💉 A new dashboard to track child health; Finland starts bird flu vaccinations for humans; Biovac partners with Sanofi, EuBiologics
#523 | Substance abuse kills over 3 million; The world isn't moving enough; A breakthrough in HIV prevention?
Hello, and welcome back to The Kable. We have quite the packed edition for you this week.Â
Let's begin with some good news, shall we? Chad has become the first country to eliminate a neglected tropical disease this year after the WHO announced that the country has eliminated human African trypanosomiasis. This also makes Chad the 51st country to achieve this milestone.
In South Africa, mpox continues to rage on, with cases having gone up to 16. The country is starting screening at its borders to try and mitigate the spread of the disease. WHO experts have called the newly identified strain from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) the most dangerous yet and have sought urgent action. Health authorities in the DRC have responded by authorising vaccines from Bavarian Nordic and KM Biologics. However, in the absence of WHO pre-qualification for either of these vaccines, it is not yet clear how procurement and distribution shall take place.
The WHO has launched a new dashboard with data from 196 countries on factors affecting child health and mortality. The dashboard is intended to help public health stakeholders track the progress of Survival, Developmental, Protection, and Participation indicators. Additionally, the dashboard will also track poverty levels and food security, and also sanitation, emissions and pollution, among other environmental factors.
The United Nations has identified new harmful drug concoctions, kush, Khadafi, and Monkey Tail, as significant health risks in Africa due to their dangerous mixtures of pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and solvents. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in its UNODC World Drug Report 2024, reported that these drugs are exacerbating health challenges across the continent, with countries like Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast taking measures against their rising use. The UNODC emphasized the need for enhanced scientific testing capacities to help law enforcement and health agencies address the threat of emerging drugs.
The newly-launched African Vaccines Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) has secured €750 million from the EU under its Global Gateway strategy.Â
In excellent news from Peru, the health ministry has scrapped a recently passed law that called for labelling transgender people as suffering from mental disorders. Congratulations to all the protestors who made this happen.
The US FDA's never-ending love story with Indian drug manufacturing saw several new chapters added to it this week. Lupin and Aurobindo Pharma recalled products in the US due to manufacturing issues. Biocon got four observations after an inspection of its manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh. Glenmark recalled 114 lots of a low potassium drug in the US due to failed dissolution of the product, which could cause patients to develop heightened potassium levels, also known as hyperkalemia. The US FDA also hit two of Dr Reddy's manufacturing facilities with Form 483s. Amid all this, US lawmakers were concerned with the seeming inconsistency of the US FDA's actions when it came to inspections of units in India and China. Meanwhile, Indian regulators said more than a third of the drug-making units inspected by them had to be shut down due to quality issues.
Speaking of India, the government is set to introduce an incentive plan to help drugmakers make GLP-1 drugs in India.Â
AI continues its incursion into Big Pharma, this time in the form of an alliance between Eli Lilly and OpenAI to discover new antibiotics.
Sanofi is following in the footsteps of J&J, Pfizer and others by hiving off its consumer health unit, asking for buyout bids by mid-July. The French drugmaker aims to establish the consumer unit as a standalone, publicly listed company by late 2024, potentially retaining a minority stake.
We can't really let an issue of The Kable go by without mentioning bird flu, can we? So what's the latest there? Well, bird flu has spread to at least 10 poultry farms in Australia. Australian government bodies are also coming up with a plan to protect penguins in Phillip Island - one of Victoria's top tourist attractions and home to thousands of penguins - from bird flu. Gabon has reported its first case of bird flu since 2022. A recently published study in Emerging Infectious Diseases says bird flu remains stable - and therefore transmissible - on milking equipment for at least one hour. And Finland, where bird flu has not yet been reported in humans, is embarking on the world's first human immunisation program for bird flu. The program will only vaccinate humans with exposure to animals and the country has vaccines for a whopping 10,000 people.
And finally, the heatwave that killed more than 1,000 pilgrims on their haj pilgrimage to Medina last week? Yeah, it was boosted by climate change.
