Health
COVID-19: WHO Lists Achievements, Says Vaccination No Guarantee
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed some of its achievements in combating COVID-19 in 2020, noting that vaccination is no guarantee of virus eradication.
WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said this at the last COVID-19 press conference of the year at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
In a speech posted on the agency’s website, the director general said WHO had worked tirelessly since the virus was reported in Wuhan, China in December, 2019.
“If we rewind to the start of 2020, it was on 10 January that WHO published its first comprehensive package of guidance documents for countries, covering topics related to the management of an outbreak of a new disease.
“The next day, WHO received the full genetic sequences for the novel coronavirus from China and by 13 January, WHO published its first protocol for a diagnostic test by a WHO partner lab in Germany to detect the virus.
“By mid-January, our international technical expert networks were engaged and meeting by teleconference to share first hand knowledge with the new novel coronavirus and similar respiratory viruses, such as MERS and SARS.
“And WHO convened the Strategic Technical Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards and the Global Alert and Response Network.
“By the end of the month, 30 January, I declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, WHO’s highest level of alert under global health law,’’ he said.
And by the start of February, he said WHO was shipping diagnostic tests around the world so that countries could detect and respond effectively.
“On 4 February, WHO released the first global preparedness and response plan for COVID-19 based on the latest scientific evidence.
“At the same time, WHO was connecting scientists, funders and manufacturers from across the globe together to accelerate research on tests, therapeutics and vaccines.
“In mid-February, WHO’s longstanding research and development blueprint group brought hundreds of experts from more than 40 countries together to plot out a COVID-19 research roadmap.
“This was based on years of work on other infectious diseases including SARS, MERS and Ebola.’’
And by March, the director-general said WHO was planning the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which was launched with partners in April.
The director-general said the ACT-Accelerator was a historic collaboration to further hasten the development, production and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics.
“Good news came in June as initial clinical trial results from the UK showed dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, could be lifesaving for patients severely ill with COVID-19.
“By September, new antigen based rapid tests had been validated and the diagnostic pillar of the ACT-Accelerator had secured millions of them for low- and middle-income countries.
“And then the shot that rang out around the world was the release of positive vaccine news from multiple candidates, which are now being rolled out to vulnerable groups,’’ he said.
According to him, new ground has been broken not least with the extraordinary cooperation between the private and public sector in this pandemic.
“ In recent weeks, safe and effective vaccine rollout has started in a number countries which is an incredible scientific achievement.’’
Meanwhile, some senior officials of WHO had warned that vaccination do not guarantee that infectious diseases would be eradicated.
Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the WHO Emergencies Programme warned that there might be a chance of another pandemic, more serious pandemic spreading across the world.
“The next pandemic may be more severe; we need “get our act together”, because we live on a fragile planet, and in an increasingly complex society.
“Let’s honour those we’ve lost by getting better at what we do,’’ he said
Also, the WHO Technical Lead on COVID-19, Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, noted that some of the countries that had coped better with COVID-19 had history of managing outbreaks.
“Those countries that have cope better are not necessarily been those with the highest incomes, but those that have lived through other infectious disease outbreaks.
“Those countries have used the “muscle memory” of traumatic events to kick their systems into gear, and act to comprehensively tackle the virus,’’ she said.
Kerkhove , however, called for the world to be better prepared for the next health crisis, with well-trained health workers able to take full advantage of innovative technology, and informed, engaged citizens capable of keeping themselves safe.
Also, Guest speaker Prof. David Heymann, a disease expert and member of a WHO “surge team”, said that we now have the tools at our disposal to save lives, allowing us to learn to live with the virus.
Heymann, deployed to strengthen the COVID-19 response in South Africa earlier this year said COVID-19 was likely to become endemic in the global population.
Vaccinations, he explained, do not guarantee that infectious diseases will be eradicated.
“Societies would do better to focus on getting back to full strength, rather than on the “moonshot of eradication”, said the official.
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.