI [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
January 29, 2020
IAVI Mourns the Passing of Maharaj Kishan Bhan, Respected Scientist, Leader, and Humanitarian
NEW YORK – January 29, 2020 – IAVI was deeply saddened to learn of the death of eminent scientist Maharaj Kishan Bhan, M.D., a longtime friend of IAVI. Dr. Bhan died on January 26, 2020, in New Delhi, India, at age 72…
… IAVI president and CEO Mark Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D., said, “Dr. Bhan was a friend, mentor, and trusted advisor who had an indelible effect on many lives. His contributions to public health reach far beyond the beneficial effects of his rotavirus vaccine. He was uniquely effective at getting things done, navigating complicated circumstances, and inspiring people to work together. Everyone who knew Dr. Bhan never doubted that he was focused solely on doing the right thing for people. The quality of his thinking and his quiet, humble demeanor made him a force for good in the world.”…

 

 

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
No new digest content identified.

 

 

International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

 

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

IFRC [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Asia Pacific, Global
Red Cross scales up preparedness for global response as novel coronavirus declared an international health emergency
Geneva/Kuala Lumpur, 31 January 2020 – As the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues spreading beyond China, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is scaling up preparedness efforts to support people who are most vulnerable to the outbreak in Asia Pacific and beyond.
1 February 2020

 

IVAC [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

 

IVI [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
How IVI is confronting schistosomiasis in Madagascar
[Undated]
…IVI is approaching schistosomiasis control in Madagascar through treatment, education, and prevention, including mass PZQ administration and “water, sanitation & hygiene” (WASH) activities, as well as accelerating a promising vaccine candidate, SchistoShield®, soon in a Phase I clinical study…

 

JEE Alliance [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Syria
Advancing frontlines, mass exodus and reduced access to hospitals in Idlib
Project Update 31 Jan 2020

Measles
Tackling a massive measles outbreak in DRC’s Kongo Central province
Project Update 31 Jan 2020

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Crisis update – January 2020
Crisis Update 31 Jan 2020

Central American Migration
Despite kidnapping and continued risks, migrants continue journey north through Mexico
Project Update 30 Jan 2020

Epidemics and pandemics
MSF update on 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak
Project Update 30 Jan 2020

Central American Migration
The devastating toll of ‘Remain in Mexico’ asylum policy one year later
Press Release 29 Jan 2020

 

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
NVAC 2020 Meetings
February 13-14, 2020 NVAC Meeting
June 9-10, 2020 NVAC Meeting
September 23-24, 2020 Meeting (Virtual)

 

NIH [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
First human trial of monoclonal antibody to prevent malaria opens
January 27, 2020 — NIH trial will test NIAID-developed antibody

 

PATH [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

UNAIDS [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
29 January 2020
#InSpiteOf campaign reached more than a million people [Eastern Europe/Central Asia]

27 January 2020
Key population-led organizations delivering health services in Bangkok

27 January 2020
Violence faced by key populations
Gains have been made against HIV-related stigma and discrimination, but discriminatory attitudes remain extremely high in far too many countries. Discrimination can manifest in criminal laws that give license to discrimination, aggressive law enforcement, harassment and violence, pushing key populations to the margins of society and denying them access to basic health and social services, including HIV services.
Surveys and studies across regions show that large percentages of key populations are victims of physical and sexual violence: among 36 countries with recently available data, more than half of sex workers in eight countries reported experiencing physical violence…

 

UNICEF [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore’s remarks at Fighting for Breath: The Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia
As Delivered
29/01/2020

Press release
UNICEF ships 6 metric tons of supplies to support China’s response to Novel Coronavirus outbreak
Shipment includes masks and protective suits to help contain virus
29/01/2020

Press release
9 million children could die in a decade unless world acts on pneumonia, leading agencies warn
Malnutrition, air pollution and lack of access to vaccines and antibiotics among the drivers of preventable deaths from pneumonia—which last year killed a child every 39 seconds
28/01/2020

Press release
Nearly 5 million children will need humanitarian assistance in central Sahel this year as violence surges
Number is projected to rise as attacks against children increase in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger
27/01/2020

Press release
European Investment Bank and UNICEF partner to help improve access to quality education and protect children from climate change
27/01/2020

 

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

 

Wellcome Trust [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News | 31 January 2020
Wellcome pledges £10 million to tackle novel coronavirus epidemic
Wellcome is making a pledge of up to £10 million to accelerate research and support global efforts to tackle the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic.

