Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Global TB Report
WHO :: October 2019 :: 297 pages
PDF: https://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/en/
New data on tuberculosis trends in 202 countries
TB remains one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Millions of people continue to fall sick from TB each year. The Global TB Report 2019 provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic, and progress in the response, at global, regional and country levels. It features data on disease trends and the response to the epidemic in 202 countries and territories.
The Global Report includes trends in TB incidence and mortality, data on case detection and treatment results for TB, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), TB/HIV, TB prevention, universal health coverage as well as financing. It presents progress towards targets set at the first-ever United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on TB in 2018, that brought together heads of state, as well as the targets of the WHO End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The report also includes an overview of pipelines for new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. Additionally, it outlines a monitoring framework that features data on SDG indicators that can be used to identify key influences on the TB epidemic at national level and inform the multi-sectoral actions required to end the TB epidemic.

Excerpt [p.4]
…TB research and development
The SDG and End TB Strategy targets set for 2030 cannot be met without intensified research and development. Technological breakthroughs are needed by 2025, so that the annual decline in the global TB incidence rate can be accelerated to an average of 17% per year. Priorities include a vaccine to lower the risk of infection, a vaccine or new drug treatment to cut the risk of TB disease in the 1.7 billion people already latently infected, rapid diagnostics for use at the point of care, and simpler, shorter drug regimens for treating TB disease.

The diagnostic pipeline appears robust in terms of the number of tests, but no new technology emerged in 2019. As of August 2019, there were 23 drugs, various combination regimens and 14 vaccine candidates in clinical trials. Recently, the M72/AS01E vaccine candidate was found to be protective against TB disease in a Phase IIb trial among individuals with evidence of latent TB infection. If the findings are confirmed in a Phase III trial, this vaccine could transform global TB prevention efforts.

The latest data published by Treatment Action Group showed funding of US$ 772 million for TB research and development in 2017, much less than the target of at least US$ 2 billion per year set at the UN high-level meeting on TB…

News Release
7 million people receive record levels of lifesaving TB treatment but 3 million still miss out
Severe underfunding, lack of access to care jeopardize at-risk populations
17 October 2019 Geneva I Washington DC
More people received life-saving treatment for tuberculosis (TB) in 2018 than ever before, largely due to improved detection and diagnosis. Globally, 7 million people were diagnosed and treated for TB – up from 6.4 million in 2017 – enabling the world to meet one of the milestones towards the United Nations political declaration targets on TB.

WHO’s latest Global TB Report says that 2018 also saw a reduction in the number of TB deaths: 1.5 million people died from TB in 2018, down from 1.6 million in 2017.  The number of new cases of TB has been declining steadily in recent years. However, the burden remains high among low-income and marginalized populations: around 10 million people developed TB in 2018.

“Today we mark the passing of the first milestone in the effort to reach people who’ve been missing out on services to prevent and treat TB,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“This is proof that we can reach global targets if we join forces together, as we have done through the Find.Treat.All.EndTB joint initiative of WHO, Stop TB Partnership and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria”.

WHO’s latest Global TB Report, released today, highlights that the world must accelerate progress if it is to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of ending TB by 2030. The report also notes that an estimated 3 million of those with TB still are not getting the care they need…

Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Statement on the meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee for Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 18 October 2019
[Excerpts]
…The WHO Secretariat provided details on the latest risk assessment. Risk remains very high at national and regional levels but still low at global level. In recent weeks, the incidence of EVD cases has consistently declined, with 15 new confirmed cases, reported in North Kivu and Ituri provinces during the last epidemiological week of 7–13 October, in comparison with 128 confirmed cases per week reported at the peak of the outbreak in April 2019. There is a shift in hot spots from urban settings to more rural, hard-to-reach communities, across a more concentrated geographical area. At present, 10 health zones are affected. These areas pose major security challenges. When response activities are suspended, the likelihood of underreporting and the potential for the disease to spread to new areas increases. In addition, continued transmission in remote areas where access is difficult creates the possibility of transmission chains going undetected.

The ring vaccination strategy is proving efficient and successful. Issues related to vaccine supply were reviewed. Given the uncertainty of the evolution of the epidemic, current supplies should be managed carefully.  The Secretariat also welcomed the commencement of Johnson and Johnson vaccine studies in Uganda and the imminent commencement of similar studies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in addition to continuing to track progress with other vaccine candidates.

The United Nations Ebola Emergency Response Coordinator gave an update on the situation and efforts to maintain an enabling environment to improve access and acceptance of Ebola response in communities. He re-emphasized the need for stronger community engagement and access in all areas, increased multisectoral collaboration, and more financial and human resources. Insecurity remains the greatest concern. Efforts to increase security are underway. There is a need to focus both on intervention gaps and the quality of interventions. Identifying areas where the virus might migrate and securing these areas constitutes a major priority.

The Committee was also appraised by the WHO Secretariat on progress on preparedness efforts in the nine neighbouring countries (priority 1: Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda, and priority 2: Angola, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Tanzania, and Zambia).  Bilateral roadmaps for cross-border coordination between DRC and the priority 1 countries are being implemented. On 21 October 2019, a high-level ministerial meeting will be held in Goma, DRC, to further strengthen alignment and coordination of cross-border surveillance across all nine high-risk neighbouring countries. A major challenge is the lack of funding for preparedness, particularly in the priority 2 countries. Of the US$ 66.6 million required for all the 9 countries, only US$ 4.5 million has been pledged. Compliance with IHR requirements for notification and verification of alerts was highlighted, in particular with regards to transparency and timely sharing of public health information.

Context and Discussion
The Committee commended the response to date, under the leadership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health, and appreciated the progress made under the multisectoral coordination commission established in July 2019. Support provided by WHO, UN agencies, NGOs and other partners has also contributed to limiting the spread and impact of this virus in a difficult context in many areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The courage and commitment of all frontline workers were specifically praised by the Committee.

While the Committee commended the efforts made by the neighbouring countries to strengthen preparedness, it remained deeply concerned by the lack of sustained financial support for these activities.

The committee noticed with appreciation that the general compliance of all states with the WHO recommendations to keep borders open and air travel meant operations could continue and economies in the area were not harmed by border closures.

However, the Committee is concerned that a year into the outbreak, the access and security situations on the ground could hinder final efforts to eliminate the virus from rural communities.

Conclusions and Advice
It was the view of the Committee that this event still constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the IHR (2005).

…Based on this advice, the reports made by the affected State Party, and the currently available information, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 18 October 2019 maintained the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s advice and issued them as Temporary Recommendations under IHR (2005) to reduce the international spread of Ebola, effective 18 October 2019.

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Major milestone for WHO-supported Ebola vaccine
18 October 2019 News release Geneva
The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announcement recommending a conditional marketing authorization for the rVSV-ZEBOV-GP vaccine, which has been shown to be effective in protecting people from the Ebola virus.

Today’s announcement by EMA, the European agency responsible for the scientific evaluation of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies, is a key step before the European Commission decision on licensing. In parallel, WHO will move towards prequalification of the vaccine.

“The conditional authorization of the world’s first Ebola vaccine is a triumph for public health, and a testimony to the unprecedented collaboration between scores of experts worldwide,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “My deepest gratitude is to the studies’ volunteers, researchers, health workers in Guinea, other countries and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have put themselves at risk to ensure people are protected with this vaccine.”

In the past five years, WHO has convened experts to review the evidence on various Ebola vaccine candidates, informed policy recommendations, and mobilized a multilateral coalition to accelerate clinical evaluations. The EMA review was unique in that WHO and African regulators actively participated through an innovative cooperative arrangement put in place by WHO, which will help accelerate registration for the countries most at risk.

A randomized trial for the vaccine began during the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2015. When no other organization was positioned to run a trial in Guinea during the complex emergency, the government of Guinea and WHO took the unusual step to lead the trial.

A global coalition of funders and researchers provided the critical support required. Funders included the Canadian Government (through the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, International Development Research Centre, Global Affairs Canada); the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through the Research Council of Norway’s GLOBVAC programme); the Wellcome Trust; the UK government through the Department for International Development; and Médecins Sans Frontières.

The trial was successfully run using an innovative ring vaccination design. In the 1970s, this ring strategy helped to eradicate smallpox, but this was the first time that an experimental vaccine was evaluated this way…

Merck Receives EU CHMP Positive Opinion for Investigational V920 Ebola Zaire Vaccine for Protection Against Ebola Virus Disease
October 18, 2019
[See Industry Watch below for detail]

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Ebola Outbreak in DRC 63: 15 October 2019
Situation Update
In the past week, from 7 to 13 October, 15 new confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases were reported from five health zones in two affected provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While it is encouraging to see another week of relatively low numbers of newly confirmed cases (Figure 1), these are occurring in a concentrated area where limited access and insecurity pose challenges for the response. In such environments, risks of resurgence remain very high, as do the risks of re-dispersion of cases. For example, this past week, several people who were eventually confirmed as positive for EVD sought healthcare in health zones which are no longer experiencing ongoing transmission, such as Beni…

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POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 16 October 2019
:: Preparations for World Polio Day taking place next week on 24 October are in full swing. On that day, the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC) is expected to declare poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) as globally eradicated. The event will be broadcast on the internet. Viewers are welcome to follow the proceedings through a WebEx broadcast that will be available here.

