Africa Health Exhibition’s Post

Ancient diseases are still out here! Who else followed the activities of #WHA77? What are your thoughts on the ambitious targets set for the year 2030? Do you think they will be met? We had earlier put together a piece on the recent Cholera resurgence in Africa. Surveillance data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) unit and the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal a persistent burden of cholera, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Recent years have witnessed epidemic outbreaks in these regions, with a disproportionate impact on Africa. Between 2010 and 2019, a staggering 24% of the estimated 4.5 million cholera cases reported to WHO originated from sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, a concerning resurgence emerged in this region (along with a few others), with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Nigeria bearing the brunt of recurrent outbreaks. The fight against cholera continues, and significant progress has been made. Strengthening Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices across LMICs remains a core strategy. Additionally, the prequalification and licensure of oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) – Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol – by WHO offers promising prospects. The announcement of a novel OCV (Euvichol-S) in April 2024 highlights the ongoing efforts towards cholera eradication. Recombinant technology is being deployed to enhance the efficacy of the OraVacs, which is set to protect not only children and residents in cholera-endemic regions but also travellers across regions. Enhanced Inter-territorial disease surveillance and monitoring and the enactment of guidelines set out by Travel medicine practices are crucial. Remote sensors, the use of spatial technology and AI-driven data tools have been recommended to fast-track ongoing efforts by the Global Taskforce on Cholera Control (GTFCC). Finally, aligning national plans with those laid out by WHO’s ‘End Cholera - A Global Roadmap to 2030’ is now a conditio sine qua non. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Le infezioni in Medicina Journal for reviewing and accepting this piece for dissemination. We value your readership and eagerly await your feedback. https://lnkd.in/dzvZC2hW #WorldHealth #WHA77 #Cholera #GTFCC #GlobalRoadMap

#INTERCEPTOR (INTERnational Cooperation of high containment research infrastructures: from #Epidemic #Preparedness TO Response) was officially kicked-off today in Brussels.   Funded by the EU and coordinated by ERINHA, it brings together high and maximum containment laboratories from around the world.   It will strengthen global high containment research infrastructure capacities for infectious disease #outbreak preparedness, and support scientific communities in their mission to develop innovative #countermeasures to #pandemic-prone #pathogens, in the most safe and secure environment possible. https://lnkd.in/gVMPJC45 European Research Executive Agency (REA) Ali Mirazimi James Paulley CSIRO Inserm Lotteau Vincent UK Health Security Agency Folkhälsomyndigheten National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) Jacqueline Weyer Kurt Zatloukal Medizinische Universität Graz National Public Health Centre (NNK) Istituzionale Nazionale Malattie Infettive Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS The Philipp University of Marburg Robert Koch Institute @Labor Spiez Roland Züst Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge Instituto de Salud Carlos III World Health Organization

*Mpox Update: Global Spread and Emerging Challenges* The mpox virus continues its spread, reaching new regions including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda. Belgium, France, and Uganda are likely to see cases among returning travelers, with recent imported cases reported in Thailand today and Sweden this past week. The emergence of a new strain, Clade Ib, is complicating detection and control efforts, raising the stakes for global public health. “The challenges with surveillance and testing in the region mean the scale of the threat is likely underestimated,” says Andrea Thomas, PhD, DVM, BlueDot’s Head of Epidemiology. “The lack of resources, including vaccines, ongoing conflict, and many unknowns, make responding effectively incredibly difficult.” BlueDot has been closely monitoring mpox, releasing six outbreak alerts for the Democratic Republic of Congo since November last year, along with two Intelligence Reports—one in May and another just last week. With public health resources stretched thin, there is an urgent global call to action to contain this outbreak and bolster countermeasures both in Africa and worldwide. Subscribe to our Outbreak Insider for today's special Mpox update --> https://hubs.la/Q02Mbfcg0 For daily briefings on Mpox, reach out to us ---> https://hubs.la/Q02M9TYC0 #PublicHealth #InfectiousDiseases #GlobalHealth #Mpox