Opinion | 29 January 2020
What can funders do to encourage inclusive research leadership?
by Jack Harrington

Opinion | 28 January 2020
Race for new antibiotics: future success is hanging by a thread
by Tim Jinks

 

The Wistar Institute [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2020/
No new digest content identified.

 

 

::::::

 

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Press Releases
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Outlines Recommendations on Enabling Cross-border and Regional Access to Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) in Europe
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – January 27, 2020

 

BIO [to 1 Feb 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
Survey shows only 15% of executives and 14% of biotech board members are people of color.
WASHINGTON DC., January 30, 2020 – The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today released “Measuring Diversity in the Biotech Industry: Building an Inclusive Workforce,” the most comprehensive report on diversity and inclusion in the…

 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
Advanced Pharmacovigilance workshop and WG meeting
16 March 2020 to 19 March 2020, Shanghai / China

 

IFPMA [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
IFPMA Statement on the G-FINDER report 2019
Published on: 30 January 2020
G-FINDER report: Investment in neglected disease R&D by multinational pharmaceutical companies grew by more than a quarter in 2018, reaching its highest-ever level

Geneva, 30 January 2020: IFPMA, the global R&D biopharmaceutical industry association, welcomes the 2019 G-FINDER report, which tracks public, private and philanthropic investment into product R&D for neglected diseases. The report shows the biopharmaceutical industry is now the second largest funder, after the USA’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) and before the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Private sector funding for neglected diseases, which predominantly affect the developing countries, rose sharply in 2018. The multinational pharmaceutical companies invested a total of $598m in neglected disease R&D in 2018 (up $132m, or a 28% increase). As products progressed through the pipeline, companies invested heavily in clinical development and post registration studies ($422m, 71%), with 20% ($118) of the funding dedicated to early-stage research.

It is also encouraging that the 2018 increase was distributed more evenly that in the past. Nearly half (43%) of the growth in multinational pharmaceutical companies investment went to diseases outside the “big three” (HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB).

While overall funding for the WHO neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)[1] has remained fairly flat over the last decade, industry investment has actually been one of the few positive stories in this area, with a steady growth over the course of the last twelve years, increasing five-fold since 2007…

 

PhRMA [to 1 Feb 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
No new digest content identified.

Journal Watch

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 focu-s 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

Technical efficiency of provincial public healthcare in South Africa

BMC Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
http://resource-allocation.biomedcentral.com/
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

Articles
Technical efficiency of provincial public healthcare in South Africa
Authors: Victor Ngobeni, Marthinus C. Breitenbach and Goodness C. Aye
Content type: Research
28 January 2020
Forty-nine million people or 83 per cent of the entire population of 59 million rely on the public healthcare system in South Africa. Coupled with a shortage of medical professionals, high migration, inequality and unemployment; healthcare provision is under extreme pressure. Due to negligence by the health professionals, provincial health departments had medical-legal claims estimated at R80 billion in 2017/18. In the same period, provincial health spending accounted for 33 per cent of total provincial expenditure of R570.3 billion or 6 per cent of South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product. Despite this, healthcare outcomes are poor and provinces are inefficient in the use of the allocated funds. This warrants a scientific investigation into the technical efficiency of the public health system.

Why genomics researchers are sometimes morally required to hunt for secondary findings

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

Debate
Why genomics researchers are sometimes morally required to hunt for secondary findings
Genomic research can reveal ‘unsolicited’ or ‘incidental’ findings that are of potential health or reproductive significance to participants. It is widely thought that researchers have a moral obligation, grou…
Authors: Julian J. Koplin, Julian Savulescu and Danya F. Vears
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2020 21:11
Content type: Debate
Published on: 31 January 2020

Ethical values supporting the disclosure of incidental and secondary findings in clinical genomic testing: a qualitative study