:: The Polio Oversight board (POB) met on 6 September 2019 for its third meeting of the year to discuss the current status of work within the programme. The meeting summary is now available.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Pakistan — two WPV1-positive environmental samples;
:: Philippines — two cVDPV1-positive environmental samples.

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Meeting of the Polio Oversight Board (POB)—Teleconference
6 September 2019 | 16h00-18h00 GVA time
The Polio Oversight Board held its third meeting of the year by teleconference to discuss the status of polio eradication efforts and preparations for the upcoming GPEI pledging moment in Abu Dhabi on November 19th, 2019.

[Excerpt below; full report available at title link above]
1. Key Challenges/Risks to Polio Programme
Michel Zaffran gave POB members an update on the status of global polio eradication, which is of great concern.
:: In Afghanistan, the lack of access due to the Taliban’s ban on house to house vaccination and more recently on all WHO/ICRC activities is leading to a large, vulnerable cohort of unvaccinated children. Even in the areas where vaccination activities are ongoing, the inability of the programme to have outside experts participate, in both training and supervision, as well as conducing post campaign monitoring, is leading to declines in campaign quality. The upcoming leadership transitions at all levels—from national elections to turnover in WHO and UNICEF staff—is both a potential risk and opportunity.

:: In Pakistan, the program is on, what the recent Technical Advisory Group meeting called a “failing trajectory”. Issues such as community resentment and mistrust, combined with sub-optimal SIA quality in certain areas is resulting in sizeable pockets of unimmunized children. This is leading to ongoing widespread virus circulation and a substantial increase in the number of polio cases (58 as of August 31st, compared to 12 reported in all of 2018). The program needs to be transformed, with national unity and all-party consensus at all levels to be effective. On an encouraging note, high levels of national commitment are now seen in Pakistan—what remains to be seen is if this commitment will translate to all levels and action.

:: Nigeria has made remarkable strides against the wild poliovirus, with the last case seen over three years ago—meaning that the entire continent has likely been Wild Poliovirus (WPV) type 3 free since September 2016. However, the Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (cVDPV) situation is extremely worrying. There appears to be a lack of political support and slow and poor-quality responses, exacerbated by a reluctance, in some countries, to declare an emergency and limited availability/access of trained experts to deploy rapidly. The budget reduction in the country is a real risk, given the increase in outbreaks and lack of ability to rapidly control them. The announcement of the certification of WPV3 eradication will need to be carefully communicated taking into account cVDPV outbreaks .

:: The world is facing more cVDPV2s than our modeling predicted at the time of the switch. Three years after the global withdrawal of Oral Poliovirus type 2 from National immunization programmes, the population mucosal immunity against type 2 poliovirus has waned dramatically. While monovalent OPV type 2 (mOPV2) is the only tool currently available to stop these outbreaks, the programme is now facing two challenges: i) the stockpile is being depleted and ii) the use of mOPV2 is seeding new VDPV2 outbreaks. A new vaccine that is less likely to revert to neurovirulence and cause outbreaks, the novel OPV (nOPV), is showing great promise in clinical trials and its use will be expedited under WHO’s Emergency Use License (EUL), but time will be needed to scale up production to phase out the use of mOPV2 altogether. Financing is a big challenge, as funds are not available currently. With the number of outbreaks higher than expected, funds are being pulled from preventative SIAs, which of course raises other risks. (GPEI lacks flexible funding). To ensure the responses being conducted are as effective as possible, new guidelines are being put into action to ensure rapid access to technical expertise as well as local financing…
…
[Excerpt from POB Discussion]
Seth Berkley (POB member, CEO, Gavi) asked GPEI to provide further details on plan B if nOPV doesn’t work or is delayed. We all know that scaling up vaccine production is a challenge and not without risks of delays. He agreed with Dr Elias that WHO needs to ensure EUL is ready to be rolled out without any problems. He expressed his concern that he felt the POB needed to really discuss, as a Board, what needs to be done to turn things around and get eradication back on track. He also noted his concern that the current investment case is based on a strategy that assumed the last case of WPV would be in 2020, which is now no longer a feasible assumption. He expressed that he thought donors would be expecting GPEI to be rethinking its approach in light of this and coming up with new ideas, and that the POB, as highest-level body, should ensure that happens. This means rethinking strategies, not just towing the line that getting access will solve all our problems. Dr Berkley requested that the management report done by McKinsey be circulated to the POB as a critical input to this rethink and prior to any POB visits to the field.

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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 19 Oct 2019]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Statement on the meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee for Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 18 October 2019
:: Ebola Outbreak in DRC 63: 15 October 2019
[See Ebola above for detail]

Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO gravely concerned about humanitarian situation in northeast Syria 13 October 2019
[See Milestones above for detail]

Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 19 Oct 2019]

Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified

MERS-CoV
:: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
18 October 2019
From 1 through 30 September 2019, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported 4 additional laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) infection and one associated death…

Myanmar
:: Bi‐weekly Situation Report 20 – 10 October 2019
SITUATION OVERVIEW
There are an estimated 911,566 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, according to the latest ISCG situation report (August 2019). This includes 34,172 refugees from Myanmar who registered before 31st August 2017. All refugees, including new arrivals, face compounding vulnerabilities, including in health. WHO has been responding to this crisis since September 2017…
Immunization
A comprehensive review of the work of WHO Health field monitors has taken place, and activities were subsequently revised with the aim of increasing catch up for drop-out and left-out children (through child registration validation) and improvements of reporting/feedback mechanisms…
A campaign strategy for the upcoming Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity (MR SIA) in 2020 is under development, as well as implementation plans for major recommendations of the quarterly review meeting which took place in collaboration with the national programme.

occupied Palestinian territory
:: WHO Report – Right to health 2018 Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
…This report analyses some of the major barriers to realization of the right to health for
Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. It focuses on four main topics: provision and
availability of healthcare; access to healthcare; underlying determinants of health; and health
attacks. The West Bank and Gaza Strip have been under Israeli military occupation for over 50 years…

Sudan
:: Vaccination campaign against cholera kicks off in Sudan
Attributable to the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan, WHO and UNICEF
KHARTOUM, 11 October 2019 – “Sudan has launched an oral cholera vaccination campaign in response to the ongoing outbreak of cholera. More than 1.6 million people aged one year and above in the Blue Nile and Sinnar states will be vaccinated over the coming five days.
“The announcement of the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan on the cholera outbreak last month allowed national and state authorities, and health partners, to act quickly and respond to the outbreak…

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – 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 19 Oct 2019]

Kenya
:: Kenya takes vital step against cervical cancer and introduces HPV vaccine into routi…
18 October 2019
With President Uhuru Kenyatta leading the way, Kenya today joins an increasing number of African countries taking a vital step against a common cause of death among women – in the country and the region – by introducing the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer into its routine immunization schedule…

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – 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 ǀ Flash Update #7, Humanitarian impact of the military operation in north-eastern Syria, 16 – 18 October 2019

Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Editor’s Note:
Ebola in the DRC has bene added as a OCHA “Corporate Emergency” this week:
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth – No new digest announcements identified
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 19 Oct 2019]
10 October 2019
News release
Universal Health Coverage Passes Key Global Milestone
WHO welcomes Inter-Parliamentary Union Resolution on UHC
17 October 2019 News release Belgrade I Geneva
The World Health Organization today welcomed a new Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Resolution on achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. The resolution, adopted at the IPU Assembly in Belgrade, Serbia, comes one month after heads of state agreed a high-level United Nations Political Declaration on UHC in New York…

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Weekly Epidemiological Record, 18 October 2019, vol. 94, 42 (pp. 473–496)
:: Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2020 southern hemisphere influenza season
: Antigenic and genetic characteristics of zoonotic influenza A viruses and development of candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness

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Call for proposals for nominations of experts to serve on the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization
Deadline for applications: 31 October 2019

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Kenya takes vital step against cervical cancer and introduces HPV vaccine into routi…
18 October 2019
:: Defeating Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo motivates a community to con…
15 October 2019
:: More than 18 million children in Uganda to be immunized against measles, rubella an…
15 October 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified.

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

WHO European Region EURO
:: Experts call for bold action on school-based health in the Russian Federation 16-10-2019
:: Harnessing disruption to improve health 14-10-2019

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: 14 October 2019 | Feature story Addressing the needs of ageing populations
Next year will mark the beginning of the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) – an opportunity to bring together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media and the private sector for 10 years of intensive action to improve the lives of older people, their families and their communities.