🌍🌏 In August 2024, 33 participants from all around the world joined us over two live sessions to tackle a simulated cholera outbreak scenario set in informal settlements in Lusaka, Zambia, roleplaying a key stakeholder in public health. Each participant was assigned one of five roles consisting of Public Health Experts, NGOs, Ministry of Health, Healthcare Professionals, and Communities. Therefore, whilst trying to control the cholera outbreak, the participants had to work within the constraints of their role and model the collaboration between different players in the public health arena. 🦠 🔆 The research question to guide the case study was: “How can improvements in water and sanitation infrastructure, public health education, and healthcare access reduce the incidence and impact of cholera outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries?” 🚰 ✨ Educational materials and feedback were provided by three professionals, Dr. Annel and Dr. Chisenga, who work within infectious diseases and cholera control in Zambia. They provided insightful information around developing a simulated cholera outbreak in the Zambian context, such as common transmission pathways, its epidemiology, and affected populations. ➡ In the first session, participants were grouped according to their assigned role to discuss the objectives of their respective stakeholders and iron out any confusions. Between the first and second session, they had to complete a worksheet to brainstorm and develop interventions that would be carried out by the stakeholder the participant was role-playing. ➡ In the second session, everyone was re-grouped to create mixed-role groups, whereby the participants had to collaborate with each other to create a final action plan to combat the simulated outbreak. There were some really innovative ideas presented and we hope the experience was enriching and fun! 😁 Thank you to everyone who participated! 🙌 Stay tuned for our next case study 👀 We hope to see you there! 😊 Masako Shimato #tomoglobalhealth

🌐 Highlights from 2023: The EU Initiative on Health Security! 🚀 The EU Initiative on Health Security aims to strengthen regional workforce capabilities in the prevention and control of communicable diseases while fostering cross-border cooperation to combat health security threats effectively.    🔍 Here's how we're making a difference: 1️⃣  Workforce-Oriented Capacity Building: Our programme includes initiatives like #MediPIET, offering advanced field epidemiology training and network strengthening activities. 🏥 2️⃣  Capacity Building in Epidemic Intelligence and Risk Assessment: We're enhancing capacities in epidemic intelligence, risk assessment, and response through tailored trainings on vital topics. 📊 3️⃣  Integration with ECDC Systems, Knowledge-Sharing, and Networking: We're progressively integrating partner countries into ECDC's work, fostering knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities. 🤝   Throughout 2023, ECDC and our partners tirelessly worked to enhance the regional workforce, strengthening capabilities to combat communicable diseases across EU enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Partner countries. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3JjQ7JA #EUInitiativeOnHealthSecurity 🌍

🗺 Today is #WorldNTDDay. 🏥 NTDs cover a diverse group of diseases which cause pain & disability to over 1 billion people. 🔬 This year, we will disburse €22 million to projects working on accelerating the #development and integration of #therapeutics against NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa. 💊 Since 2021, Global Health EDCTP3 has supported several projects working on the development of #preventive and #treatment strategies to combat diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis or soil-transmitted helminthiases. Find out more about our past & future #research investments on NTDs here ⤵ https://lnkd.in/e87DnaPm Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative - DNDi Merck Group eWHORM Project European Vaccine Initiative (EVI) Policy Cures Research Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Global Health and Infectious Diseases Group (GHID-KCCR) European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Global Schistosomiasis Alliance NeuroSolve Project Innovative Health Initiative (IHI)

