The Nation Newspaper

Tag: The World Health Organisation {WHO}

  • Hospitals to get new drug on excessive bleeding —WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) Department of Reproductive Health has assured that the groundbreaking drug for excessive bleeding after childbirth, Carbetocin, will be available in commercial quantity and in Nigerian hospitals by August this year.

    Results from the largest study conducted in Prevention of Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) with nearly 30,000 women, in Nigeria and nine other low and lower-middle income countries, by WHO, were published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

    Prof. Klaus Dugi, Chief Medical Officer, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and member of the WHO medical team, informed that the process of registering and manufacture of affordable heat-stable carbetocin for low- and lower-middle income countries that have a high burden of maternal mortality has also begun.

    Every year, 14 million women are affected by PPH. Although most deaths are preventable, PPH is the leading direct cause of maternal death worldwide, causing approximately 70,000 deaths per year. It remains a major cause of maternal death in Nigeria.

    Studies in Nigeria and other developing countries have revealed degradation and loss of efficacy in oxytocin ampoules, which could be due to inadequate storage and distribution conditions, hence the need for the heat-stable carbetocin product.

    Research shows that heat-stable carbetocin remains effective at high temperatures, an answer to the limitation of oxytocin which must be stored and transported at 2 – 8°C.

    “Carbetocin maintains effectiveness for at least three years at 30°C and six months at 40°C and has the potential to save thousands of women’s lives in Nigeria and other low- and lower-middle income countries, where 99 percent of PPH-related deaths occur and where the refrigeration of medicines can be difficult to achieve and maintain,” said Dugi.

    The clinical study was conducted by the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research, including the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), using Ferring’s heat-stable carbetocin, and funded by MSD for Mothers.

  • 18m people lack access to HIV treatment 

    18m people lack access to HIV treatment 

    Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

    As the world marks this year’s World AIDS Day, the world Health Organisation (WHO) has released new guidelines on HIV self-testing to improve access to and uptake of HIV diagnosis.

    According to a new WHO progress report, lack of an HIV diagnosis is a major obstacle to implementing the Organisation’s recommendation that everyone with HIV should be offered antiretroviral therapy (ART).

    The report revealed that more than 18 million people with HIV are currently taking ART, and a similar number is still unable to access treatment, the majority of which are unaware of their HIV positive status.

    Today, 40 percent of all people with HIV (over 14 million) remain unaware of their status. Many of these are people at higher risk of HIV infection who often find it difficult to access existing testing services.

    “Millions of people with HIV are still missing out on life-saving treatment, which can also prevent HIV transmission to others,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “HIV self-testing should open the door for many more people to know their HIV status and find out how to get treatment and access prevention services.”

    HIV self-testing means people can use oral fluid or blood- finger-pricks to discover their status in a private and convenient setting. Results are ready within 20 minutes or less. Those with positive results are advised to seek confirmatory tests at health clinics. WHO recommends they receive information and links to counselling as well as rapid referral to prevention, treatment and care services.

    HIV self-testing is a way to reach more people with undiagnosed HIV and represents a step forward to empower individuals, diagnose people earlier before they become sick, bring services closer to where people live, and create demand for HIV testing. This is particularly important for those people facing barriers to accessing existing services.

    Between 2005 and 2015 the proportion of people with HIV learning of their status increased from 12 percent to 60 percent globally. This increase in HIV testing uptake worldwide has led to more than 80 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV receiving ART.

     

  • U.S. researcher contracts Zika

    U.S. researcher contracts Zika

    A U.S. researcher who contracted Zika virus after pricking herself with a needle during an experiment last month, has returned to work, the University of Pittsburgh said on Friday.

    There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of diseases, including dengue and chikungunya, and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes.

    “The unidentified researcher accidentally stuck herself on May 23 and showed fever and other possible symptoms on June 1.

    “She returned to work on June 6 when she no longer had a fever.

    “ On Wednesday, the university was informed that a blood sample from the researcher tested positive for a Zika infection,” the spokesperson for the university, Joe Miksch, said.

    The Director of Health Department, Karen Hacker, said in a statement that the incident was the fourth confirmed case of Zika virus in the Allegheny County, but declined to give details.

    “In spite of this rare incident, there is still no current risk of contracting Zika from mosquitoes in the university,’’ it said.

    U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that there was strong scientific consensus that Zika could also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that caused temporary paralysis in adults.

    The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,400 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in mothers.

    To reduce the chance of virus transmission, the Pittsburgh researcher is using insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites, besides wearing pants and garments with long sleeves.

  • Yellow fever spreads to DR Congo, kills 21

    Yellow fever spreads to DR Congo, kills 21

    The World Health Organisation {WHO} has announced the outbreak of yellow fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo {DRC}.

    According to WHO, yellow fever has claimed the live of 21 people and spreading to the neighbouring country of Angola.

    In a statement WHO, the deaths had occurred in January to March, with 151 suspected cases recorded and there  a serious risk of further spread of the disease in DRC.

    The acute, mosquito-borne viral disease has killed 225 people in Angola and infected about 1,600 there.

    The statement stated further that the DRC health authorities had set up a national committee to respond to the outbreak, including “screening and sanitary controls” on the country’s borders.

    People travelling to Angola will now be vaccinated against the disease, it added.

    The DRC’s health ministry has in addition activated a contingency plan which includes more community engagement to fight the disease and better training of health workers.

    is a virus that can cause bleeding, jaundice and kidney failure, It is spread by mosquitoes, usually the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same species that spreads the Zika virus.

    It is endemic in tropical regions of Africa and South America.