CDC/ACIP [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

MMWR News Synopsis for October 11, 2019
Update: Influenza Activity – United States and Worldwide, May 19–September 28, 2019 and Composition of the 2020 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Vaccine
Low levels of influenza activity were reported in the United States over summer 2019, with cocirculation of influenza A and influenza B viruses. In early October 2019, it is too early in the season to know which viruses will circulate in the U.S. later this fall and winter or how severe the season may be. Regardless of what is circulating, the best protection against influenza is a flu vaccination. CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against flu. As the 2019-2020 flu season begins, CDC is reporting influenza activity in the United States and the Southern Hemisphere during the U.S. summer months and the vaccine viruses selected for the 2020 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccines. During the summer months in the U.S., influenza activity remained low as is typical for that time of year. Influenza A and B viruses circulated widely in the Southern Hemisphere with the predominant virus varying by region and country. While influenza is unpredictable and circumstances can change very quickly, data to date continue to support the appropriateness of the recommended composition of the vaccines for the upcoming 2019-2020 season in the United States.

Vital Signs: Burden and Prevention of Influenza and Pertussis Among Pregnant Women and Infants — United States

National Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks:
National Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks — United States, January 1–October 1, 2019

Africa CDC [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
Ebola – RDC : Africa CDC prévoit organiser une réunion Ministérielle sur Ebola avec 9 pays voisins de la RDC
15-10-2019
Kinshasa, 15 Octobre 2019 – Le Centre Africain de Contrôle et de Prévention des maladies (Africa CDC), organe technique et spécialisé de l’Union Africaine, va réunir 9 pays limitrophes de la RDC, le 21 octobre 2019, à Goma, chef-lieu du Nord-Kivu, afin de coordonner les efforts dans la riposte contre l’épidémie d’Ebola. C’est dans ce cadre qu’une délégation de Africa CDC conduite par Dr. John Nkengasong a été reçue, ce mardi…

[google translate]
Ebola – DRC: Africa CDC to hold Ebola Ministerial Meeting with 9 DRC neighbors
15-10-2019
Kinshasa, October 15, 2019 – The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a technical and specialized body of the African Union, will bring together nine countries bordering the DRC on October 21, 2019, in Goma, the North Kivu, to coordinate efforts in the response to the Ebola outbreak…

China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
No new digest content identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
Selected Updates and Press Releases
China rolls out plan for controlling HIV transmission
2019-10-15
China has rolled out a plan for the control of HIV transmission in a bid to keep HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country at a low level.
The three-year plan, made by the National Health Commission and nine other government departments, sets a number of goals such as raising the awareness of HIV prevention and control, and educating people on avoiding or reducing unsafe sexual behaviors.
The goals also include detecting and treating as many HIV infection cases as possible, curbing the rise of HIV transmission through sexual behaviors and eliminating mother-to-child transmission…

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 19 Oct 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 19 Oct 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 19 Oct 2019]
http://cepi.net/
News
Faster, more agile vaccine tech needed to fight tomorrow’s epidemics
15 Oct 2019 By Richard Hatchett
[See Milestones/Perspectives above for detail]

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/about/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

EDCTP [to 19 Oct 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
Latest news
17 October 2019
Annual Report 2018 – a strong portfolio halfway EDCTP2
EDCTP published its Annual Report 2018 – 15th anniversary of the EDCTP programme in a new digital format. The report gives a quick overview of the milestones in the development of the partnership since 2003 and presents the strong EDCTP2…

Emory Vaccine Center [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
Press release: First vaccine to protect against Ebola
CHMP, Last updated: 18/10/2019
EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation in the European Union for Ervebo (rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP), the first vaccine for active immunisation of individuals aged 18 years and older at risk of infection with the Ebola virus.
“This is an important step towards relieving the burden of this deadly disease,” said Guido Rasi, EMA’s Executive Director. “The CHMP’s recommendation is the result of many years of collaborative global efforts to find and develop new medicines and vaccines against Ebola. Public health authorities in countries affected by Ebola need safe and efficacious medicines to be able to respond effectively to outbreaks and save lives.”…

News: Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 14-17 October 2019
CHMP, Last updated: 18/10/2019

Press release: European countries increase commitment to responsible antibiotic use in animals
Last updated: 15/10/2019

European Vaccine Initiative [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.

FDA [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
October 16, 2019 – Statement on continued progress enhancing patient access to high-quality, low-cost generic drugs
FDA generic drug approvals reach record high in fiscal year 2019
Affordable access to medicines is a public health concern and more generic drug competition can help reduce prices, improve access and benefit the public health. Safe, effective and high-quality generic drugs play a vital role in our health care system. Generic drugs account for about 90% of all prescription drug purchases in the U.S. In 2018, competition from generic drugs saved the health care system about $293 billion.
Thanks to the FDA’s ongoing efforts under the Drug Competition Action Plan and the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments, the FDA has built a thriving generic drug program that continues to impress me. I am pleased to report that our generic drug program is having another strong year…

Fondation Merieux [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
No new digest content identified.

Gavi [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.gavi.org/
Latest news
Kenya introduces cervical cancer vaccine nationally  
Approximately 800,000 girls to be protected annually through introduction of HPV vaccine into routine immunisation programme
Mombasa, 18 October 2019 – Around 800,000 girls across Kenya will be protected against cervical cancer annually following the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the country’s routine immunisation programme, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health Sicily Karuiki announced today at a launch ceremony in Mombasa County.

“Scaling up access to quality health services, particularly for women and girls, is a critical part of Kenya’s Big Four Action Plan,” said Sicily Karuiki. “Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer deaths in Kenya. Working with partners like Gavi, UNICEF and WHO to introduce HPV vaccine into our routine immunisation programme is an important step forward in ensuring the health and long-term prosperity of the Kenyan people.”
The vaccines, provided through support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will aim to reach all girls aged 10 in two doses administered six months apart…

GHIT Fund [to 19 Oct 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 No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
News
Sharp Upturn Achieved in Finding People with TB
17 October 2019

Voices
How We Can Secure the Broadest Access to Quality-Assured and Affordable Medicines to Defeat HIV
16 October 2019

Hilleman Laboratories [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

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

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IFRC [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.

IVAC [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
IVI and the USask’s VIDO-InterVac Exchange MOU to Advance Vaccine Research
October 16, 2019, SEOUL, Korea — IVI and the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) VIDO-InterVac, a global leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development, exchanged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at IVI headquarters to establish future partnership in vaccine research and capacity-building…
The VIDO-InterVac works with international partners to develop solutions for human and animal pathogens, and has commercialized eight vaccine technologies, six of which are world firsts. With this mutual understanding, the university research institute and IVI will take steps to exchange knowledge and opportunities for the shared mission of advancing vaccines…

JEE Alliance [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Syria
Northeast Syria: MSF forced to evacuate staff due to extreme volatilit…
Press Release 14 Oct 2019

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
No new digest content identified.

NIH [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
NIH funds new All of Us Research Program genome center to test advanced sequencing tools
October 18, 2019 — HudsonAlpha awarded $7 million to expand national health dataset with uncharted genetic variants.

Candidate Ebola Vaccine Still Effective when Highly Diluted, Macaque Study Finds
October 18, 2019 — Scientists Hope Findings Mean Vaccine Supplies Could Stretch Farther.

NIH grantees win 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
October 14, 2019 — 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to NIH grantees Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer, who share the prize with Abhijit Banerjee.

PATH [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
October 17, 2019
Sabin Vaccine Institute Appoints Filip Dubovsky to Board of Trustees
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) today announced that Dr. Filip Dubovsky, head of clinical engagement and policy at AstraZeneca, has joined its Board of Trustees.

UNAIDS [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
17 October 2019
Desperately seeking an HIV cure: Belgian research centre studies viral rebound

17 October 2019
Putting HIV prevention back at the centre of Brazil’s LGBTI pride

14 October 2019
Two decades of engagement in the response to HIV in Brazil

14 October 2019
New HIV infections rising in Latin America―key populations particularly affected

UNICEF [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
Water station in northeast Syria out of service, impacting 400,000 people as violence continues
Statement by UNICEF Representative in Syria, Fran Equiza
18/10/2019

Press release
Geneva Palais briefing note on UNICEF humanitarian support for children in northeast Syria
This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
18/10/2019

Statement
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore remarks at the launch of the State of the World’s Children Report
As prepared
15/10/2019

Press release
Geneva Palais briefing note on the situation of children in northeast Syria
This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
15/10/2019

Press release
Poor diets damaging children’s health worldwide, warns UNICEF
Poverty, urbanization, climate change and poor eating choices driving unhealthy diets
15/10/2019

Statement
Nearly 70,000 children displaced as violence escalates in northeast Syria
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
14/10/2019

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 16 October 2019
PhD merit needs to be defined by more than just publications
Anne-Marie Coriat
Head of UK and Europe Research Landscape Wellcome
There needs to be a change in how PhDs are assessed, with more emphasis placed on other aspects of training, to promote a positive culture for early career researchers

Why We Vaccinate [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.whywevax.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

The Wistar Institute [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Release Oct. 17, 2019
$12.5 Million Grant Awarded to Wistar Extends Federal Support of the Institute’s Quest for Improved Targeted Therapies for Melanoma
PHILADELPHIA — (Oct. 17, 2019) — The Wistar Institute and collaborating institutions have  received a major grant from the National Institutes of Health to further research on new melanoma targeted therapies integrating the role of the tumor microenvironment in influencing response to therapy and development of resistance.
The grant, totaling $12.5 million over five years, is a collaborative, multidisciplinary research program that supports multiple research projects contributing to the overall objectives.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
No new digest content identified.

