Tuesday 24th January 2017- World Health Organisation: 10 things you should know about the Syrian crisis

‘More than 10 million medical treatments were delivered throughout Syria in 2016, through both cross-line deliveries from Damascus and cross-border deliveries from Gaziantep (Turkey) and Amman (Jordan). More than one third of the supplies required for these treatments were delivered to hard-to-reach, opposition-controlled, and besieged areas.

Wounded and critically ill patients were successfully evacuated from besieged areas including east Aleppo, Foah and Madaya. WHO played a key role in the negotiations and in planning and overseeing the evacuations to parts of Syria and Turkey. During evacuations from east Aleppo, for example, the Organization ensured that 811 people safely reached hospitals. A further 31 500 health care consultations were provided to people fleeing east Aleppo through WHO-supported mobile clinics.

More than 16 000 health workers received training on a range of topics including health assessments, trauma care, case management for specific diseases, mental health, nutrition, immunization and other topics. When WHO could not enter besieged east Aleppo to provide training to first responders (eg. nurses and paramedics), the Organization instead delivered training via telephone and video conferencing. More than 300 Syrian doctors and nurses were also trained in Turkey to provide health care to Syrian refugees in Turkish camps.

Life-saving care was provided to people suffering from non-communicable diseases – like diabetes, kidney failure and mental illness. Thirteen-year- old Luma, for example, received haemodialysis treatment at a WHO-supported health centre in northern Aleppo. In just the third quarter of 2016 alone, WHO supported more than 11 500 dialysis sessions.

Millions of children across the country were vaccinated against deadly diseases including hepatitis B, measles, rubella and the flu. WHO trained over 6 000 people on immunization and, together with UNICEF, worked to vaccinate 2.6 million children against polio.’

See:

10 Things You Should Know About the Syrian Crisis

Saturday 19th November 2016- Al Jazeera: Battle for Aleppo: ‘All hospitals are destroyed’

 

‘All medical facilities in Syria’s rebel-held Aleppo have been destroyed, health officials and opposition activists have told Al Jazeera, as another day of ferocious government bombardment on the besieged city left dozens of people dead.

Air raids, barrel bombs and artillery fire killed at least 56 people on Saturday, volunteers with the White Helmets group told Al Jazeera. The rescuers, who operate in rebel-held parts of Syria, said they had been pulling bodies, including those of children, out of the rubble.’

‘The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group monitoring the war, reported a lower death toll of 27 civilians.

The latest deaths came as health officials said that every hospital in the rebel-held east is now out of service – a statement also confirmed by the World Health Organisation, according to Reuters news agency.

“They [health officials] say that they are specifically being targeted to make people give up. In the last few hours, two remaining hospitals have come under intense shelling by the regime,” Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javaid, reporting from Gaziantep, on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said.’

Related Articles:

Battle for Aleppo: ‘All hospitals are destroyed’

East Aleppo’s last hospital destroyed by airstrikes- The Guardian

Syria conflict: Aleppo hospitals ‘knocked out by bombardment’- BBC News

Saturday 19th November 2016- Al Jazeera: Syria war: Air raid hits children’s hospital in Aleppo

(This is video is a similar one from Al Jazeera (AIR RAID HITS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN ALEPPO) but not the same as the video from this article. Please see the link below)

‘An air raid has hit a children’s hospital in Syria’s rebel-held east Aleppo, forcing medical staff to evacuate patients, including several newborn babies still in incubators.

The moment of the attack on Friday was captured by an Al Jazeera crew, including journalist Amro Halabi, who was reporting on survivors of previous Syrian and Russian bombing raids on rebel-held parts of the city.

Halabi was filming a man and his two children, who were suffered breathing problems from an earlier attack, when the room suddenly went dark immediately after a loud explosion.

Nurses and other medical staff were seen scrambling through the blackness, trying to rush the patients out of the badly damaged hospital as children cried out for help.

In another room, nurses grabbed babies from damaged incubators, with one staff member using a cloth to protect a visibly undernourished child before trying to console a weeping colleague, who was also carrying a newborn.

The nurses later moved the babies to another room, putting them on the floor next to each other and covering them with blankets. At least one of the infants still had medical tubes attached.

Staff told Al Jazeera that all of the babies survived the attack.’

Related Articles:

Syria war: Air raid hits children’s hospital in Aleppo

Aleppo’s children’s hospital bombed as it treats chlorine gas victims- The Guardian

Syria conflict: Children’s hospital hit in deadly Aleppo strikes- BBC News

Premature babies in Aleppo removed from incubators after air strikes hit city’s only children’s hospital- The Independent

Tuesday 10th May 2016- World Health Organisation: Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus – China

‘On 4 May 2016, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of China notified WHO of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus.’

’65-year-old female living in Xuancheng City, Anhui province developed symptoms on 24 April. On 27 April, her condition worsened and she was admitted to a local hospital for treatment and is currently in critical condition. The patient’s clinical sample was confirmed to be A(H5N6) virus nucleic acid positive by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) on 2 May. She had exposure to live poultry before symptom onset. This is the first A(H5N6) case reported from Anhui province, China.’