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

Ethical values supporting the disclosure of incidental and secondary findings in clinical genomic testing: a qualitative study
Incidental findings (IFs) and secondary findings (SFs), being results that are unrelated to the diagnostic question, are the subject of an important debate in the practice of clinical genomic medicine. Argumen…
Authors: Marlies Saelaert, Heidi Mertes, Tania Moerenhout, Elfride De Baere and Ignaas Devisch
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2020 21:9
Content type: Research article
Published on: 30 January 2020

Ethical values supporting the disclosure of incidental and secondary findings in clinical genomic testing: a qualitative study

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

Ethical values supporting the disclosure of incidental and secondary findings in clinical genomic testing: a qualitative study
Incidental findings (IFs) and secondary findings (SFs), being results that are unrelated to the diagnostic question, are the subject of an important debate in the practice of clinical genomic medicine. Argumen…
Authors: Marlies Saelaert, Heidi Mertes, Tania Moerenhout, Elfride De Baere and Ignaas Devisch
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2020 21:9
Content type: Research article
Published on: 30 January 2020

The role of place of residency in childhood immunisation coverage in Nigeria: analysis of data from three DHS rounds 2003–2013

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

The role of place of residency in childhood immunisation coverage in Nigeria: analysis of data from three DHS rounds 2003–2013
In 2017, about 20% of the world’s children under 1 year of age with incomplete DPT vaccination lived in Nigeria. Fully-immunised child coverage (FIC), which is the percentage of children aged 12–23 months who …
Authors: Olayinka Aderopo Obanewa and Marie Louise Newell
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:123
Content type: Research article
Published on: 29 January 2020

Universal health coverage: time to deliver on political promises

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 2, February 2020, 77-148
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/2/en/

 

Special theme: accelerating universal health coverage
EDITORIALS
Universal health coverage: time to deliver on political promises
— Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Anne Mills, Walaiporn Patcharanarumol & Woranan Witthayapipopsakul
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.250597

Universal health coverage provisions for women, children and adolescents

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 2, February 2020, 77-148
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/2/en/

 

Universal health coverage provisions for women, children and adolescents
— Elizabeth Mason, Gita Sen, Alicia Ely Yamin & on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.249474

Addressing the persistent inequities in immunization coverage

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 2, February 2020, 77-148
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/2/en/

 

PERSPECTIVES
Addressing the persistent inequities in immunization coverage
— Mickey Chopra, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Diana Chang Blanc, Francesco Checchi, Anuradha Gupta, Ephrem T Lemango, Orin S Levine, Dafrossa Lyimo, Robin Nandy, Katherine L O’Brien, Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Helen Rees, Jane Soepardi, Rachel Tolhurst & Cesar G Victora
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.241620
[See Milestones above for full text]

A randomized evaluation of on-site monitoring nested in a multinational randomized trial

Clinical Trials
Volume 17 Issue 1, February 2020
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ctja/17/1

 

Data Management and Trial Conduct
A randomized evaluation of on-site monitoring nested in a multinational randomized trial
Nicole Wyman Engen, Kathy Huppler Hullsiek, Waldo H Belloso, Elizabeth Finley, Fleur Hudson, Eileen Denning, Catherine Carey, Mary Pearson, Jonathan Kaganfor the INSIGHT START Study Group
First Published October 24, 2019; pp. 3–14

Exempting low-risk health and medical research from ethics reviews: comparing Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 1 Feb 2020]

Exempting low-risk health and medical research from ethics reviews: comparing Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands
Disproportionate regulation of health and medical research contributes to research waste. Better understanding of exemptions of research from ethics review in different jurisdictions may help to guide modification of review processes and reduce research waste. Our aim was to identify examples of low-risk human health and medical research exempt from ethics reviews in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands.

 

Authors: Anna Mae Scott, Simon Kolstoe, M. C. ( Corrette) Ploem, Zoë Hammatt and Paul Glasziou
Citation: Health Research Policy and Systems 2020 18:11
Content type: Research
Published on: 28 January 2020

 

The Crisis in Yemen

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 76, January 2020
https://odihpn.org/magazine/the-crisis-in-yemen/

 

The Crisis in Yemen
by HPN
This edition of Humanitarian Exchange focuses on the crisis in Yemen. Since the war there began in 2014, thousands of civilians have been killed or injured and air strikes and ground operations have destroyed hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure. An estimated 80% of Yemenis need humanitarian assistance.