::::::

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 19 Oct 2019]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
Oct 14 2019
Nonpartisan Budget Experts Warn Speaker Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Bill will Stifle the Development of New Medicines
BIO’s President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office released an analysis confirming that H.R. 3 will lead to fewer new medicines for patients.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
Events
DCVMN 20th Annual General Meeting
21 October 2019 to 23 October 2019
Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

IFPMA [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.

PhRMA [to 19 Oct 2019]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
October 16, 2019
PhRMA Appoints New Leadership to Board of Directors
Today, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) appointed new leadership to its board of directors. David Ricks, chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, was named chairman-elect and Ramona Sequeira, President of Takeda Pharmaceuticals, USA assumed the role of board treasurer…

Industry Watch [to 19 Oct 2019]
:: Merck Receives EU CHMP Positive Opinion for Investigational V920 Ebola Zaire Vaccine for Protection Against Ebola Virus Disease
October 18, 2019
KENILWORTH, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending a conditional marketing authorization for V920 Ebola Zaire vaccine (rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP, live). If affirmed by the European Commission, the vaccine will be authorized under the brand name ERVEBO® (pronounced UR-VEE-BOH) and indicated for active immunization of individuals 18 years of age or older to protect against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) caused by Zaire Ebola virus. The use of ERVEBO should be in accordance with official recommendations.
The CHMP’s recommendation, completed under accelerated assessment, will now be considered by the European Commission. If the European Commission affirms the CHMP opinion, it will grant a centralized marketing authorization with unified labeling that is valid in the 28 countries that are members of the European Union, as well as European Economic Area members, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. ERVEBO is currently under review in the United States.
“This positive opinion from CHMP represents important progress towards licensure of a vaccine to provide protection from Ebola virus disease to people in areas affected by the Ebola Zaire virus,” said Dr. Roger M. Perlmutter, president, Merck Research Laboratories. “Our work would not have been possible without the efforts of countless numbers of people, especially those from the World Health Organization and many other government and non-governmental organizations, who have worked tirelessly on the development of this important vaccine. Our top priority is the achievement of registration of our German ERVEBO manufacturing site, so that licensed supply can be used to support global public health preparedness.”…

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

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 19 Oct 2019)

Commentary
Engaging research ethics committees to develop an ethics and governance framework for best practices in genomic research and biobanking in Africa: the H3Africa model
Authors: Paulina Tindana, Aminu Yakubu, Ciara Staunton, Alice Matimba, Katherine Littler, Ebony Madden, Nchangwi Syntia Munung and Jantina de Vries
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2019 20:69
Published on: 18 October 2019
Abstract
In the past decade, there has been an increase in genomic research and biobanking activities in Africa. Research initiatives such as the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium are contributing to the development of scientific capacity and infrastructure to support these studies on the continent. Despite this growth, genomic research and biobanking have raised important ethical challenges for key research stakeholders, including members of research ethics committees. One of these is the limited ethical and regulatory frameworks to guide the review and conduct of genomic studies, particularly in Africa. This paper is a reflection on a series of consultative activities with research ethics committees in Africa which informed the development of an ethics and governance framework for best practices in genomic research and biobanking in Africa. The paper highlights the engagement process and the lessoned learned.

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 19 Oct 2019)

Research article
Forming and implementing community advisory boards in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review
Community advisory boards (CABs) have expanded beyond high-income countries (HICs) and play an increasing role in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) research. Much research has examined CABs in HICs, but le…
Authors: Yang Zhao, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Bin Wan, Suzanne Day, Allison Mathews and Joseph D. Tucker
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2019 20:73
Published on: 17 October 2019

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 19 Oct 2019)

Research article
How do researchers acquire and develop notions of research integrity? A qualitative study among biomedical researchers in Switzerland
Structured training in research integrity, research ethics and responsible conduct of research is one strategy to reduce research misconduct and strengthen reliability of and trust in scientific evidence. Howe…
Authors: Priya Satalkar and David Shaw
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2019 20:72
Published on: 16 October 2019

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 19 Oct 2019)

Research article
What makes health systems resilient against infectious disease outbreaks and natural hazards? Results from a scoping review
The 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak was a wake-up call regarding the critical importance of resilient health systems. Fragile health systems can become overwhelmed during public health crises, further exacerbating the human, economic, and political toll. Important work has been done to describe the general attributes of a health system resilient to these crises, and the next step will be to identify the specific capacities that health systems need to develop and maintain to achieve resiliency.
Authors: Jennifer B. Nuzzo, Diane Meyer, Michael Snyder, Sanjana J. Ravi, Ana Lapascu, Jon Souleles, Carolina I. Andrada and David Bishai
Citation: BMC Public Health 2019 19:1310
Published on: 17 October 2019

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 19 Oct 2019]

Research
|   15 October 2019
Embedding implementation research to enhance health policy and systems: a multi-country analysis from ten settings in Latin America and the Caribbean
Progress towards universal health coverage requires health policies and systems that are informed by contextualised and actionable research. Many challenges impede the uptake of evidence to enhance health policy implementation and the coverage, quality, efficiency and equity of health systems. To address this need, we developed an innovative model of implementation research embedded in real-world policy and programme cycles and led directly by policy-makers and health systems decision-makers. The approach was tested in ten settings in Latin America and the Caribbean, supported under a common funding and capacity strengthening initiative. The present study aims to analyse ten embedded implementation research projects in order to identify barriers and facilitators to embedding research into policy and practice as well as to assess the programme, policy and systems improvements and the cross-cutting lessons in conducting research embedded in real-world policy and systems decision-making.
Authors: Etienne V. Langlois, Arielle Mancuso, Vanessa Elias and Ludovic Reveiz

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
October 2019 Volume 87, p1-196
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0016-8

Reviews
Pertussis in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: epidemiology and challenges
Usa Thisyakorn, Terapong Tantawichien, Chule Thisyakorn, Philippe Buchy
p75–83
Published online: July 29, 2019

JAMA
October 15, 2019, Vol 322, No. 15, Pages 1427-1526
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Viewpoint
Can Physicians Work in US Immigration Detention Facilities While Upholding Their Hippocratic Oath?
Paul Spiegel, MD, MPH; Nancy Kass, ScD; Leonard Rubenstein, JD, LLM
JAMA. 2019;322(15):1445-1446. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.12567
This Viewpoint proposes conditions under which physicians might sign on to deliver humane and ethical medical treatment of immigrants in US detention facilities while managing dual loyalty conflicts with immigration enforcement agencies, including exemption from nondisclosure agreements, use of 3rd-party hiring agencies, and establishment of independent health oversight committees.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 19 Oct 2019]

Meeting abstracts
|   18 October 2019
Abstracts from the 4th International PPRI Conference 2019: Medicines access challenge – The value of pricing and reimbursement policies

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 7, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/7

Perspectives
Summer Hajj pilgrimage in the era of global warming: a call for vigilance and better understanding of the risks
Saber Yezli, PhD, Anas Khan, MD, Abderrezak Bouchama, MD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 7, 2019, taz069, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz069
Hajj, one of the largest and most ethnically and geographically diverse annual mass gatherings in the world, presents many of the risk factors for heat-related illnesses. In the era of global warming, these illnesses are a major health threat at the event, especially while Hajj is in the hot cycle.

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 7, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/7

Original Articles
Ebola virus outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the potential for further transmission through commercial air travel
Ashleigh R Tuite, PhD, Alexander G Watts, PhD, Kamran Khan, MD, Isaac I Bogoch, MD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 7, 2019, taz063, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz063

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 7, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/7

Letters to the Editor
Sickle cell disease, malaria and dengue fever: a case of triple jeopardy
Per O Iversen, MD, Mclean Abisay, MD, Felister Seleki, MD, Mtebe Majigo, MD, Lucio Luzzatto, MD …
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 7, 2019, taz070, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz070

The Lancet
Oct 19, 2019 Volume 394 Number 10207 p1387-1480, e32
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
Child nutrition: the need for courageous action
The Lancet

Nature
Volume 574 Issue 7778, 17 October 2019
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Comment | 15 October 2019
Data — from objects to assets
How did data get so big? Through political, social and economic interests, shows Sabina Leonelli, in the fourth essay on how the past 150 years have shaped the science system, marking Nature’s anniversary.
Sabina Leonelli

Nature
Volume 574 Issue 7778, 17 October 2019
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Article | 16 October 2019 | Open Access
Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017
A high-resolution, global atlas of mortality of children under five years of age between 2000 and 2017 highlights subnational geographical inequalities in the distribution, rates and absolute counts of child deaths by age.
Roy Burstein, Nathaniel J. Henry[…] & Simon I. Hay
Abstract
Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations.

