💉 Climate change makes malaria deadlier for Africa; Aid cuts leave poor nations, and poor people, on their own; Cancer can be preventable, says the WHO
#591 | A nasal spray for bird flu, Mosquitoes find you yummy; So do bats, rodents, and assorted nasties
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable. This first issue of February 2026 promises to be an inordinately long one, and relentless like this year has been so far.
Anyhoo, on with The Kable.
In Malawi, government authorities have declared a polio outbreak after the virus was detected in wastewater samples from a public toilet in Blantyre City. This is the second time in the last four years that Malawi, which was declared polio free in 2005 - 15 years before the African continent, has declared a polio outbreak. The previous outbreak in 2022 saw 9 wild poliovirus cases - one in Malawi and eight in neighbouring Mozambique - with over 33 million children vaccinated.
Polio is not the biggest concern for Mozambique this week though. It is flooding. Heavy rain, and subsequent flooding, since mid-December is now wreaking havoc across southern Africa, with Mozambique bearing the brunt of it all. According to the WHO, 1.3 million people have been affected, and in Mozambique, nearly 10000 km² of land is flooded, with homes, farms, hospitals all under water.
How about some good news for a change? Maybe even a series of good news? Okay then!
The Africa CDC has opened its first warehouse for medical supplies in Addis Ababa. All that remains now is to stock it.
In even more awesome news, preventative cholera vaccines are back in vogue baby. When cases had reached an all-time high way back in the hazy past of 2022, increased supply, combined with one of the only two cholera vaccine manufacturers deciding to not make the vaccine anymore, meant that authorities could only react to cholera outbreaks, not prevent them. And in the three years since, cholera has been running riot all around the world. Hopefully, this restart means cholera begins to make its way out this world for good.
And in even better news, a new paper in Vaccines completely vindicates, not that vindication was needed, the scrapping of the US-sponsored Hep B single-blind vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau. The Danish vaccine “research group” tasked with the trial - Bandim Health Project (BHP), this paper says they can’t find comprehensive data on primary outcomes for 10 of the group’s studies carried out over two decades in Africa.
There is more good news. The first ever vaccine that targets the entire SARS virus family is going into the clinic. Developed by UW Medicine with SK Bioscience, this vaccine, if successful, will protect us all against Covid and all past and future coronaviruses.
Samsung Biologics has become the newest manufacturer to join CEPI’s global vaccine manufacturing network, as part of CEPI’s 100 Days mission.
In other news, the US pledged $2 billion for the UN but the WHO chief, at the WHO Executive Board meeting, said health systems are nevertheless at risk, thanks to funding cuts. Another UN agency - UNICEF - called for criminalisation of AI content depicting child sex abuse, which the world’s richest “man” claims falls under the purview of free speech. Interestingly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also announced a list of 40 people to a UN AI panel to aimed at ensuring AI was used to benefit humanity. The panel also includes someone who was part of the Israeli military’s Unit 8200. You know, the people behind the pager explosions in Lebanon. Yup, such a carefully vetted panel this is that cares about humanity.
It’s been quite the busy week for the WHO as well. The agency partnered with Denmark’s DTU National Food Institute to set up a centre that will work on food safety and diet management. Good idea in theory but so far we’ve seen nothing on the DTU website that indicates this will do anything for anybody outside Denmark, much less the global South. Also, at the WHO Executive Board meeting, the WHO seems to have come to terms with the fact that chasing the SDGs is no longer an option. Instead, it has a new plan - a 10-year emergency care strategy that will take us through to 2035, meaning there are five more years before we start questioning anything. The WHO also called for including the toll neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) take on mental health in all assessments of disease care, which is a welcome first. And finally, the WHO launched its 2026 emergency appeal, looking to raise $1 billion to respond to 36 emergencies globally. Although if the WHO were to wait for a bit, Israel and Dubai will bring that count down by two, because Palestine and Sudan are both in the list.
The US may be done with the WHO and the UN but that memo hasn’t necessarily trickled down to all US cities and states. New York City, Illinois and California have all joined the UN’s health network in the past 10 days.
