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01 / 05
Rate of TB Diagnosis, Treatment in Africa Increasing

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Rate of TB Diagnosis, Treatment in Africa Increasing

“About 70% of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the African region are now being diagnosed and treated, marking the highest case-detection rate in the region ever, thanks to concerted efforts by countries to address the threat of the disease.

Although the case detection rate has been on the rise since 2018, the region saw a significant increase between 2020 and 2022, rising from 60% to 70% of cases being detected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2023. There has also been a notable reduction in the region in the number of people with TB who miss diagnosis. An estimated 700 000 people missed diagnosis in 2022, a 10% reduction compared with 2021.”

From World Health Organization.

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Visceral Leishmaniasis Drug Enters Phase II Trial in Ethiopia

“Also known as kala-azar, visceral leishmaniasis is the world’s deadliest parasitic killer after malaria.

It causes fever, weight loss, spleen and liver enlargement, and, if not treated, death. Kala-azar is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies and is endemic in 80 countries, mainly in Eastern Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. One billion people are at risk globally and Eastern Africa has currently the highest number of cases. As for other vector-borne diseases, climate change is changing the epidemiology of leishmaniasis and could lead to its expansion to new areas. An estimated 50,000 to 90,000 new cases occur worldwide annually, and half are children under 15 years of age.

In Africa, the current treatment for visceral leishmaniasis includes painful injections given at hospital daily for 17 days, a treatment that may also present rare but life-threatening side effects, including to the heart, liver, and pancreas. In contrast, the new molecule under study in Ethiopia, called LXE408, is administered in the form of oral pills and is expected to be safer than the current treatment.”

From World Health Organization.

Financial Times | Communicable Disease

EU Approves New Antibiotic to Tackle Rise of Superbugs

“The EU has approved a new antibiotic for serious illnesses such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections, marking a step forward in the drive to combat the growing resistance of “superbugs” to existing drugs.

Emblaveo, marketed in Europe by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, combines two existing medicines to tackle so-called Gram-negative bacteria that are among the leading drug-resistance threats.”

From Financial Times.

Reuters | Vaccination

Nigeria Becomes First Country to Roll out New Meningitis Vaccine

“Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out the “revolutionary” new Men5CV vaccine against meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said…

The new vaccine is reported to protect against the five major strains of the disease that are prevalent in Nigeria, unlike the initial vaccine that works against only one strain, said the WHO.”

From Reuters.

NBC News | Vaccination

Chlamydia Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Trial

“An early-stage clinical trial yielded promising results for a chlamydia vaccine, researchers reported Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 

There is currently no vaccine to protect against the sexually transmitted infection, which is the most common bacterial STI in the United States…

The phase 1 clinical trial, led by researchers in the United Kingdom and Denmark, found that the experimental vaccine was safe and induced an immune response.”

From NBC News.