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

Latest articles
15 Oct 2019
Educating general practitioners in Latin America: a challenge for universal health
Original research | Spanish |

Science
18 October 2019 Vol 366, Issue 6463
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Policy Forum
Technological challenges and milestones for writing genomes
By Nili Ostrov, Jacob Beal, Tom Ellis, D. Benjamin Gordon, Bogumil J. Karas, Henry H. Lee, Scott C. Lenaghan, Jeffery A. Schloss, Giovanni Stracquadanio, Axel Trefzer, Joel S. Bader, George M. Church, Cintia M. Coelho, J. William Efcavitch, Marc Güell, Leslie A. Mitchell, Alec A. K. Nielsen, Bill Peck, Alexander C. Smith, C. Neal Stewart Jr., Hille Tekotte
Science18 Oct 2019 : 310-312 Restricted Access
Synthetic genomics requires improved technologies
Summary
Engineering biology with recombinant DNA, broadly called synthetic biology, has progressed tremendously in the last decade, owing to continued industrialization of DNA synthesis, discovery and development of molecular tools and organisms, and increasingly sophisticated modeling and analytic tools. However, we have yet to understand the full potential of engineering biology because of our inability to write and test whole genomes, which we call synthetic genomics. Substantial improvements are needed to reduce the cost and increase the speed and reliability of genetic tools. Here, we identify emerging technologies and improvements to existing methods that will be needed in four major areas to advance synthetic genomics within the next 10 years: genome design, DNA synthesis, genome editing, and chromosome construction (see table). Similar to other large-scale projects for responsible advancement of innovative technologies, such as the Human Genome Project, an international, cross-disciplinary effort consisting of public and private entities will likely yield maximal return on investment and open new avenues of research and biotechnology.

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 45 Pages 6783-6856 (23 October 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/45

Review article Open access
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use during humanitarian crises
Kevin van Zandvoort, Francesco Checchi, Emma Diggle, Rosalind M. Eggo, … Stefan Flasche
Pages 6787-6792
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common human commensal that causes a sizeable part of the overall childhood mortality in low income settings. Populations affected by humanitarian crises are at especially high risk, because a multitude of risk factors that are enhanced during crises increase pneumococcal transmission and disease severity. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) provide effective protection and have been introduced into the majority of routine childhood immunisation programmes globally, though several barriers have hitherto limited their uptake during humanitarian crises. When PCV coverage cannot be sustained during crises or when PCV has not been part of routine programmes, mass vaccination campaigns offer a quick acting and programmatically feasible bridging solution until services can be restored. However, we currently face a paucity of evidence on which to base the structure of such campaigns. We believe that, now that PCV can be procured at a substantially reduced price through the Humanitarian Mechanism, this lack of information is a remaining hurdle to PCV use in humanitarian crises. Considering the difficulties in conducting research in crises, we propose an evidence generation pathway consisting of primary data collection in combination with mathematical modelling followed by quasi-experimental evaluation of a PCV intervention, which can inform on optimal vaccination strategies that consider age targeting, dosing regimens and impact duration.

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 45 Pages 6783-6856 (23 October 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/45

Review article Abstract only
Beliefs around childhood vaccines in the United States: A systematic review
Courtney Gidengil, Christine Chen, Andrew M. Parker, Sarah Nowak, Luke Matthews
Pages 6793-6802

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 45 Pages 6783-6856 (23 October 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/45

Research article Abstract only
Home-based records and vaccination appointment stickers as parental reminders to reduce vaccination dropout in Indonesia: A cluster-randomized controlled trial
Aaron S. Wallace, Kenny Peetosutan, Andi Untung, Marisa Ricardo, … Danni Daniels
Pages 6814-6823

Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 19 Oct 2019)

Open Access Article
Comparisons of Vaccine Hesitancy across Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries
by Abram L. Wagner , Nina B. Masters , Gretchen J. Domek , Joseph L. Mathew , Xiaodong Sun , Edwin J. Asturias , Jia Ren , Zhuoying Huang , Ingrid L. Contreras-Roldan , Berhanu Gebremeskel and Matthew L. Boulton
Vaccines 2019, 7(4), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines7040155 (registering DOI) – 18 Oct 2019
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy is a continuum of behaviors ranging from delay in receipt to vaccination refusal. Prior studies have typically focused on high-income countries, where vaccine hesitancy is particularly prevalent in more affluent groups, but the relationship between socioeconomic status and vaccine hesitancy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) is less clear. The aim of this study was to describe vaccine hesitancy in five LMICs. Mothers of children in Sirajganj, Bangladesh (n = 60), Shanghai, China (n = 788), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (n = 341), Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (n = 767), and Chandigarh, India (n = 309), completed a survey between 2016 and 2018 using the WHO’s 10-item Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. The scores of different constructs were compared across countries and by the mother’s education level using linear regression models with generalized estimating equations. Compared to mothers in China, mothers in Bangladesh perceived less vaccination benefit (β: 0.56, P = 0.0001), however, mothers in Ethiopia (β: −0.54, P < 0.0001) and Guatemala (β: −0.74, P = 0.0004) perceived greater benefit. Education level was not significantly linked with vaccine hesitancy. Local circumstances are important to consider when developing programs to promote vaccines. We did not find consistent associations between education and vaccine hesitancy. More research is needed to understand socio-cultural influences on vaccine decision-making.

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

Epidemiology
[10 Oct 2019]
Article
The use of test-negative controls to monitor vaccine effectiveness: a systematic review of methodology.
H Chua, S Feng, JA Lewnard, SG Sullivan, CC Blyth…
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The test-negative design is an increasingly popular approach for estimating vaccine effectiveness (VE) due to its efficiency. This review aims to examine published test-negative design studies of VE and to explore similarities and differences in methodological choices for different diseases and vaccines.
METHODS:
We conducted a systematic search on PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline, for studies reporting the effectiveness of any vaccines using a test-negative design. We screened titles and abstracts, and reviewed full texts to identify relevant articles. We created a standardized form for each included article to extract information on the pathogen of interest, vaccine(s) being evaluated, study setting, clinical case definition, choices of cases and controls, and statistical approaches used to estimate VE.
RESULTS:
We identified a total of 348 articles, including studies on VE against influenza virus (n=253), rotavirus (n=48), pneumococcus (n=24), and nine other pathogens. Clinical case definitions used to enroll patients were similar by pathogens of interest but the sets of symptoms that defined them varied substantially. Controls could be those testing negative for the pathogen of interest, those testing positive for non-vaccine type of the pathogen of interest, or a subset of those testing positive for alternative pathogens. Most studies controlled for age, calendar time, and comorbidities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our review highlights similarities and differences in the application of the test-negative design that deserve further examination. If vaccination reduces disease severity in breakthrough infections, particular care must be taken in interpreting vaccine effectiveness estimates from test-negative design studies.

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
First Online: 12 October 2019
Original Article
Predictors of influenza vaccination among elderly: a cross-sectional survey in Greece
I Dardalas, C Pourzitaki, G Manomenidis, F Malliou… – Aging Clinical and …, 2019
Only a small proportion of those over the age of 60 had received the influenza vaccine. This finding is worrying, as it indicates the impact that a future outbreak of seasonal influenza could exert upon vulnerable groups. There is an urgent need for further, better and more evidence-based information from healthcare professionals to achieve greater vaccination coverage in the community.

American Journal of Perinatology
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1697670
Commentary
Measles: There is No Vaccine against Vaccine Phobia
RA McLaren Jr, JL Stein, H Minkoff
Abstract
In 2000, the United States had effectively eliminated endemic measles. Unfortunately, due to misinformation and non-scientific based concerns, the rate of measles vaccination has declined. The United States is in the midst of its largest outbreak of measles since 2014, with 1,095 confirmed cases as of June 2019. The reasons for the re-emergence of measles and what this epidemic illustrates about the anti-vaccine culture in the United States are explored in this article.

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 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
U.S.
Scrutiny of Vaccine Exemptions Banishes Some From Schools
Carl and Kerri Schwartz say they have good medical reason for not vaccinating their disabled 11-year-old son, Thorn, and until recently his local public school went along with their family doctor’s advice.
By The Associated Press Oct. 16

Africa
‘Alarming Upsurge’ in Measles Has Devastating Impact, WHO Warns
is staging a devastating comeback in epidemics across the world as the virus exploits dangerous gaps in vaccination coverage, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Friday.
By Reuters Oct. 11

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new relevant content]

Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new relevant content]

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new relevant content]

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new relevant content]

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 19 Oct 2019
[No new relevant content]

Featured Journal Content

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 44 Pages 6581-6782 (16 October 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/44
Commentary
Discussion Abstract only
The life-course approach to vaccination: Harnessing the benefits of vaccination throughout life
Jody Tate, Teresa Aguado, Jan De Belie, Daphne Holt, … Suzanne Wait
Pages 6581-6583
Abstract
Vaccination beyond childhood brings significant benefits at the individual, community and socio-economic levels. Despite this, immunisation programmes often fail to deliver the vaccines which could protect those at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. In this commentary, we argue that the benefits of vaccination beyond childhood must be more widely understood and furthermore, that action must be taken by policymakers, healthcare professionals and patient and civil society organisations to ensure that the benefits of vaccination are fully realised. We outline five areas where change is needed to ensure vaccination across the life-course becomes truly embedded in national immunisation programmes. This includes investing in robust data collection and analysis; ensuring coordinated, multidisciplinary leadership from the top; engaging healthcare professionals; changing public perceptions of vaccination; and integrating vaccination into schools and workplaces.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Vaccination campaign against cholera kicks off in Sudan
Joint statement by the Sudan Federal Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF
KHARTOUM, 11 October 2019 – “Sudan has launched an oral cholera vaccination campaign in response to the ongoing outbreak of cholera.

