💉 UNICEF places an mpox vaccine order; PAHO goes to Africa, and other places; The WHO goes bullish on telemedicine

#536 | Making clinical trials more equal; A new weapon against malaria; Ocean acidity goes up and up, as does the heat

Sep 27, 2024

Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for the last time this September. Before we proceed further, please remember what you need to do next Tuesday.

This week, we're beginning by summarising the mpox coverage in this section. Not because mpox is on the wane, especially in Africa, but because reporting on mpox outside Africa seems to have lost its fever pitch. There is no need to wonder what the reason might be. Anyhoo, the Africa CDC says it has raised over $800 million to further its response to the current outbreak. More than half of that - $500 million - came via a donation from the US, which is also donating 1 million vaccine doses. The Pandemic Fund also announced an allocation of close to $130 million to combat the outbreak in 10 countries in Africa. Amid concerns that the disease could cause a large outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) capital Kinshasa, health authorities are rejigging immunisation plans to inoculate people in the city even as the Africa CDC says it suspects mpox has now spread to 15 countries on the continent. Elsewhere, in India, authorities have reported the country's third case in the current outbreak. Meanwhile, UNICEF, which last week had sought funds to mount a response, has excellent news. The agency has signed a deal with Bavarian Nordic for 1 million vaccine doses, even if it includes the 500,000 doses Gavi has already signed up. The company said all doses will be delivered in 2024. UNICEF's deal hopes to lock in vaccine supplies for 77 LMICs. Bavarian Nordic also signed a deal worth $63 million with the US for more vaccines to enter its stockpile. Phew, quite the intro, eh?

In other news, the WHO, in a new report, says investing just an additional $0.24 per patient per year in digital health tools like telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots could save over 2 million lives from noncommunicable diseases in the next decade.

Coming to the "pharmacy of the world", in the same week in which officials said they want to make Indian pharma reliable, regulators have flagged over 50 commonly used drugs as spurious or of inferior quality. Leading Indian drugmakers have responded to this censure by saying they don't make these drugs and that the drugs in question are fake.

And finally, just because it has not been hogging the headlines as much lately doesn't mean bird flu has, well, flown away. Turns out another healthcare worker who was in contact with the mystery human case in the US also had flu symptoms. Fortune has a longer piece on the secretiveness around bird flu reporting from authorities in the US.

Stories Of The Week

Trials... not just for lab rats. Looks like WHO wants to make sure clinical trials don’t leave anyone out - even pregnant women, kids, and herbal remedies! The agency has released new guidance for clinical trials to improve clinical trial design and ensure they're more inclusive and patient-centred. By addressing key challenges like poor trial design and lack of diversity in participants, WHO aims to strengthen country-led research and development. This guidance supports everything from pharmaceutical trials to traditional measures, making sure trials generate real evidence that benefits everyone, not just a few.
(WHO)

Boosting global health. The WHO's busy week continued with the news that its new Health Impact Investment Platform is now putting its plans into action, aiming to strengthen primary healthcare in vulnerable communities across 15 low- and middle-income countries. This initiative, a partnership between multilateral development banks, the WHO, and participating countries, seeks to improve resilience against pandemic threats and climate crises by unlocking €1.5 billion in funding. The first contributions have already been signed, focusing on enhancing primary health care, disease prevention, and local vaccine manufacturing.
(WHO)

Breakthroughs

Malaria's new worst nightmare. Researchers have developed a synthetic compound, MED6-189, that shows promise in fighting both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Inspired by natural products from marine sponges, the compound disrupts key functions in the parasite, preventing its replication and sexual differentiation, and it has proven effective in both in vitro and in vivo tests. By targeting multiple pathways, MED6-189 also prevents the parasite from developing resistance, offering a new potential lead in the fight against malaria and other zoonotic Plasmodium infections. The next phase of research will further optimise the compound and explore its mechanisms.
(Science)

Agency Observer

PAHO makes some moves. The WHO wasn't the only multilateral agency that had a busy week of it. PAHO had a lot of things going on as well. First, PAHO signed a technical cooperation agreement with CEPI to enhance regulatory harmonisation in the Americas, aiming to improve pandemic preparedness and ensure equitable access to safe medical products. This partnership will advance the work of the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization (PANDRH), focusing on strengthening regulatory systems and promoting regional innovation. Then, it signed a new agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to expand their partnership, strengthening long-term health initiatives across the Americas. This collaboration will improve responses to regional health challenges by leveraging PAHO's technical expertise, including its Revolving Funds. And finally, it partnered with the Africa CDC to collaborate on equitable access to vaccines, medicines, and health technologies. The partnership will strengthen regional manufacturing, regulatory mechanisms, and pooled procurement systems for essential health products in Africa and the Americas, while also focusing on research, innovation, and health system resilience.
(PAHO, PAHO, Africa CDC)

Bottom line

Oceans turning sour. A new report by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warns that ocean acidification is on the brink of becoming the seventh critical planetary boundary to be breached, out of nine factors vital for Earth's stability. The increasing acidification, driven by rising CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels, threatens marine life, disrupts food supplies, and reduces the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2. Six other boundaries, including climate change and habitat loss, have already been surpassed due to human activity, raising concerns about irreversible damage to Earth's life-sustaining systems.
(Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)

The kids... they can't see far. In 2023, more than a third of children globally were nearsighted, a condition expected to affect nearly 40% by 2050, according to new research. The study found that children in urban areas and girls are more prone to myopia, with environmental factors playing a key role in its development. Researchers recommend increased physical activity, reduced screen time, and early detection through regular eye exams to help mitigate the growing prevalence of myopia.
(British Journal of Ophthalmology)

Turning the heat up. This past June to August marked Earth's hottest season on record, with 4.1 billion people, or half the planet, experiencing unusually high temperatures due to climate change, according to a new report by Climate Central. The report found that climate change made these extreme heat days three times more likely, causing the average person to endure 17 extra days of risky heat, which can worsen health conditions like heart disease, asthma, and mental health. The impacts were felt globally, with deadly heat waves, wildfires, and floods intensifying across regions, including the Caribbean, Western Asia, and Southern Europe.
(Climate Central)

Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.