On 27 March 2024, The LIGHT Consortium partners in Kenya, the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and the Respiratory Society of Kenya (ReSoK) held a half-day sensitisation workshop to enhance understanding and technical capacity on evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) among senior-level policymakers within the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program (NTLD-P) Kenya and peer stakeholders.   The workshop gave insights for cascading the skills & incorporating EIDM principles into the various roles within the programme.   Here are some key highlights from the workshop: 🔸 To end TB by 2030, there is a need to set policies and procedures by prioritising EIDM in all interventions. 🔸 There is a lot of evidence related to gender. The National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program (NTLD-P) and all TB stakeholders need to distill all this research to feed into solid policy formulation. 🔸 Continuous learning on EIDM can optimise evidence-use culture and foster a participatory approach in all programmes.   Read more on EIDM here: https://bit.ly/3QMrlTB #YesWeCanEndTB Nkirote Mwirigi Evaline Kibuchi Chrispine Okoth Jeremiah Dr. Chakaya Dr. Lorraine Mugambi-Nyaboga Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) AMREF Amref Health Africa UK Stop TB Partnership Centre for Health Solutions - Kenya (CHS) Leyla H Abdullahi Nairobi City County Adaudo Anyiam-Osigwe Edel Sakwa

Kenya Multi-Site Serosurveillance (KEMIS) is at the forefront of tracking infectious diseases in Kenya, providing critical data to inform national vaccine strategies and public health decisions. This work is crucial for understanding how diseases like COVID-19 spread, helping to bolster immunisation efforts and ensuring preparedness for future health threats. KEMIS is driving a more informed, proactive public health approach by building a long-term national platform to monitor key pathogens. I co-authored a paper with a talented team highlighting how serosurveillance supports national strategies to combat infectious diseases and prepares us for emerging health threats. Read the paper here: https://bit.ly/47vFgY9

The World Health Organization declared #mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024. This decision follows the first PHEIC, which saw over 87,000 cases and 140 deaths across 111 countries from July 2022 to May 2023. The previous outbreak highlights how infectious diseases can rapidly spread and the critical need for effective public health strategies. The editorial piece recently published in the Singapore Medical Journal by A/Prof Poh Lian Lim, Lead, Biorisk Management at ACHS and her colleagues at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in Singapore, share their views on how Asia prepares and responds. Asia is home to some of the world's most densely populated and interconnected cities, and community spread can very easily lead to cross- border transmission in the region. This has galvanised Asian countries to step up public health measures such as point of entry surveillance, prioritising vaccine use, expansion of laboratory diagnostic capability, and wastewater surveillance. The prevention and control measures, included in the WHO strategic framework for mpox comprise of collaborating on surveillance and research, improving community awareness, building partnerships and equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics and developing robust vaccination strategies are also discussed. Read the full article at the link provided. #Mpox #PublicHealth #PHEIC #HealthSecurity #ACHS

📣 #ISID is excited to announce its inaugural list of six global health priorities. We will be discussing each with numerous experts throughout our 2024 Congress in Cape Town, South Africa 📣 Our goal in setting out these priorities is to help guide the efforts of researchers, clinicians, veterinarians, community leaders, and governments worldwide to address the most urgent infectious disease challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) 🌍 1. The impending threat of #AntimicrobialResistance (#AMR) 🦠 2. The interplay of #ClimateChange and disease 🌳 3. Pandemic preparedness, especially in LMICs 😷 4. The growing threat of sexually transmitted infections, including #HIV 🩸 5. The persistent challenge of #tuberculosis 💊 6. Capacity-building for infectious disease research in LMICs 💪 More than 3,000 experts are expected to gather in Cape Town to discuss these issues, share the latest research, and collaborate on solutions. Our aim is to bring together global and local voices to discuss policy, showcase innovation, and tailor health strategies to cultural and economic needs with a clear focus on LMICs – who face a disproportionate infectious disease burden 🧑🤝🧑 Our biennial Congress offers a unique forum for climate, veterinarian, local community, and human health experts to cooperate on the issues having the greatest impact on public health. Join us to be part of this vital global health event! Register here: https://ow.ly/I9hh50SlGaK #ICID2024 #GlobalHealth #InfectiousDiseases #OneHealth