“More than 1.6 million people aged one year and above in the Blue Nile and Sinnar states will be vaccinated over the coming five days.

“The announcement of the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan on the cholera outbreak last month allowed national and state authorities, and health partners, to act quickly and respond to the outbreak.

“Since the announcement on 8 September, 262 cases of suspected cholera and eight related deaths have been reported as of 9 October in the Blue Nile and Sinnar states. No cholera-related deaths have been reported since mid-September.

“The vaccines were procured and successfully shipped using funding from The Global Alliance for Vaccines International (GAVI), In addition, GAVI is providing nearly US$ 2 million to cover operational costs for the campaign.

“We joined efforts to respond as quickly as possible to contain the current outbreak of cholera and prevent it from spreading further in Sudan. The vaccination campaign kicking off today in combination with other measures including scaling up water, sanitation and hygiene activities, enhancing surveillance, prepositioning supplies and case management, will help protect people who are at highest risk.

“The first round of the campaign will conclude on 16 October and will be followed by a second round in four to six weeks to provide an additional dose to ensure people are protected for at least the next three years.

“As part of the campaign, over 3,560 vaccinators, more than 2,240 social mobilizers, and almost 70 independent monitors have been trained and deployed to the two affected states.”…

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Statement by MPAC on the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine
4 October 2019 MPAC [Malaria Policy Advisory Committee]
Globally, 219 million cases of malaria were reported in 2018, and an estimated 435,000 people, including 260.000 African children, died from malaria in 2017. Scale up of WHO-recommended preventive measures resulted in a substantial decline in malaria morbidity and mortality between 2000 and 2015. However, in 2015 and 2016, progress with malaria control stalled and started to reverse, with an upswing in malaria cases, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. A malaria vaccine such as RTS,S has the potential to help get malaria control back on track, and may prove to be an important addition to current control tools.

The RTS,S vaccine, with its reported level of efficacy, has been shown to provide substantial and significant added protection on top of that provided by optimal case management and high coverage of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), reducing clinical malaria by 55% during the 12 months following primary vaccination, and by 39% over 4 years. Recent data from long term follow-up are reassuring regarding its long term efficacy and safety. The well-established Expanded Programme on Immunization can reach even the poorest children, who are generally at highest risk of malaria, and suffer the highest mortality rates.

The opportunity to evaluate the feasibility of delivery, safety and effectiveness of the RTS,S vaccine, through pilot implementation in three countries, comes at a critical time in malaria control: no other malaria vaccine has entered phase 3 clinical trials. Additional preventive tools are in the development pipeline, and MPAC looks forward to reviewing their potential to reduce the malaria burden. However the development, evaluation and deployment of these new tools is expected to take several years. Moreover, it is likely that they will also offer only partial protection.

At a time when the downward trend in malaria cases and deaths has stalled, when our current control efforts are threatened by resistance, and when no new intervention approaching the efficacy of RTS,S is available, MPAC looks forward to reviewing the results of the pilot implementations, in accordance with the Framework for Policy Decision on RTS,S/AS01 approved at the April 2019 MPAC and SAGE meetings. If these results are promising, the RTS,S vaccine, in combination with ITNs and other control measures, is likely to be an important additional tool to change the course of malaria incidence and reduce malaria deaths in African children.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Global Fund Donors Pledge US$14 Billion in Fight to End Epidemics
10 October 2019
LYON, France – In an unprecedented show of global solidarity, donors at the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference pledged US$14.02 billion for the next three years – the largest amount ever raised for a multilateral health organization, and the largest amount by the Global Fund. The funds will help save 16 million lives and end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.

President Emmanuel Macron of France electrified the conference with a stirring appeal to deliver the next generation a better and healthier world, fighting inequality and strengthening social justice. President Macron called on all partners to increase their commitments by at least 15% in order to reach the target of at least US$14 billion, and during the pledging session that followed, donors answered that urgent call to step up the fight – many making last-minute increases on top of their original pledges.

In a stunning final push to reach the US$14 billion target, President Macron joined Bill Gates to make increased commitments for the coming three-year period, announcing that they would each pledge an additional US$60 million on top of pledges announced earlier in the day. With just US$80 million to go, President Macron, Mr. Gates and Bono – pointing to the imperative of ending the epidemics by 2030 – committed to raise at least a further US$100 million during the replenishment period to achieve a total of over US$14 billion.

“Everyone in the room today felt the power of a global community coming together to say in one voice: ‘We will end these epidemics’,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “We are tremendously grateful to President Macron for his incredible leadership over the past year. With the incredible support of partners and donors around the world, we succeeded in reaching over US$14 billion to help save 16 million lives.”…

Featured Journal Content

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 44 Pages 6581-6782 (16 October 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/44
Commentary
Discussion Abstract only
The life-course approach to vaccination: Harnessing the benefits of vaccination throughout life
Jody Tate, Teresa Aguado, Jan De Belie, Daphne Holt, … Suzanne Wait
Pages 6581-6583
Abstract
Vaccination beyond childhood brings significant benefits at the individual, community and socio-economic levels. Despite this, immunisation programmes often fail to deliver the vaccines which could protect those at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. In this commentary, we argue that the benefits of vaccination beyond childhood must be more widely understood and furthermore, that action must be taken by policymakers, healthcare professionals and patient and civil society organisations to ensure that the benefits of vaccination are fully realised. We outline five areas where change is needed to ensure vaccination across the life-course becomes truly embedded in national immunisation programmes. This includes investing in robust data collection and analysis; ensuring coordinated, multidisciplinary leadership from the top; engaging healthcare professionals; changing public perceptions of vaccination; and integrating vaccination into schools and workplaces.

Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Ebola Outbreak in DRC 62: 08 October 2019
Situation Update
In the past week, from 30 September to 6 October, 14 new confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases, with an additional nine deaths, have been reported from seven health zones in two affected provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although the decline in the number of new cases is encouraging, the recent fluctuations in case numbers per week must be interpreted with caution, as case reporting is contingent upon the level of access and security.
During mid-September, serious security incidents in Lwemba Health Area, Mandima Health Zone, stalled outbreak response activities for more than two weeks. Response activities have since resumed but remain limited. Last week, an open forum for discussion and reconciliation was held in Lwemba with partners and civil society to dispel mistrust and enhance engagement in future response activities. Improved access may result in enhanced case finding and an increase in the number of reported cases from the area…

::::::

As measles deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo top 4,000, UNICEF rushes medical kits to health centers and vaccinates thousands more children
KINSHASA/DAKAR/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 9 October 2019 – UNICEF is vaccinating thousands more children against measles and rushing life-saving medicines to health centers across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as deaths from the world’s largest measles outbreak top 4,000.

Since January, 203,179 cases of measles have been reported in all 26 provinces of the country, and 4,096 have died.  Children under the age of five represent 74 per cent of infections and nearly 90 per cent of deaths. The number of measles cases in DRC this year is more than triple the number recorded for all of 2018. The measles outbreak in DRC has become far deadlier than Ebola, which to date, has taken 2,143 lives.

“We’re fighting the measles epidemic on two fronts – preventing infections and preventing deaths,” said UNICEF Representative in the DRC, Edouard Beigbeder. “Along with the government and key partners, UNICEF has been racing to vaccinate children against measles, and at the same time, supplying clinics with medicines that treat symptoms and improve the chance of survival for those already infected.”

This week and next, an additional 1,111 medical kits are being delivered to health centers in measles hot-spots. The kits contain antibiotics, rehydration salts, Vitamin A, pain relievers, antipyretics and other supplies to care for over 111,000 people infected with the highly contagious and potentially deadly viral disease.

Over the past year, UNICEF supplied more than 8.6 million doses of the measles vaccine for emergency outbreak responses rolled out by multiple organizations. UNICEF has led outbreak responses in eight hard-hit provinces—vaccinating more than 1.4 million children.  The most recent concluded last month in Kasai Central, where over 210,000 children were vaccinated…

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POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 09 October 2019
:: On 24 October 2019, World Polio Day, an event will be held at the WHO to mark the potential certification of eradication of wild poliovirus type 3. With no poliovirus type 3 detected anywhere in the world since 2012, the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC) is anticipated to officially declare this strain as globally eradicated. The event will also be broadcast on the internet. Viewers are welcome to follow the proceedings through a WebEx broadcast that will be available here.

:: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA) conducted in the country noted operational and Coordination improvements and strengthened government ownership in support of the outbreak response.  As a result, three genetically-distinct outbreak strains have been successfully stopped and recommended for closure, demonstrating the effectiveness of outbreak response measures, if fully implemented. At the same time, however, the OBRA noted that the strengthened political ownership now needed to rapidly translate into uniformly high-quality outbreak response, including through appropriate use and management of mOPV2, effective implementation of accountability framework to ensure high quality campaigns to urgently stop the remaining outbreak lineages and prevent further strains from emerging in the future.