In the lead article, Laurie Lee highlights the critical role Yemenis and Yemeni organisations are playing in addressing the humanitarian challenges in the country, and how NGOs can better support them. Genevieve Gauthier and Marcus Skinner reinforce this point with reference to two local organisations, the Yemen Women’s Union and Al Hikma. Warda Saleh, the founder of another Yemeni grassroots organisation, discusses the increased risk of gender-based violence facing women and girls, while Ibrahim Jalal and Sherine El Taraboulsi-McCarthy focus on internal displacement and the opportunities for a more effective humanitarian response. Reflecting on child protection programming in Yemen, Mohammed Alshamaa  and Amanda Brydon conclude that multisectoral approaches with local authorities result in better and more sustainable outcomes. Padraic McCluskey and Jana Brandt consider the ethical dilemmas Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) faced in trying to balance quality and coverage in a mother and child hospital in Taiz. Lindsay Spainhour Baker and colleagues reflect on the challenges involved in gathering and analysing information on the humanitarian situation while Lamis Al-Iryani, Sikandra Kurdi and Sarah Palmer-Felgate discuss the findings from an evaluation of the Yemen Social Fund for Development (SFD) Cash for Nutrition programme. An article by Kristine Beckerle and Osamah Al-Fakih details Yemeni and international organisations’ efforts to document and mitigate harm to civilians caught up in the conflict. The edition ends with a piece by Fanny Pettibon, Anica Heinlein and Dhabie Brown outlining CARE’s advocacy on the arms trade.

Finally, readers will note that this edition is shorter than usual, largely because it was very difficult to persuade potential authors to write on the Yemen crisis. Many of the individuals and organisations we contacted were either too busy responding or were concerned that writing frankly about their work could negatively affect their operations. HPN has covered many similarly sensitive contexts in Humanitarian Exchange over the last 26 years, but this is the first time we have experienced such reluctance to engage. A worrying sign.

Neglected tropical diseases: an effective global response to local poverty-related disease priorities

Infectious Diseases of Poverty

[Accessed 1 Feb 2020]

Neglected tropical diseases: an effective global response to local poverty-related disease priorities
Marking the end of the five-year programme initiated by the Chinese Government to lift more than 70 million people out of poverty, the year 2020 is a milestone. Poverty alleviation has moved strongly forward i…
Authors: Dirk Engels and Xiao-Nong Zhou
Content type: Scoping Review
28 January 2020

DNA-Based Population ScreeningPotential Suitability and Important Knowledge Gaps

JAMA
January 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 4, Pages 295-386
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Viewpoint
DNA-Based Population ScreeningPotential Suitability and Important Knowledge Gaps
Michael F. Murray, MD; James P. Evans, MD, PhD; Muin J. Khoury, MD, PhD
JAMA. 2020;323(4):307-308. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.18640
This Viewpoint describes principles of DNA-based population screening and knowledge gaps that must be addressed before increased use of DNA screening to identify persons with monogenic risk can be implemented in population screening programs.

Strategic Need for Large Prospective Studies in Different Populations

JAMA
January 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 4, Pages 295-386
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Strategic Need for Large Prospective Studies in Different Populations
Zhengming Chen, DPhil; Jonathan Emberson, MD; Rory Collins, MBBS
JAMA. 2020;323(4):309-310. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.19736
This Viewpoint emphasizes the ability of prospective vs retrospective cohort and case-control studies to reliably identify disease risk factors in populations and discusses the need to collect detailed information about lifestyle and other exposures from large numbers of individuals in various settings with different risk factor levels and disease incidence rates to provide more widely generalizable evidence about the relevance of human exposures to different health conditions.

Assessment of Effectiveness of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy in Preventing Influenza Infection in Infants in England, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015

Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 221, Issue 1, 1 January 2020
https://academic.oup.com/jid/issue/221/1

 

Editor’s Choice
Assessment of Effectiveness of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy in Preventing Influenza Infection in Infants in England, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015
Jemma L Walker, Hongxin Zhao, Gavin Dabrera, Nick Andrews, Sarah L Thomas
J Infect Dis, Volume 221, Issue 1, 1 January 2020, Pages 16–20, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz310
We show that maternal influenza vaccination provides significant protection for infants in the first 6 months of life against influenza-related hospitalization in both the A(H1N1)pdm09– and A(H3N2)–dominated seasons.