If the WHO gave us a lot of content this week, India isn’t far behind either. But first, a bit of the same-old, same-old, this time featuring Strides Pharma whose formulations unit in New York received a voluntary action indicated report from the US FDA. US drug authorities also shut down 200 illegal online pharmacies linked to an India-based criminal organisation. Medical device firms in India have been asked to “promptly” notify government authorities of all adverse events due to medical devices, whether serious or not. The spurious cough syrups that claimed the lives of a few children in India late last year are not done claiming lives. One child, who was in a coma since December, has now finally given up the ghost. An investigation by The News Minute reveals that some Indians get off to some really nasty kinks. Like watching hospital videos of childbirth and vaginal exams. And finally, India is seeking to go big on biologics and biosimilars. In its recently declared budget, the government has set aside ₹100 billion to increase research and production. The funds will go towards creating three new national research institutes and funding 7 existing ones, while also building more than 1,000 clinical trial sites.
One of the world’s largest destination for other countries’ waste, Malaysia has decided to ban all e-waste imports. They’re also looking to impose a stay on import of plastic waste.
And finally, the farm in the Netherlands where they found bird flu antibodies in a cow? Well, the country’s Public Broadcasting Network reports that the agriculture minister says five cows now have bird flu antibodies. Moo! We mean, boo!
Stories Of The Week
Buzz off, ye mosquito. Nobody loves you. We’ve said this before but it bears repeating. Not all nature’s creations need to survive. It is fine for some to go extinct. Like effing mosquitoes. Here, we were just beginning to celebrate a few wins in the war against malaria. Along comes this new study that says climate change is bad for Africa. Okay, what does that have to with mosquitoes, you ask? Nothing, except the study says by 2050, climate change could lead to 123 million additional malaria cases and 532,000 additional deaths across the continent. And extreme weather events account for 79% of additional cases and 93% of additional deaths. Because floods and cyclones are destroying not just homes and healthcare access, but also malaria control programs. But hey, at least we can all feel good about those “climate resilience strategies” that will totally work, unlike all the other global health promises that have gone nowhere over the past 50 years. The study also notes that most of the increases will occur in areas already dealing with malaria, because apparently Africa doesn’t have enough problems already.
(Nature)
Money can’t buy you happiness. Maybe. But aid can and has saved millions of lives from the preventable diseases that flourish in countries systematically exploited by centuries of colonialism. Over the past two decades, development assistance was associated with a 23% reduction in all-cause mortality and 39% fewer child deaths across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). HIV/AIDS deaths dropped 70%, malaria deaths fell 56%, and NTDs saw 54% fewer deaths. But apparently, atoning for centuries of plunder, exploitation, and resource extraction is just too damn expensive. The study projects that ongoing funding cuts could result in 9.4 million to 23 million additional deaths by 2030, including 2.5 million to 5.4 million children under 5.
(The Lancet Global Health)
7 million. That is how many lives can be saved from cancer just by getting people off of alcohol and smoking. A new study commissioned by the WHO and published in Nature Medicine says almost 40% of global cancer cases are preventable. Tobacco causes 15% of all new cases, infections account for 10%, and alcohol consumption for another 3%. The study shows gender disparities too - 45% of male cancers are preventable versus 30% in women, with smoking accounting for 23% of male cases versus 6% in women. Meanwhile, geographical ranges vary from 24% preventable in North Africa to 57% in East Asia. The WHO urges countries to develop “context-specific prevention strategies” including “strong tobacco control measures, alcohol regulation, and vaccination against cancer-causing infections.” Because what could be more revolutionary than telling people to not poison themselves?
(WHO)
Breakthroughs
AI on steroids. The problem with equating LLMs with AI is that people forget AI can actually do good, even great stuff. Like these researchers who created MOSAIC, an AI system that can help chemists synthesise new compounds. The system recommended lab conditions that successfully generated 35 new potential pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and cosmetics without requiring hours of tedious searching through chemical reactions. When tested, MOSAIC successfully produced 35 out of 52 target compounds and even accurately predicted their color and form. The system is already being used by Boehringer Ingelheim to design new synthetic pathways. Oh and, save money. Which is apparently what AI is really good for: replacing human labour to increase corporate profits.