:: On 16 September 2019, the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) held its twenty-second meeting. Read the committee’s report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Pakistan — three WPV1 cases and 13 WPV1-positive environmental samples;
:: Central African Republic— four cVDPV2 cases and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples;
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo — three circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases;
:: Philippines — three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples.

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::::::

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

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 12 Oct 2019]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola Outbreak in DRC 62: 08 October 2019
[See Ebola above for detail]

Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 12 Oct 2019]

Iran floods 2019
:: WHO mobile clinics deployed to Islamic Republic of Iran 9 October 2019

Libya
:: WHO provides support for treatment of leishmaniasis in Libya 7 October 2019

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 12 Oct 2019]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – 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

::::::
::::::

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 ǀ Flash Update #2, Humanitarian impact of the military operation in north-eastern Syria, 11 October 2019
:: Syrian Arab Republic: Recent Developments in Northwestern Syria Situation Report No. 13 – as of 8 October 2019

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.
Editor’s Note:
Ebola in the DRC has bene added as a OCHA “Corporate Emergency” this week:
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth
:: 06 Oct 2019 Cholera response plan launched in Sudan

EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
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Continue reading →

WHO & Regional Offices [to 12 Oct 2019]
10 October 2019
News release
WHO welcomes vital new funding for the Global Fund

10 October 2019
News release
The use of non-pharmaceutical forms of Artemisia
Background
Today, the most widely used antimalarial treatments, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), are produced using the pure artemisinin compound extracted from plant Artemisia annua. Currently, all malaria strains globally can be treated with at least one of the ACTs recommended by WHO.
However, for those living in malaria-affected areas, ACTs are not always readily accessible. In some countries, the medicines are only available at high prices or are of sub-standard quality. These challenges have given rise to the promotion of a range of products made from Artemisia plant material – such as teas, tablets and capsules – as affordable and effective medicines against malaria.
Traditional herbal remedies have several limitations, especially when used to treat potentially fatal diseases such as malaria. The main limitations are related to standardization of plant cultivation, the preparation of formulations, dosages, quality assurance, and evidence of clinical safety and efficacy.
WHO position 
Following an extensive evidence review on the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical forms of Artemisia, conducted in 2019, WHO has issued a new position statement on this issue with a clear message:
WHO does not support the promotion or use of Artemisia plant material in any form for the prevention or treatment of malaria…

9 October 2019
News release
New evidence shows significant mistreatment of women during childbirth

8 October 2019
News release
WHO launches first World report on vision

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 11 October 2019, vol. 94, 41 (pp. 457–470)
:: Global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: progress report, 2018
:: Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January-August 2019

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO in Africa offers small research grants on the innovative use of GIS towards polio eradication… 11 October 2019
:: [DRC] Parents rush to get measles vaccine after recent outbreak kills thousands of childre…
10 October 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Ministries of Health from across the Caribbean meet to discuss urgent need to fund health and climate change initiatives (10/08/2019)

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

WHO European Region EURO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: 11 October 2019 News release
Region’s leaders discuss need to protect health in relation to climate change and the environment

10 October 2019 News release
Region’s health leaders pledge to tackle antimicrobial resistance and strengthen tobacco control

9 October 2019 News release
Regional action to protect children from harmful impact of food marketing and promote healthy ageing

8 October 2019 News release
Health ministers endorse WHO five-year plan to make the Western Pacific the healthiest, safest region

CDC/ACIP [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News
Transcript: Vital Signs – Maternal Vaccination
Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Low Rates of Vaccination During Pregnancy Leave Moms, Babies Unprotected
Nearly half of U.S. newborns and new moms at risk of influenza or whooping cough hospitalization or death
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
The majority of mothers-to-be in the United States – 65% – have not received two safe and effective vaccines recommended during pregnancy to reduce the risks of influenza (flu) and whooping cough (pertussis) and protect their infants and themselves, according to a new Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
When pregnant women are vaccinated they pass on antibodies to the fetus that provide protection after birth, during the time babies are too young to be vaccinated. Newborns who get influenza or whooping cough are at high risk of hospitalization and death.
And the benefits are not just for the babies. Pregnant women have more than double the risk of hospitalization compared to nonpregnant women of childbearing age if they get influenza. Since 2010, among women ages 15 to 44 years who were hospitalized for influenza, 24% to 34% of them were pregnant – even though only approximately 9% of U.S. women in this age group are pregnant at any given time each year.
CDC recommends that all pregnant women should get a flu vaccine during any trimester of each pregnancy and the whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) during the early part of the third trimester of each pregnancy as part of routine prenatal care…

MMWR News Synopsis for October 11, 2019
Update: Influenza Activity – United States and Worldwide, May 19–September 28, 2019 and Composition of the 2020 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Vaccine
Low levels of influenza activity were reported in the United States over summer 2019, with cocirculation of influenza A and influenza B viruses. In early October 2019, it is too early in the season to know which viruses will circulate in the U.S. later this fall and winter or how severe the season may be. Regardless of what is circulating, the best protection against influenza is a flu vaccination. CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against flu. As the 2019-2020 flu season begins, CDC is reporting influenza activity in the United States and the Southern Hemisphere during the U.S. summer months and the vaccine viruses selected for the 2020 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccines. During the summer months in the U.S., influenza activity remained low as is typical for that time of year. Influenza A and B viruses circulated widely in the Southern Hemisphere with the predominant virus varying by region and country. While influenza is unpredictable and circumstances can change very quickly, data to date continue to support the appropriateness of the recommended composition of the vaccines for the upcoming 2019-2020 season in the United States.
Vital Signs: Burden and Prevention of Influenza and Pertussis Among Pregnant Women and Infants — United States

National Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks:
National Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks — United States, January 1–October 1, 2019

Africa CDC [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
No new digest content identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
Selected Updates and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 12 Oct 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 12 Oct 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 12 Oct 2019]
http://cepi.net/
News
No new digest content identified.

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/about/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

EDCTP [to 12 Oct 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
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

Emory Vaccine Center [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
No new digest content identified.

European Vaccine Initiative [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
07 October 2019
EVI and Hilleman Laboratories announce partnership to assess a new vaccine against Shigella
Funding from EDCTP will allow testing of a novel whole-cell inactivated oral vaccine in clinical trials in Europe and Africa…

FDA [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
October 10, 2019 – FDA allows marketing of first rapid diagnostic test for detecting Ebola virus antigens
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed marketing of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to detect Ebola virus antigens (proteins) in human blood from certain living individuals and samples from certain recently deceased individuals suspected to have died from Ebola (cadaveric oral fluid). The OraQuick Ebola Rapid Antigen Test is the first rapid diagnostic test the FDA has allowed to be marketed in the U.S. for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The test provides a rapid, presumptive diagnosis that must be confirmed.
“Today’s marketing authorization provides another important tool in the effort to fight Ebola, which continues to be a priority of the U.S. Government, especially as we work with our partners, including the World Health Organization, to help address the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “The current outbreak in the DRC has already killed thousands and the outbreaks in West Africa that began in 2014 tragically killed more than 11,000. Investigational vaccines and therapeutics have shown promising results, but one of the most important tools in stopping these outbreaks is quickly diagnosing patients and supporting safe and dignified burials. This marketing authorization may provide additional assurances to health care professionals seeking to use these types of rapid diagnostics. The ability to use this test to promptly make a presumptive Ebola diagnosis could help providers to more quickly isolate patients and begin treatments that can be potentially life-saving. Additionally, this device could be used to support safe and dignified burials while helping to reduce the risk of transmission during those burials.”…

October 8, 2019 – FDA awards 12 grants to fund new clinical trials to advance the development of medical products for the treatment of rare diseases
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has awarded 12 new clinical trial research grants totaling more than $15 million over the next four years to enhance the development of medical products for patients with rare diseases. The grants were awarded to principal investigators from academia and industry across the country.
The FDA awarded the grants through the Orphan Products Clinical Trials Grants Program, funded by Congress to encourage clinical development of drugs, biologics, medical devices and medical foods for the treatment of rare diseases. The grants are intended to substantially contribute to marketing approval of products to treat rare diseases or provide essential data needed for development of such products…

Fondation Merieux [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News
RESAOLAB
The Agence Française de Développement and the Mérieux Foundation continue their commitment to strengthen the West African Network of Clinical Laboratories (RESAOLAB)
October 10, 2019, Lyon (France)
Rémy Rioux, Director General of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), today signed a project with Jean-Pierre Bosser, Director General of the Mérieux Foundation, to develop more efficient and reliable laboratory services in West Africa. Strengthening clinical diagnostics is a central public health issue in West Africa. This RESAOLAB project will receive a total of €8.6 million.