Enhancing Immunization Rates in Two Urban Academic Primary Care Clinics: A Before and After Assessment

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews
Volume 7, Issue 1 (2020)
https://digitalrepository.aurorahealthcare.org/jpcrr/

 

Quality Improvement
Enhancing Immunization Rates in Two Urban Academic Primary Care Clinics: A Before and After Assessment
Zeeshan Yacoob, Christopher Cook, Fabiana Kotovicz, Jessica J.F. Kram, Marianne Klumph, Marisa Stanley, Paul Hunter, and Dennis J. Baumgardner

Abstracts from the 1st JoPPP Conference on Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 1 Feb 2020]

Abstracts from the 1st JoPPP Conference on Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
Authors: Salman Mehmood, Syed Muhammad Farid Hasan, Chinara Maratovna Razzakova, Liliya Eugenevna Ziganshina, Azjargal Ganbat, Tsetsegmaa Sanjjav, Bruce Sunderland, Gantuya Dorj, Gereltuya Dorj, Satibi Satibi, M. Rifqi Rokhman, Hardika Aditama, Ika Kartini, Rini Ambarsari, Fajar Pramesti, Peng Yeow Loh…
Content type: Meeting abstracts
29 January 2020

Emerging understandings of 2019-nCoV

The Lancet
Feb 01, 2020 Volume 395Number 10221p311-388, e16-e18
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Editorial
Emerging understandings of 2019-nCoV
The Lancet
“There is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency…WHO is following this outbreak every minute of every day”, said Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, on Jan 23. A novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak is emerging, but it is not yet a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). As we went to press, more than 500 cases have been confirmed in China, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and the US. The virus can cause a severe respiratory illness, like SARS and MERS, and human-to-human transmission has been confirmed. These characteristics are driving China’s urgent public health actions, as well as international concern. But much remains unknown. The pieces of the puzzle that is 2019-nCoV are only now beginning to come together.

Today, we publish the first clinical data from individuals confirmed to be infected with 2019-nCoV from Wuhan, China. Chaolin Huang and colleagues provide comprehensive findings for the first 41 laboratory-confirmed cases. 27 of these 41 cases had direct exposure to the Wuhan seafood market that is thought to be the initial site of infection from an animal source. All had viral pneumonia. The severity of illness is concerning: almost a third of patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intensive care; six patients died; five had acute cardiac injury; and four required ventilation.

Separately, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan and colleagues report clinical and microbiological data from a family of six people who had travelled to Wuhan and later presented with pneumonia to Shenzhen Hospital in Guangdong province. Five were identified as infected with 2019-nCoV. Notably, none had been to the Wuhan market, but two had visited a Wuhan hospital. The authors suggest these findings confirm human-to-human transmission. Together, these Articles provide an important initial picture of the clinical spectrum and transmission of this new disease.

In an accompanying Comment, Chen Wang, George Gao, and colleagues describe the early sharing of clinical data from the outbreak and emphasise the urgent need for more information about pathogenesis and viral transmission, as well as the pressing need to develop best supportive care and a vaccine. They also caution against overstating the mortality risk, as early reported case-fatality rates may be high due to bias towards detecting severe cases. As David Heymann reflects in another accompanying Comment, publication of these Articles provides peer-reviewed information urgently needed to refine the risk assessment and response, which are happening in real time.

China has quickly isolated and sequenced the virus and shared these data internationally. The lessons from the SARS epidemic—where China was insufficiently prepared to implement infection control practices—have been successfully learned. By most accounts, Chinese authorities are meeting international standards and isolating suspected cases and contacts, developing diagnostic and treatment procedures, and implementing public education campaigns. Dr Tedros has praised China for its transparency, data sharing, and quick response. Likewise, WHO has reacted fast and diligently. Despite massive attention and conjecture about the level of threat posed by 2019-nCoV, and whether WHO should declare a PHEIC, the agency’s emergency committee has not bowed to pressure to take such a decision until necessary. We commend WHO for its resilience.