Stories Of The Week
Two steps forward. In a momentous stride towards self-sufficiency in vaccine production, South Africa's Biovac has forged critical partnerships with Sanofi and EuBiologics, marking a significant milestone for Africa's health future. Biovac will become the continent's first producer of inactivated polio vaccines (IPV) through Sanofi, taking charge of late-stage formulation, filling, packaging, and distribution for millions of doses to UNICEF for Gavi countries. Concurrently, Biovac's collaboration with EuBiologics will advance the technology transfer for a meningococcal pentavalent conjugate vaccine, targeting the meningitis belt with an annual supply of 10 million doses by 2029.
(Fierce Pharma)
Just say no. A new report from the WHO reveals that over three million deaths per year are attributable to alcohol and drug use, with alcohol alone accounting for 2.6 million deaths, representing nearly 5% of all global deaths. The highest death rates are in the WHO European and African Regions, predominantly affecting men aged 20-39. Low-income countries face the highest death rates, while high-income countries see the lowest. The report highlights the severe health risks of substance use, which include chronic diseases, mental health issues, and accidents, urging accelerated global action to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.5 by 2030. With an estimated 400 million people suffering from substance use disorders globally, treatment coverage remains alarmingly low, with many countries lacking sufficient resources and support systems. The WHO calls for a comprehensive approach, including a global advocacy campaign, enhanced healthcare capacity, professional training, and a recommitment to the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and improve treatment access.
(WHO)
Get up, get moving. New data reveals that 31% of adults globally, about 1.8 billion people, did not meet recommended physical activity levels in 2022, marking a 5 percentage point increase since 2010. If this trend continues, inactivity levels could reach 35% by 2030, jeopardizing the global target to reduce physical inactivity. The highest inactivity rates were in high-income Asia Pacific (48%) and South Asia (45%), with significant gender and age disparities. Despite some progress in almost half of the world's countries, the WHO urges renewed commitment and innovative, inclusive strategies to promote physical activity and address this growing public health concern.
(WHO)
Breakthroughs
A shot in time. Gilead’s injectable drug lenacapavir has shown 100% efficacy in preventing HIV infections among women and adolescent girls in its Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial, presenting a significant advancement in HIV prevention. This twice-yearly injectable addresses the challenges of daily oral PrEP, such as stigma and adherence issues. Given that women and girls accounted for 46% of new HIV infections globally in 2022, this development is crucial. Experts are urging Gilead to ensure global access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, by clarifying plans for production, pricing, and generic licensing.
(Health Policy Watch, Gilead)
Bottom line
When forever means forever. A groundbreaking study published in Environment Internationalreveals that synthetic 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) can be absorbed through human skin, contradicting previous beliefs. The research tested 17 commonly used PFAS, demonstrating that most can permeate the skin barrier and enter the bloodstream. PFAS, known for their water- and stain-repellent properties, are prevalent in various industries and consumer products, from school uniforms to personal care items. Despite some bans, many PFAS are still in use, with their toxic effects not fully understood. This study, using 3D human skin models, found significant absorption rates, particularly for shorter carbon chain PFAS, highlighting skin absorption as a critical exposure route.
(Environment International)
For the greater good. Setting aside an additional 1.2% of global land as nature preserves could prevent most predicted plant and animal extinctions at a cost of $263 billion, according to a study in Frontiers in Science. The study identified 16,825 high-value sites across 1.6 million square km, primarily in tropical forests, including significant areas in the Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, and Russia and focused on land and freshwater ecosystems, excluding marine areas and invertebrates.
(Frontiers in Science)
The world is on fire. An analysis by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) reveals a 52% increase in days reaching 35°C in the world's 20 largest capitals over the past three decades. This rise in extreme heat affects over 300 million residents, with cities like Delhi, Dhaka, and Manila experiencing severe heatwaves, leading to deaths and school closures. Delhi recorded its longest heatwave in 74 years with 39 consecutive days above 40°C. The study found that from 2014 to 2023, these capitals saw nearly 6,500 days at or above 35°C, up from 4,755 in the previous decade. Jakarta saw the highest increase, from 28 days to 167, while Seoul and Buenos Aires also experienced significant rises.
(IIED)
Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.