💉 17 pathogens to watch out for; The African vaccine manufacturing landscape; Health tech for Africa
#542 | Cancer is going up; The G20 wants to make drugs locally; Bird flu becomes asymptomatic
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for the perfect round-up to a wretched week.
Our first story today should be an indication of how ephemeral good news has been this week. The UN-backed 16th conference of parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (COP16) that began last weekend in Cali, Colombia concluded with not many positive things to report. The one good thing to emerge out of an abruptly suspended conference was that delegate nations agreed on a global action plan that linked health and nature. The official statement says the plan is "designed to help curb the emergence of zoonotic diseases, prevent non-communicable diseases, and promote sustainable ecosystems.” The final agreement, however, has only been approved as a voluntary measure, serving as a "best-practice guide" for countries to incorporate health considerations into their nature conservation efforts. This and other highlights in the COP 16 doc. Read and shed a tear.
Over in Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the current mpox outbreak, case numbers seem to be stabilising. However, experts say many, many more vaccines are needed to fully stamp out the outbreak. In excellent news on that front, the WHO has allotted an initial lot of 899,000 vaccine doses that will be distributed between the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, DRC, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda, with DRC getting 85% of this shipment. However, available vaccines are not authorised for use in many at-risk people, including pregnant women and young children. This could change, though, with CEPI launching a new study to assess the vaccine in these target groups. The Africa CDC also has launched a study to test the effectiveness of therapeutics, beginning with Brincidofovir, in native African populations. Mostly good news in this bit, right? So here goes. Authorities in the UK have reported the first cluster - four cases - of the new Clade 1b variant outside Africa. All four cases are from the same household.
One of the often-repeated talking points when making vaccines in Africa has been the absence of demand for local manufacturing. This has indeed been an area that the Africa CDC has devoted much time to. Last year, the agency partnered with PATH and CHAI to assess the state of vaccine manufacturing in Africa and identify the need for a sustainable ecosystem. Now, the partners have refined their research by surveying manufacturers to understand their progress, capacity, and future plans. This report - The change in African vaccine manufacturing landscape - should be essential reading for anybody who is, or wants to be, a stakeholder in vaccine manufacturing on the continent.
Elsewhere in Africa, Sudan became the latest country to begin immunisation for malaria.
At its fundraising event in Brazil last week, the Pandemic Fund has secured $982 million in new pledges, just under half of its $2 billion target for its second year, with expectations for additional commitments in the coming months. While demand for funding far continues to exceed available resources, the fund remains focused on enhancing global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities, with ongoing efforts to attract further financial support through mid-2025.
Late last week, the WHO announced that it would be resuming polio vaccinations in northern Gaza, after previously suspending them in the wake of increasing and unceasing hostility from Israel. And polio vaccinations did begin, only for Israel to then bomb one vaccination clinic even as people - children - were waiting for vaccinations, a claim Israel denied, of course. UN organisations, once again, called on Israel to stop the assault in Palestine, comply with international laws, and adhere to humanitarian values and ethics, even in the continued absence of any willingness on Israel's part to do any of this. In fact, the IDF has actually announced that it has no intention to "allow Palestinians to return to their own homes in northern Gaza," further evidence - were it needed - of the utter depravity with which ethnic cleansing is being carried out in the region. Not content with bombing Gaza into oblivion, Israel has been continuing with its non-stop escalation in Lebanon, too. However, for what it's worth, the WHO did report that it managed to conclude the second round of polio vaccinations.
Over in the US, it is business as usual, with India's Dr Reddy's recalling over 300,000 bottles of a generic thyroid drug in three separate recalls. The US FDA says this recall has been prompted by manufacturing issues.
In a move that has already been unsuccessfully implemented in several countries, the UK is passing legislation to ban smoking outside schools, hospitals and playgrounds. The proposed legislation originally included a ban on smoking in pub beer gardens, but opposition from bar owners put paid to that. What is material about this new legislation is that it hopes to eventually make the purchase of tobacco illegal by raising the minimum age for buying it by one year each year.
And in Australia, the government is looking to ban all social media for all children under 16.
And finally, in what very much looks like a reclamation of what is rightfully theirs, 43 research monkeys have escaped from a medical lab in the US.