There are still many gaps in our understanding. The early experiences of these patients and the response to their symptoms before cases were reported remain undocumented. The exposure and possible infection of health workers remain extremely worrying. We will not know for some time the consequences of the quarantine imposed in Wuhan on Jan 23, 2020. Chinese public health authorities are under enormous pressure to make difficult decisions with an incomplete, and rapidly changing, understanding of the epidemic. The shutdowns may seem a drastic step—whether they represent an effective control measure deserves careful investigation and much will likely depend on maintaining trust between authorities and the local population. News media that worsen fears by reporting a “killer virus“ only harm efforts to implement a succesful and safe infection control strategy.

Openness and sharing of data are paramount. There are enormous demands for rapid access to information about this new virus, the patients and communities affected, and the response. But equally crucial is the need to ensure that those data are reliable, accurate, and independently scrutinised. As for all public health emergencies, we will be making all related Lancet content fully and freely available.

The complex challenges of HIV vaccine development require renewed and expanded global commitment

The Lancet
Feb 01, 2020 Volume 395Number 10221p311-388, e16-e18
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Viewpoint
The complex challenges of HIV vaccine development require renewed and expanded global commitment
Linda-Gail Bekker, er al
Despite substantial progress in understanding and treating HIV/AIDS, existing tools have not effectively controlled the epidemic, and the potential threat of resurgence looms as the largest cohort of young people in history enters early adulthood. 1 Treatment alone will not end the epidemic. 234 The International AIDS Society – Lancet Commission 1 recommends that global treatment efforts should be complemented with stronger investments in primary prevention, including research to accelerate the development of a preventive vaccine. Indeed, even a partially effective vaccine could help to change the course of the HIV epidemic and have a substantial public health impact. 5678

High cholera vaccination coverage following emergency campaign in Haiti: Results from a cluster survey in three rural Communes in the South Department, 2017

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

High cholera vaccination coverage following emergency campaign in Haiti: Results from a cluster survey in three rural Communes in the South Department, 2017
Ashley Sharp, Alexandre Blake, Jérôme Backx, Isabella Panunzi, Robert Barrais, Fabienne Nackers, Francisco Luquero, Yves Gaston Deslouches, Sandra Cohuet
Research Article | published 31 Jan 2020 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007967
Author summary
After Hurricane Matthew hit Southern Haiti on October 4, 2016, there was an outbreak of Cholera. The Government launched a campaign to vaccinate residents using an oral vaccine, which has been proven to protect people against the disease. MSF supported the campaign in three rural areas, offering the vaccine in local clinics and going from door to door. We didn’t know how many people were living there at the time so we couldn’t say for sure if we had vaccinated enough people. To find out how many people were vaccinated we did a survey, choosing households at random and asking them if and where they received the vaccine. This showed that on average around 90% of people were vaccinated, which is a very high proportion. We can take encouragement from this that mass vaccination campaigns like this can work well, even in rural settings. Our survey showed that about half of people got their vaccine from a clinic and the other half from door-to-door vaccinators, so it’s probably important to use both approaches. Most people heard about the campaign through members of the local community called ‘criers’. This shows how important it is to engage with the local community during a vaccination campaign.

What constitutes a neglected tropical disease?

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

What constitutes a neglected tropical disease?
Peter J. Hotez, Serap Aksoy, Paul J. Brindley, Shaden Kamhawi
Editorial | published 30 Jan 2020 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008001
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) currently classifies 20 diseases and conditions as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). However, since its inception in 2007, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases has considered an expanded list that includes additional diseases with the chronic and/or debilitating, and poverty-promoting features of NTDs. Described here is an update of our current scope, which attempts to embrace all of the NTDs, and a discussion of the status of some of the more debated medical conditions in terms of whether or not they constitute an NTD.