Support for Laboratories
The Mérieux Foundation takes action in response to the Ebola emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
October 8, 2019, Lyon (France)
An Antonov airplane hired specially by the Mérieux Foundation will take off from the Lyon-Saint Exupery airport (France) on Wednesday October 9. Three container laboratories have been loaded onto the aircraft to bolster efforts to control the Ebola virus disease epidemic. Their final destination is Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Gavi [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.gavi.org/
Latest news
Gavi congratulates Global Fund on successful replenishment 
10 October 2019

GHIT Fund [to 12 Oct 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 No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
Updates
Sixth Replenishment Conference Pledges
11 October 2019

Feature Story
US$14 Billion to Step Up the Fight Against the Epidemics
10 October 2019

News
Global Fund Donors Pledge US$14 Billion in Fight to End Epidemics
10 October 2019
[See Milestones above for detail]

News
Private Sector Partners Step Up the Fight to End AIDS, TB and Malaria
09 October 2019

News
Denmark Increases Pledge in Fight Against Epidemics
07 October 2019

Hilleman Laboratories [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
Date: 07/10/2019
EVI and Hilleman Laboratories announce partnership to assess a new vaccine against Shigella

Human Vaccines Project [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

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

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IFRC [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.

IVAC [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.

JEE Alliance [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Tuberculosis
TB drug delamanid must be more affordable and made available in more countries
Statement 10 Oct 2019

Access to medicines
MSF demands Johnson & Johnson reduce price of lifesaving TB drug
Press Release 10 Oct 2019

Democratic Republic of Congo
Ebola response overshadows already fragile health system
Project Update 9 Oct 2019

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Crisis update – October 2019
Crisis Update 7 Oct 2019

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
RFI
Request for Information (RFI) From Non-Federal Stakeholders: Developing the 2020 National Vaccine Plan
For nearly a decade the 2010 National Vaccine Plan (NVP) has served as the nation’s leading roadmap for enhancing all aspects of the U.S. vaccine and immunization system. To ensure the NVP remains nimble to the evolving vaccine and immunization landscape, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is leading the development of the 2020 National Vaccine Plan. The updated plan will reflect immunization across the lifespan and guide priority actions for the period 2020-2025.
As part of that process, the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) has issued a Request for Information to solicit input from subject matter experts and non-federal stakeholders on potential priorities, goals, and objectives for the plan.
We invite you to share your feedback on the Request for Information. Comments are due no later than 5:00 p.m., ET on October 24, 2019.
View the Request for Information and provide your feedback

NIH [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
NIH strategic research plan addresses growing tickborne diseases threat
October 10, 2019 — The incidence of reported cases of tickborne diseases in the United States has significantly increased in recent years.

NIH grantees win 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
October 7, 2019 — NIH grantees Gregg L. Semenza, M.D., Ph.D. and William G. Kaelin Jr., M.D., win 2019 Nobel in Physiology and Medicine.

PATH [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
PATH celebrates Global Fund’s replenishment and applauds focus on innovation
October 11, 2019 by PATH
Yesterday the world witnessed an unprecedented display of global unity in the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. Countries, companies, philanthropic organizations, and individuals answered the Global Fund’s call to commit US$14 billion over the next three years. This is the largest 3-year resource envelope the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has ever received.
PATH applauds everyone involved for making this commitment, especially during these challenging economic times. In particular, we recognize the bipartisan US Congressional delegation for committing $1.56 billion per year in financing to the Global Fund—the first increase in US contribution in six years. The generosity of this commitment means the US will reach its target of providing one third of the Global Fund’s resources. This is truly global health leadership in action…

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
11 October 2019
Empowering young Brazilians to talk to their peers about HIV

9 October 2019
UNAIDS and Luxembourg―working together in western and central Africa

7 October 2019
Criminalization of same-sex sexual relationships decreasing

UNICEF [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
Vaccination campaign against cholera kicks off in Sudan
Joint statement by the Sudan Federal Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF
11/10/2019
[See Milestones above for detail]

Press release
As measles deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo top 4,000, UNICEF rushes medical kits to health centers and vaccinates thousands more children
09/10/2019
[See Emergencies above for detail]

Press release
UNICEF launches Cryptocurrency Fund
UN Children’s agency becomes first UN Organization to hold and make transactions in cryptocurrency
08/10/2019

Press release
As cholera continues to spread, UNICEF charters 1.6 million doses of vaccines to Sudan
07/10/2019

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Confidence Commentary:
Article of the week on “The life-course approach to vaccination”
Heidi Larson | 6 Oct, 2019
An important article mapping the way forward for how vaccines can keep us healthy throughout life. –HL
The life-course approach to vaccination: Harnessing the benefits of vaccination throughout life
Jody Tate, et al.  Published in VACCINE  , 16 October 2019

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Q&A | 9 September 2019
What are drug-resistant infections?
The overuse of antibiotics is causing one of the most urgent global health problems. In this Q&A we explain what drug-resistant infections are, who is affected and what we can do to stem the rise and spread of drug-resistant infections.

Opinion | 7 October 2019
We hail individual geniuses, but success in science comes through collaboration
Jeremy Farrar, Director Wellcome
The Nobel prizes give a human face to science. But does celebrating individuals risk undermining what’s achieved through a collaborative research culture?

News | 7 October 2019
Nobel prize awarded to Wellcome-funded researcher
Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe, a researcher at the University of Oxford and the Francis Crick Institute, has been awarded a Nobel prize in physiology or medicine.

Why We Vaccinate [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.whywevax.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

The Wistar Institute [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Release Oct. 9, 2019
New mechanism fueling brain metastasis discovered at Wistar
The pro-metastatic effect of astrocytes is mediated by activation of the PPAR-gamma pathway in invaded cancer cells and uncovers new use for PPAR-gamma antagonists in cancer therapy.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
No new digest content identified.

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ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 12 Oct 2019]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
Oct 8 2019
Biotechnology Innovation Organization Announces 2021 Leadership Transition
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today announced that industry veteran Jim Greenwood will step down as President and CEO of the world’s largest biotechnology organization after the 2020 election and help transition a new leader to represent the industry globally and to defend innovation from domestic political attacks.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
Events
DCVMN 20th Annual General Meeting
21 October 2019 to 23 October 2019
Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

News
12 October 2019
A new Measles-Rubella vaccine prequalified by WHO: Another affordable option for vaccine supply
Geneva, 29 September 2019 – A new measles-rubella (MR) vaccine has been prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) Biological E (BioE), a leading vaccine manufacturer in India, thanks to a partnership with PATH. Like measles, rubella is known for the long-term health consequences it can wreak on children less than five years old. Given the high risk of death or debilitating complications malnourished children face, the WHO recommends tackling these illnesses together with the MR vaccine. Unfortunately, adequate supply is a challenge….

IFPMA [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.

PhRMA [to 12 Oct 2019]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
October 10, 2019
What They Are Saying: Broad Opposition to Pelosi’s Radical Drug Pricing Plan
Tom Wilbur

Industry Watch [to 12 Oct 2019]
:: Boehringer Ingelheim Completes Plant Expansion After $76 Million Georgia Investment
The company doubled its capacity to produce pet vaccines in Athens, Ga.
Oct. 9, 2019
…”Today’s announcement is representative of the growth and investment Boehringer Ingelheim is making around the United States. It also signals our commitment to a world in which no animal suffers from a preventable disease,” said Everett Hoekstra, president of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. “We are excited about what’s in store for our company and our communities, and for the future of animal health.”…

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

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 12 Oct 2019)

Debate
|   10 October 2019
Why research ethics should add retrospective review
Authors: Angus Dawson, Sapfo Lignou, Chesmal Siriwardhana and Dónal P. O’Mathúna

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Volume 13 – Issue 4 – August 2019
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/latest-issue

Brief Report
Vaccination Data When the Outbreak Happens: A Qualitative Evaluation of Oregon’s Rapid Response Tool
Andrew W. Osborn, Lee R. Peters
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 January 2019, pp. 682-685

Global Public Health
Volume 14, 2019 Issue 12
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

Article
Health system preparedness for emerging infectious diseases: A synthesis of the literature
Anna Palagyi, Ben J. Marais, Seye Abimbola, Stephanie M. Topp, Emma S. McBryde & Joel Negin
Pages: 1847-1868
Published online: 14 May 2019

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 34, Issue 7, September 2019
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/34/7

Original Articles
At-scale evidence from 26 national household surveys on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV cascade
Nicholas Wilson
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 34, Issue 7, September 2019, Pages 514–519, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz073

The Lancet
Oct 12, 2019 Volume 394 Number 10206 p1297-1386
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Comment
Governing health futures 2030: growing up in a digital world—a joint The Lancet and Financial Times Commission
Ilona Kickbusch, Anurag Agrawal, Andrew Jack, Naomi Lee, Richard Horton

Medical Decision Making (MDM)
Volume 39 Issue 5, July 2019
http://mdm.sagepub.com/content/current

Original Articles
Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Uses of Polyvalent Meningococcal Vaccines in Niger: An Agent-Based Transmission Modeling Study
S. M. Niaz Arifin, Christoph Zimmer, Caroline Trotter, Anaïs Colombini, Fati Sidikou, F. Marc LaForce, Ted Cohen, Reza Yaesoubi
First Published July 3, 2019; pp. 553–567