Stories Of The Week
And then there were 17. If you were the world's nodal health agency, and on your watch, you saw the emergence and rapid spread of a virus that damages the immune system, the brain, the heart, the vascular system, the respiratory system, the neurological system, and left you with a lifetime of assorted ills, would you classify that virus as something that needs priority intervention? Especially if existing vaccines and therapeutics can't keep up with how quickly this hypothetical virus mutates and counters all known remedies? Anyway, enough conjecture. The WHO has released a study that lists the most critical 17 pathogens for which we urgently need new vaccines. The list calls for new or improved protection against Group A streptococcus, Hepatitis C virus, HIV-1, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Cytomegalovirus, Influenza, Leishmania, Non-typhoidal Salmonella, Norovirus, Malaria, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Dengue, Group B streptococcus, Extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli, TB, and RSV. Go ahead, spend those biobucks. This is not a story about Covid.
(WHO)
Make it local. The G20 Health Ministers have resolved to establish a "Global Coalition" to boost local and regional production, aiming for more equitable access to safe, affordable, quality health products and technologies. Led by Brazil for the first two years, the coalition will initially focus on a few projects to enhance manufacturing capabilities for neglected diseases and vulnerable populations. Membership is voluntary, and funding will come from involved participants. The coalition will also seek collaboration with existing initiatives and institutions, with the WHO invited for technical support. This effort aims to address inequalities in access to health products and bolster production capacities worldwide to respond to future outbreaks.
(Health Policy Watch)
When doubling isn't good. A recent study projects that global cancer deaths will nearly double by 2050, primarily due to increases in low and middle-income countries. Researchers used current cancer data and UN population predictions to estimate that cancer cases will rise by 77% and deaths by 90% between 2022 and 2050, with the sharpest increases expected in less-developed regions. The trend is linked to factors like ageing populations and lifestyle shifts, but the study did not factor in potential advances in cancer treatment.
(JAMA Network Open)
And finally, bird flu. The UK, just hours after raising its bird flu risk level to high, reported the first cases at a commercial poultry farm in the country. Turkey, too, reported an outbreak on a poultry farm. The WOAH's WAHIS dashboard also sees fresh reports in wild populations from Japan, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, South Korea, Italy, Czech Republic, Moldova, Hungary, and Norway. Just in this month. In Austria, the entire country has been declared an avian influenza high risk area. However, none of these events are the really distressing highlight of this update. The US CDC has called for expanded testing for bird flu. Why? Because blood tests have revealed that many more farm workers than initially believed were infected. And... did. not. show. symptoms. Prediction: masks are making a comeback.
(Reuters, Reuters, WAHIS, Euro News, US CDC)
Bottom line
The heat is on. Well and truly on. Last year was the hottest year ever known to humankind, and that record will be broken this year. For the first time, Earth has surpassed 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, El Niño, and other factors. While this year’s heat reflects the urgency of climate change, it doesn't necessarily mean the long-term global average will always be above this threshold - but without significant action, it soon could be.
(Copernicus)
One health is the way. The WHO has emphasised that urgent climate action could save two million lives annually, as rising temperatures disrupt healthcare systems and fuel disease outbreaks worldwide. A new report outlines five key interventions, including clean energy transitions and improved water infrastructure, to mitigate health impacts and reduce climate-related deaths. Despite health being a priority in many climate plans, funding remains insufficient, with only a small fraction of climate adaptation resources allocated to health initiatives. The WHO calls for integrating health into climate responses and ending fossil fuel subsidies, underscoring that addressing climate change is not just about reducing emissions but saving lives and preventing widespread health crises.
(WHO)
Health for me but not for thee. The world's biggest food and beverage companies, it seems, have a different definition of "people over profits" when it comes to their healthier offerings. A new report shows that major brands like Nestle, PepsiCo, and Unilever sell significantly less healthy products in low-income countries compared to what they offer in wealthier nations. Using the Health Star Rating system, these products averaged 1.8 stars in low-income regions versus 2.3 in high-income areas, highlighting how these multinationals prioritise pushing their least nutritious options where they're least likely to face scrutiny. But hey, they're still "committed to guiding people towards balanced diets" - just not where it's least profitable, apparently.
(ATNI)
Long reads
Tech for Africa. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has published a report - Policy Blueprint to Fast-Track Healthtech Innovations in Public Health in Africa - that showcases how health tech can be just the thing that Africa's health sector needs. Excellent reading.
(AfDB)
TB is still around. In the wake of a recent WHO report highlighting TB's role as the number one killer of people worldwide, Labiotech has a shallow dive into the state of development when it comes to weapons against TB.
(Labiotech)
Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.