When money talks: Judging risk and coercion in high-paying clinical trials

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

When money talks: Judging risk and coercion in high-paying clinical trials
Christina Leuker, Lasare Samartzidis, Ralph Hertwig, Timothy J. Pleskac
Research Article | published 31 Jan 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227898
Abstract
Millions of volunteers take part in clinical trials every year. This is unsurprising, given that clinical trials are often much more lucrative than other types of unskilled work. When clinical trials offer very high pay, however, some people consider them repugnant. To understand why, we asked 1,428 respondents to evaluate a hypothetical medical trial for a new Ebola vaccine offering three different payment amounts. Some respondents (27%) used very high pay (£10,000) as a cue to infer the potential risks the clinical trial posed. These respondents were also concerned that offering £10,000 was coercive— simply too profitable to pass up. Both perceived risk and coercion in high-paying clinical trials shape how people evaluate these trials. This result was robust within and between respondents. The link between risk and repugnance may generalize to other markets in which parties are partially remunerated for the risk they take and contributes to a more complete understanding of why some market transactions appear repugnant.

The cost-effectiveness of using pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) versus pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), in South African adults

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

 

The cost-effectiveness of using pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) versus pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), in South African adults
Charles Feldman, Sipho K. Dlamini, Shabir A. Madhi, Susan Meiring, Anne von Gottberg, Janetta C. de Beer, Margreet de Necker, Marthinus P. Stander
Research Article | published 29 Jan 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227945

Impact of maternal dTpa vaccination on the incidence of pertussis in young infants

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
(Accessed 1 Feb 2020)

Impact of maternal dTpa vaccination on the incidence of pertussis in young infants
Frederico Friedrich, Maria Clara Valadão, Marcos Brum, Talitha Comaru, Paulo Márcio Pitrez, Marcus Herbert Jones, Leonardo A. Pinto, Marcelo C. Scotta
Research Article | published 28 Jan 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228022

The unreasonable effectiveness of deep learning in artificial intelligence

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
[Accessed 1 Feb 2020]

The unreasonable effectiveness of deep learning in artificial intelligence
Terrence J. Sejnowski
PNAS first published January 28, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1907373117
Abstract
Deep learning networks have been trained to recognize speech, caption photographs, and translate text between languages at high levels of performance. Although applications of deep learning networks to real-world problems have become ubiquitous, our understanding of why they are so effective is lacking. These empirical results should not be possible according to sample complexity in statistics and nonconvex optimization theory. However, paradoxes in the training and effectiveness of deep learning networks are being investigated and insights are being found in the geometry of high-dimensional spaces. A mathematical theory of deep learning would illuminate how they function, allow us to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different network architectures, and lead to major improvements. Deep learning has provided natural ways for humans to communicate with digital devices and is foundational for building artificial general intelligence. Deep learning was inspired by the architecture of the cerebral cortex and insights into autonomy and general intelligence may be found in other brain regions that are essential for planning and survival, but major breakthroughs will be needed to achieve these goals.

A comparison of national essential medicines lists in the Americas

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
https://www.paho.org/journal/en

 

Latest articles
27 Jan 2020
A comparison of national essential medicines lists in the Americas
Original research | English |
Abstract
Objectives.
To compare national essential medicines lists (NEMLs) from countries in the Region of the Americas and to identify potential opportunities for improving those lists.
Methods.
In June of 2017, NEMLs from 31 countries in the Americas were abstracted from documents included in a World Health Organization (WHO) repository. The lists from the Americas were compared to each other and to NEMLs from outside of the Americas, as well as with the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, 20th edition (“WHO Model List”) and the list of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Regional Revolving Fund for Strategic Public Health Supplies (“Strategic Fund”).
Results.
The number of differences between the NEMLs from the Americas and the WHO Model List were similar within those countries (median: 295; interquartile range (IQR): 265 to 347). The NEMLs from the Americas were generally similar to each other. While the NEMLs from the Americas coincided well with the Strategic Fund list, some medicines were not included on any of those NEMLs. All the NEMLs in the Americas included some medicines that were withdrawn due to adverse effects by a national regulatory body (median: 8 withdrawn medicines per NEML; IQR: 4 to 12).
Conclusions.
The NEMLs in the Americas were fairly similar to each other and to the WHO Model List and the Strategic Fund list. However, some areas of treatment and some specific medicines were identified that the countries should reassess when revising their NEMLs.