This makes 20 cases of avian influenze A in China reported by the World Health Organisation in May 2016, 5 of which are now deceased.

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The following details are regarding the first 17 cases (which includes 5 deaths):

‘Onset dates range from 21 February to 20 March. Cases range in age from 26 to 86 years, with a median age of 60 years. Of these 17 cases, 11 (65%) are male. The majority (15 cases, 88%) reported exposure to live poultry, slaughtered poultry, or live poultry markets. The exposure history of one (1) case is unknown. One (1) case is linked to a cluster of two (2) cases reported earlier to WHO (see below).

Cases were reported from 6 provinces and municipalities: Anhui (4), Jiangsu (4), Fujian (3), Guangdong (3), Zhejiang (2) and Hubei (1).’

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The following details are regarding 2 additional cases discovered in April 2016:

‘Between 21 and 26 April 2016, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of China notified WHO of 2 additional laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus.’

• ‘A 35-year-old male living in [the]… Hubei Province… was admitted to hospital for treatment on 12 April and is currently in critical condition. The patient’s clinical sample was confirmed to be A(H5N6) virus nucleic acid positive by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) on 21 April. He had exposure to a live poultry market before symptom onset.’
• ‘An 11-year-old female living in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province developed fever and cough on 11 April. As her symptoms worsened on 12 April, the patient was admitted to hospital for treatment. She is currently in stable condition. The patient’s clinical sample was confirmed to be A(H5N6) virus nucleic acid positive by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) on 24 April. She was exposed to live poultry before onset of the disease.’

Related Articles:

Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus – China

Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus – China [6th May 2016]

Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China [3rd May 2016]

Thursday 25th February 2016- The Guardian: Lab-created sperm breeds healthy mice, raising hopes for end to male infertility

‘A handful of healthy mice made from sperm cells created in the lab have been hailed as a milestone in research that could ultimately provide new treatments for male infertility.

Scientists in China created the mice by fertilising normal mouse eggs with early-stage sperm cells that were manufactured from embryonic stem cells plucked from the animals.

To make the sperm, the team nudged mouse stem cells through a complex series of steps known as meiosis that must be performed with extreme care to ensure the sperm develop properly.

Despite years of work, scientists have never managed to pull off the same trick with human stem cells, but the latest study could provide fresh impetus to the effort, said Jiahao Sha, director of the Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine at Nanjing Medical University in China.

The creation of sperm and eggs – known as germ cells – for use in IVF raises particular safety issues, because any faults in their genetic material could harm not only the children born from the treatment, but all their future descendants.

“If it works, human germ cells could possibly be produced. However, in the current stage, ethics should be concerned, and any possible risks ruled out,” said Sha, who led the team

The scientists believe that the cautious, stepwise production of the sperm cells was crucial for the mice to be born healthy and fertile. The mice went on to mate and have fertile offspring of their own, Sha said.’

‘Independent scientists welcomed the landmark achievement but cautioned that the creation of human sperm to treat infertile men was a distant prospect fraught with concerns over safety, ethics and legality.’

Related Articles:

Lab-created sperm breeds healthy mice, raising hopes for end to male infertility

Toward Making Sperm in the Lab- The Scientist

Lab-grown sperm makes healthy offspring- BBC News

Sperm grown in lab could allow infertile men to have children- The Telegraph

Saturday 2nd January 2016- The Guardian: Street lamps tackle dengue by luring mosquitoes with fake human scent

‘It’s a Venus flytrap for the streets – a solar- and wind-powered lamp that attracts and captures mosquitoes, aiming to reduce rates of mosquito-borne diseases while illuminating roads.

Developed by researchers at Malaysia’s University of Malaya, the Eco-Greenergy outdoor lighting system consists of an LED street lamp that produces low levels of carbon dioxide to lure mosquitoes.

Head researcher Chong Wen Tong says the smell of CO2, produced by combining ultraviolet light with titanium dioxide, is irresistible to mosquitoes. He says the level of CO2 emitted by the light is relatively low, and the benefits of the clean energy it provides outweigh the emissions.

“The mosquito trap takes advantage of the mosquito’s sensory abilities by tricking them with features that mimic the odours associated with humans,” Chong says.

“Decoyed mosquitoes enter the trap through the capture windows on the upper part, and then are strongly sucked into the capture net in the lower part by a suction fan. Once they are sucked into the capture net, they cannot fly away.”

The light was developed primarily to fight dengue fever, the mosquito-borne viral disease that has increased 30-fold in the past 50 years. The disease has taken particular hold in Asia-Pacific countries, where 1.8 billion people are at risk. Malaysia experienced an unprecedented outbreak of dengue fever in 2015, which killed more than 200 people. In Asia, the economic cost of the disease is estimated at $2bn a year.

