Health
Oxford University Begins Monkey Pox Vaccine Trial
A new vaccine to tackle monkey pox is underway courtesy of the Oxford University team credited with finding effective drugs to treat Covid-19.
The project is tagged,” trialling an antiviral called tecovirimat to aid monkeypox recovery”.
So far, more than 3,000 people in the United Kingdom have caught the monkeypox virus in recent months, with more cases expected.
The virus, which is spreading rapidly in other countries as well, has been declared a global health emergency.
The infection typically gets better on its own, but recovery can take weeks and there can be serious complications.
“The aim is to find a treatment that can help people get better quicker and get out of quarantine,” said Professor Sir Peter Horby, one of the “platinum trial “researchers at the University of Oxford.
Around 500 patients will take part in the
trial. Some will be treated twice-daily with tecovirimat tablets while they recuperate from the virus in their own home; others will receive a placebo – or dummy treatment instead.
By comparing the two groups of volunteers, the researchers hope to have the results for the drug trial within months.
Tecovirimat – also known as Tpoxx – prevents the virus from leaving infected cells, stopping its spread within the body. It was licensed earlier this year for monkeypox, based on promising results from initial studies in animals and evidence of safety in healthy human volunteers
It is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although much less severe.
Infections are usually mild and the risk to the general population low. However, the United Kingdom government has bought stocks of smallpox vaccine to try to halt its spread.
The virus can be spread when someone is in close contact with an infected person.
It has not previously been described as a sexually-transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by close contact.
Anyone with the virus should abstain from sex while they have symptoms.IMAGE SO
Harun Tulunay, 35, from London, was hospitalised with a severe case of monkeypox which included a large lesion on his nose. He was treated with tecovirimat.
“When you are really sick and in pain, you are ready to try anything – but you do want to know if it is going to work or not,” he said.
“I still wanted to take it. And for the first time, my health improved and I started to feel better.
“I don’t want anyone else to become as severely sick as I was.
“This study will help patients who are not in hospital to understand how tecovirimat works, what they can expect, and the time frame of the recovery process.
“Knowing whether there is an effective treatment may also help to reduce any anxiety around monkeypox,” he added.
Minister for Public Health Maggie Throup said: “This government-funded study is an important step to finding a treatment which can help speed up the recovery of those who have monkeypox.
She added: ‘Vaccines remain our best defence against the spread of monkeypox – we urge all those eligible to come forward when contacted, and report any symptoms.
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.