Mapping global variation in dengue transmission intensity

Science Translational Medicine
29 January 2020 Vol 12, Issue 528
https://stm.sciencemag.org/

 

Research Articles
Mapping global variation in dengue transmission intensity
By Lorenzo Cattarino, Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer, Natsuko Imai, Derek A. T. Cummings, Neil M. Ferguson
Science Translational Medicine29 Jan 2020 Restricted Access
A downloadable high-resolution map of global dengue transmission intensity helps predict the potential impact of control strategies.

The age of opportunity: prevalence of key risk factors among adolescents 10–19 years of age in nine communities in sub‐Saharan Africa

Tropical Medicine & International Health
Volume 25, Issue 1 Pages: i-iv, 1-141, e1-e13 January 2020
Special Issue: Adolescent Health in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Original Articles
The age of opportunity: prevalence of key risk factors among adolescents 10–19 years of age in nine communities in sub‐Saharan Africa
Yemane Berhane et al
Pages: 15-32
First Published: 07 November 2019

Strengthening our knowledge base and research capacity for improved adolescent health in sub‐Saharan Africa: a South–South–North collaboration

Tropical Medicine & International Health
Volume 25, Issue 1 Pages: i-iv, 1-141, e1-e13 January 2020
Special Issue: Adolescent Health in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Issue Edited by: Justine Nnakate Bukenya, Chelsey R. Canavan, Till Barnighausen, Wafaie W. Fawzi
Editorial
Strengthening our knowledge base and research capacity for improved adolescent health in sub‐Saharan Africa: a South–South–North collaboration
Justine Nnakate Bukenya et al
Pages: 2-4
First Published: 27 November 2019

Comparison of the implementation of human papillomavirus and hepatitis B vaccination programs in the United States: Implications for future vaccines

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Review article Abstract only
Comparison of the implementation of human papillomavirus and hepatitis B vaccination programs in the United States: Implications for future vaccines
Catherine Constable, Arthur Caplan
Pages 954-962

Using models to shape measles control and elimination strategies in low- and middle-income countries: A review of recent applications

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Research article Open access
Using models to shape measles control and elimination strategies in low- and middle-income countries: A review of recent applications
F.T. Cutts, E. Dansereau, M.J. Ferrari, M. Hanson, … A.K. Winter

Barriers to healthcare workers reporting adverse events following immunization in four regions of Ghana

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Review article Abstract only
Barriers to healthcare workers reporting adverse events following immunization in four regions of Ghana
Jane F. Gidudu, Anna Shaum, Alex Dodoo, Samuel Bosomprah, … Hilda H. Ampadu

Using classification and regression tree analysis to explore parental influenza vaccine decisions

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Review article Abstract only
Using classification and regression tree analysis to explore parental influenza vaccine decisions
Yuki Lama, Gregory R. Hancock, Vicki S. Freimuth, Amelia M. Jamison, Sandra Crouse Quinn

Decision-making about HPV vaccination in parents of boys and girls: A population-based survey in England and Wales

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Research article Open access
Decision-making about HPV vaccination in parents of boys and girls: A population-based survey in England and Wales
Jo Waller, Alice Forster, Mairead Ryan, Rebecca Richards, … Laura Marlow

Governing off-label vaccine use: An environmental scan of the Global National Immunization Technical Advisory Group Network

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Review article Abstract only
Governing off-label vaccine use: An environmental scan of the Global National Immunization Technical Advisory Group Network
Karina A. Top, Abdoulreza Esteghamati, Melissa Kervin, Louise Henaff, … Noni E. MacDonald

Financial cost analysis of a strategy to improve the quality of administrative vaccination data in Uganda

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Review article Abstract only
Financial cost analysis of a strategy to improve the quality of administrative vaccination data in Uganda
Kirsten Ward, Kevin Mugenyi, Adam MacNeil, Henry Luzze, … Sarah W. Pallas

Strengthening national teams of experts to support HPV vaccine introduction in Eastern Mediterranean countries: Lessons learnt and recommendations from an international workshop

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages 951-1276 (29 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/5

 

Review article Abstract only
Strengthening national teams of experts to support HPV vaccine introduction in Eastern Mediterranean countries: Lessons learnt and recommendations from an international workshop
Carine Dochez, Salah Al Awaidy, Ezzeddine Mohsni, Kamal Fahmy, Mohammed Bouskraoui