Chong says the light’s ability to function on wind and solar energy makes it a viable option in developing countries. “For remote areas with no access to the electrical grid, this system can serve as a stand-alone, self-sustained renewable energy source to supply basic electricity needs. It is scalable to match the energy demand,” he says.

Eight street lamps have been installed at the University of Malaya campus and other sites in Kuala Lumpur as part of a pilot programme. The research team says the first version of the light is ready for market and a licensing agreement with one private company has already been signed.’

See:

Street lamps tackle dengue by luring mosquitoes with fake human scent

Wednesday 23rd December 2015- The BMJ: Zika virus spreads across Americas as concerns mount over birth defects

‘While a vaccine for dengue virus was approved this week in Mexico and the Philippines, dengue’s lesser known cousin the Zika virus has ballooned into a public health crisis across large parts of Latin America.

Zika’s rapid geographic spread would be causing less concern to public health authorities were it not for worrying evidence that the disease is less benign than initially thought. Hundreds of cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome have sprung up in the wake of Zika infection, but it is an explosion of microcephaly among infants born to infected women that has caused Brazil to declare Zika a “public health emergency of national importance.”

Brazil’s first confirmed Zika infection was in March 2015. Over the previous five years, the country of 204 million saw between 130 and 170 cases of microcephaly each year. In the first nine months of 2015, this figure roughly doubled. In the past three months, over 2400 further cases have been reported.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert on 1 December warning of a suspected link between Zika and neurological syndrome or congenital malformation, but it noted that final proof was lacking.

Related Articles:

Zika virus spreads across Americas as concerns mount over birth defects

Brazil warns women not to get pregnant as zika virus is linked to rare birth defect- The Guardian

Wednesday 2nd December 2015- World Health Organisation: World’s first child-friendly TB medicines in correct doses

‘WHO joined the TB Alliance and partners today to announce the availability of child-friendly tuberculosis (TB) medicines in the correct doses. The improved treatments are the first to meet the dosage guidelines set by the WHO in 2010. They are dispersible and palatable, simple to administer and affordable. The availability of these products is a result of a project largely funded by UNITAID.

According to WHO, at least 1 million children become ill with TB each year and 140 000 children die of this curable disease. To date, children around the world have not yet had access to appropriate TB medicines.

“The availability of correctly dosed medications will improve treatment for children everywhere,” said Dr. Mel Spigelman, President and CEO of TB Alliance, an international non-profit organization, ahead of the 46th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa. “This is an important step toward ending the neglect that has characterized the care of children with TB for far too long.” TB Alliance has partnered with WHO, UNITAID, USAID, and others in the development and introduction of these products.’

See:

World’s first child-friendly TB medicines in correct doses

Sunday 1st November 2015- World Health Organisation: WHO mobilizes 510 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to help control the cholera outbreak in Iraq

‘WHO mobilizes 510 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to help control the cholera outbreak in Iraq’.

‘An estimated 250 000 displaced persons will be targeted during the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign to help control cholera outbreak in Iraq.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has mobilized 510 000 doses of OCV, and the 2-dose campaign is part of a strategy to prevent cholera transmission in high-risk areas and avert a potentially large-scale cholera outbreak in the 62 camps for refugees and internally displaced people. ‘

‘The cholera outbreak in Iraq continues to pose a threat inside the country as well as among its neighbouring countries. Since the start of the outbreak on 15 September 2015, the Ministry of Health has reported 2173 laboratory confirmed cholera with 2 deaths from 15 out of 19 governorates.

The trend of cholera cases has been declining in the last 2 weeks, however, some of the central and southern governorates namely are still reporting confirmed cholera cases. Over the last 7 days, only one confirmed cholera case was reported from the northern governorates which comprise Kirkuk, Erbil, Dahuk and Suleimaniyah.’

‘An OCV is proven to be effective and can protect individuals by 85% in short-term and 65% over 5 years with a good safety profile. Evidence shows that high coverage of OCV in the target population can result in significant reduction of disease transmission in the vaccinated communities.’

See:

WHO mobilizes 510 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to help control the cholera outbreak in Iraq

Wednesday 28th October 2015- BBC News: TB ‘joins HIV as most deadly infection’

‘Tuberculosis now ranks alongside HIV as the world’s most deadly infectious disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Each accounted for between 1.1 million and 1.2 million deaths in 2014.

The WHO said the tuberculosis figures were unacceptable for a disease that could be cured.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said the statistics were “disheartening” and warned the world was “losing ground” on tackling resistant forms of TB.

The WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015 shows the huge strides that have been made in tackling TB, with the death rate being nearly halved since 1990.

And the number of infections has been falling by 1.5% a year since 2000.

Deaths from HIV/Aids have also been falling rapidly because of improved access to anti-retroviral drugs.

Dr Mario Raviglione, the WHO’s tuberculosis director, told the BBC News website: “Tuberculosis and HIV are now competing to be the number one cause of death from infectious disease in the world.

“Tuberculosis now ranks alongside HIV.”

Most new cases of TB are in China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria or Pakistan.’

See:

TB ‘joins HIV as most deadly infection’