Research on Kenyan Ebola vaccine confirms its safety

Research on Kenyan Ebola vaccine confirms its safety

justinewangui@gmail.com

The 1^st phase results of the research on the Kenyan Ebola vaccine known as rVSV ZEBOV conducted by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has shown that the vaccine is safe and generates an immune response.  The vaccine was administered to 138 volunteers across four research sites: KEMRI’s Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast in Kilifi (Kenya) and three other sites in Switzerland, Germany and Gabon.  

“Our studies on 138 volunteers have shown that the Ebola vaccine is safe and has the potential to offer protection against Ebola.  After this, the vaccine will be tested further in the countries affected by Ebola,” said Prof. Solomon Mpoke, Director, KEMRI.  “For us at KEMRI we see this as a momentous achievement towards the war against this most infectious Ebola disease”, he added.

The volunteers showed no adverse side effects.  However, some experienced fever and developed brief pain and/or swelling of their joints during the first few days after vaccination.  The vaccine was able to raise immune responses that reduced the effect of Ebola-like virus particles in the laboratory. 

The vaccine has now proceeded to the next level of study in Guinea, one of the countries affected by the Ebola outbreak to test if it protects those vulnerable to infection.  It has been made clear that giving the vaccine to a person cannot cause infection by the virus.

The vaccine trial was part of VEBCON, a World Health Organization (WHO) led consortium which is funded by the Wellcome Trust (a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health).   The vaccine study’s positive outcome will be of great aid in case of need in Kenya, although there are no Ebola cases reported in the country.  However, the vaccine’s capability to prevent Ebola infection is yet to be proved.  

Source: http://www.kemri.org

World TB day : Kenyan MPs committed to battle TB

World TB day : Kenyan MPs committed to battle TB

 justinewangui@gmail.com

Kenyan MPs, led by Hon. Mule , MP Matungulu and a member of the Parliamentary health committee are among other parliamentary leaders in the world who have declared their commitment to eliminate Tuberculosis by signing on to the Barcelona TB declaration.  This declaration is aimed at mobilizing elected leaders to join the new global parliamentary caucus in pressing for a more effective action on TB epidemic.  Over 160 MPs signed on to the declaration on world TB day.

   

The process is led by Nick Herbert, UK MP and the co-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for TB (APPG TB) in the UK parliament.  Three Kenyan MPs were among other leaders that contributed to the development and launch of the document in Barcelona, Spain in November last year.

This bold move in fighting TB marks the first one in the current parliament.  Kenya has made history as the country with the highest number of signatures in support of the declaration globally.  Before this move in the Kenyan Parliament, the declaration had only 72 signatures from 30 countries. 

The sign-on is a demonstration of the government's  political good will not only in fighting TB in Kenya  but also joining the rest of the  world in the fight.   Nick Herbert commended the Kenyan law makers for showing their commitment by signing on to the declaration.

Source: kanco@kanco.org

Fake Electrical Products Flood Africa

Fake Electrical Products Flood Africa
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-2 April 2015- Up to 80% of electrical products in Africa counterfeits imported from Asia led by China according to a recent survey conducted in 11 countries. The five most counterfeit electrical products in order are cables, breakers, sockets, switches and extension cords.

Some of the countries included in the survey were Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Cote D’ Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. Counterfeits represent 40-80% of the electrical products in the markets. However, local counterfeits are mostly from Tanzania, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

The survey was conducted by Schneider Electric Group. Tracy Garner, Anti-Counterfeiting Global Manager said that the African electrical market will now progress on the basis of the reality revealed.

She added that there is a real urgent need for action.  However, she promised that Schneider Electric is committed to do its best in answering professionals’ demands and expectations expressed in the survey.
 (Source - Schneider Electric (http://www.schneider-electric.com)

Merck fights Bilharzia in Mozambique

Merck fights Bilharzia in Mozambique

54m treated

By Justine Wangui (ScienceAfrica correspondent)
justinewangui@gmail.com

 Merck pharmaceutical company is fighting bilharzia (schistosomiasis) worm in Mozambique, Malawi and Senegal and other African nations hoping to eliminate it by taking a holistic approach including education programs to ensure that less children contract the disease while giving them new opportunities for a brighter future.

Merck collaborates with World Health Organization (WHO) to fight and has donated more than 200 million praziquantel tablets to treat almost 54 million patients.  WHO estimates show that over 18 million people in Mozambique require treatment. This amounts up to four out of five people infected thus portraying the vast spread of the epidemic.  In agreement with WHO, the country has been receiving tablets from the British Department for International Development (DFID) since 2O11.

