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On Monday 19 August 2019, the World Health Organisation (AFRO) awarded Dr Misaki Wayengera the 1st prize for the WHO Innovation Challenge in the Product Development Category.

Dr Wayengera (TMA2016CDF1545) and his team from Makerere University have developed a rapid test for Ebola that has the potential to be used for cross boarder screening.

Congratulations on this great achivement!

https://www.basepairbio.com/elasa-aptamer-based-elisa/

On 30 July 2019, the European Comission published an outline of its plan for the next EDCTP programme:

"This initiative aims to increase health security in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, building on the current partnership between the EU, its Member States and sub-Saharan countries."

"It will speed up the development of effective, safe, accessible and affordable health technologies and health system interventions for infectious diseases, together with African partners and international funders."

The European Commission would like to hear your views, which will be published on the website of the Commission.

The Road map for the 'EU-Africa Global Health Partnership (Horizon Europe programme)' is open to feedback for four weeks. Therefore, the deadline for a reaction is until 27 August 2019.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2019-4972489_en

Feedback will be taken into account for further development and fine-tuning of the initiative. The Commission will summarise the input received in a report explaining how the input will be taken on board and, if applicable, why certain suggestions can't be taken up.

The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Community of Scientists include the NEF Fellows and Ambassadors, Africa’s Brain Trust. The NEF Fellows Programme showcases Africa’s best young scientists on the global stage. NEF Ambassadors are the NEF’s young science and technology champions, one from each African country. Ambassadors organize Africa Science Week in their countries.

https://nef.org/nef-fellows/

Based on new evidence assessing benefits and risks, the WHO recommends the use of the HIV drug dolutegravir (DTG) as the preferred first-line and second-line treatment for all populations, including pregnant women and those of childbearing potential.  

Initial studies had highlighted a possible link between DTG and neural tube defects (birth defects of the brain and spinal cord that cause conditions such as spina bifida) in infants born to women using the drug at the time of conception. This potential safety concern was reported in May 2018 from a study in Botswana that found 4 cases of neural tube defects out of 426 women who became pregnant while taking DTG. Based on these preliminary findings, many countries advised pregnant women and women of childbearing potential to take efavirenz (EFV) instead.

New data from two large clinical trials comparing the efficacy and safety of DTG and EFV in Africa have now expanded the evidence base. The risks of neural tube defects are significantly lower than what the initial studies may have suggested. DTG is a drug that is more effective, easier to take and has fewer side effects than alternative drugs that are currently used. DTG also has a high genetic barrier to developing drug resistance, which is important given the rising trend of resistance to EFV and nevirapine-based regimens. In 2019, 12 out of 18 countries surveyed by WHO reported pre-treatment drug resistance levels exceeding the recommended threshold of 10%.

WHO press release: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/22-07-2019-who-recommends-dolutegravir-as-preferred-hiv-treatment-option-in-all-populations

WHO Guideines 2019: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/325892/WHO-CDS-HIV-19.15-eng.pdf