(Nature)
Bird flu? Not up my nose. We’re sure sometimes researchers do research just for the sake of using up available funds. Why else would you do research about whether sea turtles can hear ship noises or which dinosaur made which footprint? But sometimes, researchers do useful research too. Like these, uhm, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who’ve developed a nasal spray vaccine that shows strong protection against H5N1 bird flu in animal tests. The vaccine outperformed traditional flu shots by targeting the virus where it starts - in the nose and lungs - potentially preventing both severe disease and transmission. The nasal vaccine triggered strong immune responses in hamsters and mice, providing near-complete protection against H5N1 infection. It remained effective even in animals with existing flu immunity. The researchers note that this approach “could disrupt the cycle of infection and transmission”. With H5N1 having jumped to dairy cows in the US, this vaccine, if successful, might actually be useful, unlike many pharmaceutical “innovations” that prioritise profits over public health.
(Cell Reports Medicine)
Bottom line
Pave paradise for a parking lot? Fine, here’s a virus! A new study from the University of Stirling confirms what indigenous peoples have known for millennia: when humans destroy natural habitats, diseases spread from animals to humans. Deforestation, farming, fast-growing cities, and fragmented habitats all heighten the risk of zoonotic diseases like Covid and malaria, particularly those spread by mosquitoes, rodents, and bats. Because disrupting natural ecosystems that have evolved over millions of years is a great idea for short-term economic gain. The study does show that some ecosystem restoration can help. Protecting wetlands and conserving natural habitats reduces disease risk. But certain forms of tree planting can actually increase risk during early recovery stages. However, most research has been done in wealthy countries even though the major disease issues are in lower-income regions. The study has identified 50 priority locations and developed an “open online atlas” for policymakers because what could be more helpful than another online tool that nobody will use while the planet continues to burn.
(Nature Sustainability)
Those damn mosquitoes again. Need more confirmation of what we just said above? Well, here’s a new study from Brazil. And it has mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that bite. Mosquitoes that bite humans. Mosquitoes that bite humans instead of wildlife. In the rapidly shrinking Atlantic Forest, researchers found that many mosquito species now prefer feeding on people rather than the diverse wildlife that used to be available. This dramatically raises the risk of spreading dangerous viruses like dengue, Zika, and Yellow Fever. The study tracked 1,714 mosquitoes from 52 species, finding that 18 out of 24 blood-fed mosquitoes had fed on humans, compared to just one amphibian, six birds, one canid, and one mouse. Some mosquitoes even showed mixed meals, like one that bit both an amphibian and a human. With fewer natural hosts available, mosquitoes are forced to seek new, alternative blood sources and humans are the most convenient ones. The researchers also say this preference “significantly enhances the risk of pathogen transmission”, which in plainspeak means “we told you so” when it comes to deforestation. The study identified gaps in current data (only 38% of blood meals could be identified), but the message is clear: destroy forests, get more diseases.
(Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution)
Long reads
Pandemic planning. It has been six years since the WHO’s declaration of Covid as a pandemic. And the WHO wonders whether we’re ready for the next one? Heh, NO!
(WHO)
Africa to the fore. In this piece in Devex, Angola’s president and the current chair of the African Union, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço argues, rightfully, that health security in Africa is inextricably linked with global health security. And the only way to ensure is to let Africa lead the way.
(Devex)
Cough, cough. Gavi has a set of winter-illness myths for you to read and wonder about. So, go out with that wet hair. Don’t sweat it.
(Gavi)
Eat the planet. An infographic for physicians to discuss with their patients on how to integrate One Health into their daily life. You can use it too. One habit per month.
(Planetary Health Alliance)
Burning rubber. A brilliant investigative piece from The Reporters’ Collective on how India banned waste tyre burning domestically, and then became the world leader in burning waste tyre.
(The Reporters’ Collective)
Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn’t want you to see this.