Currently, Merck and British Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) which are both members of the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance developing a joint concept to fight future outbreak of schistosomiasis in Mozambique. (Source:http://www.merckgroup.com)

The Genetic Resources Team in Syria scoops Mendel Prize

The Genetic Resources Team in Syria scoops Mendel Prize

By Justine Wangui

justinewangui@gmail.com

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) has been awarded the prestigious Gregor Mendel Innovation Prize.  This was conducted yesterday, 19^th March 2015 in Berlin.  This follows its exemplary success in keeping its globally important collection of crop genetic resources in Syria secure, despite the challenges linked to civil war.  ICARDA is a global agricultural research center working with countries in the world’s dry areas.

The personalities who showed up for the event are Christian Schmidt, Germany’s Federal Minister for Nutrition and Agriculture, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, State Secretary of Germany’s Ministry of Economic cooperation and Development, Peter Harry Carstensen, former state premier and President of the Board of Trustees of the Gregor Mendel Foundation, and Paula Bramel, deputy CEO of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, amongst others.

Mahmoud Solh, the Director General of ICARDA clarified that his team takes it as a fundamental duty to work with governments for food security and improve rural livelihoods in conflict and post-conflict zones.  “Over the years, ICARDA had managed to safely-duplicate most of its genebank collections outside Syria. When the conflict there escalated, we sped up the duplication and now have secured 100% of the germplasm collection outside Syria. We also duplicated 80% of our collection in Svalbard Seed Vault in Norway already. I’m also glad to add that ICARDA had earlier rescued and safety-duplicated germplasm collections from Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Dr. h. c. Peter Harry Carstensen, President of the Gregor Mendel Foundation validated that ICARDA’s work is valuable for both plant breeders who are highly dependent on diversity to improve agricultural varieties and following generations who benefit from drought tolerant and disease and pest resistant crops.

ICARDA’s unique genebank of barley, lentil, chickpea, faba bean, several forage and rangeland species, along with durum and bread wheat play a vital role in the sustainability of life on earth due to their nitrogen fixing properties. 
 

Source: http://icarda.org

Sexual and reproductive health and rights, a must in gender equality

Sexual and reproductive health and rights, a must in gender equality

Justinewangui@gmail.com

 United Nations, New York: A report from the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), both a service provider and an advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights has said that Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls cannot be accomplished in the absence of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).  This was given by speakers from the Permanent Missions of Uruguay, Denmark and Costa Rica to the United Nations, UN Women and UNFPA at a high-level panel event in New York organized by IPPF on 16^th March this year.  They termed SRHR as the cornerstone of gender equality.

The launching of the new report “Sexual and reproductive health and rights- the key to gender equality and women’s empowerment” took place on the 20th anniversary of the Beijing+20 Platform for Action during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). 

 IPPF Regional Director for the Western Hemisphere, Carmen Barroso opened the event with intense emphasis on the need for these women rights.   

“We can tackle inequalities and change things. This goes to the very heart of poverty eradication and development goals. Sexual and reproductive health and rights give women the ability to control their fertility which, in turn, affects many other aspects of their lives – employment, education, family life, and social and economic participation. It’s the freedom from which all other freedoms flow.”   This statement was seconded by Honorable Gonzalo Koncke, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Uruguay as he talked on Uruguay’s prioritization of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The key facts relayed by the report show that one in three women experience either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetime and that domestic workers are among the most vulnerable groups in the global workforce.  Women make up 83% of domestic workers worldwide.  The risk of maternal death is 2.7 times higher among illiterate women and girls than women with more than 12 years of education.  Globally, women make up only 22% of parliamentarians.   Estimations are that women account for two-thirds of the 1.4 billion people currently living in extreme poverty.

The new report recommends   governments, multilateral organisations and the donor community to make sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality a reality.  This is by including these rights in the post 2015 sustainable development framework and in governments’ national plans within gender and health ministries. The success of sexual and reproductive health interventions must be supported fully by prioritizing the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in the financing framework.  Engaging men and boys as partners in programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls must be considered as a crucial necessity. 
 

Sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls needs to be eradicated through protective domestic laws.   Additionally, governments must increase data collection by working with agencies such as UN so as to elevate examination of links between sexual and reproductive health and rights and the empowerment of women and girls. These recommendations, if accomplished fully, will see women and girls undergo superb transformation and enjoy a fuller life. 

Source:  http://tinyurl.com/n5u7seb, UN women