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Research Roundup: Polio mutation troubles, a pandemic bond, and Kenya's launch of a generic HIV drug

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Heng Chivoan

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

July 2, 2017

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

While polio has continued on a path toward global eradication, there have still been many substantial obstacles. The most recent challenge has been the number of cases of polio reported due to the oral polio vaccine. The vaccine, containing a weakened form of the live virus, caused just over 20 cases of polio in 2017—more than the to-date cases of wild polio. Polio is considered a “smart” virus with the capability of mutating and regaining strength rapidly, causing more problems for areas of the world that rely on the live, oral polio vaccine. Even with the problems surrounding the live polio vaccine, the vaccine has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and is credited with driving down infection rates to near-zero. Once the majority of the population is vaccinated and cases of all polio infections level off, public health professionals can begin to taper off using the vaccine to ensure continued eradication.

Pandemics are among the most likely uninsured risks to occur, risk modelers have argued. A moderately severe pandemic event could cost upward of US$750 billion and affect tens of countries across the globe. To combat this financial risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a pandemic bond program to prevent this risk. The bond program—called the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEFT)—would provide substantial funds to any country affected by a pandemic, and the turnover of the funds would be quick. If a program like PEFT existed during the 2014 Ebola pandemic, millions of dollars and thousandsof lives could have been saved. Instead, countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone struggled to come up with the funds to cover the various expenses associated with pandemics. Investors are already keen on buying into the bond program, suggesting it will be successful in the long-term effort to curb the disastrous effects of a moderately severe pandemic. 

A generic version of a popular HIV antiretroviral drug recently launched in Kenya, making it the first country to debut an affordable HIV treatment. The drug launch is a part of a larger Optimal ARV Project, with the goal to increase access to treatment in areas of the world affected by HIV and AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. The antiretroviral is one that is most commonly used around the world, including the United States, with quick, positive results and minimal side-effects. While the daily regimen of taking antiretroviral drugs is still a tedious and essential set of tasks, the generic version offers poor individuals in remote-access areas the ability to use the drug with increased frequency, achieving better results, and driving down incidences of HIV.

 

Categories: HIV/AIDS, Polio, Research Roundup, Vaccines
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PATH/Mike Wang
July 6, 2017

Research Roundup: Malaria research funding uneven and inequitable, Europe's plan to combat AMR, and unverified...

Written by Taylor Capizola / GHTC
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In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. The University of Southampton studied malaria funding in Sub-Saharan Africa with the intent to map funding amounts in regions where the malaria is endemic. While global deaths due to malaria have fallen by 60 percent over the last 20 years, the parasite still kills over 400,000 individuals every year. Further, the University found that about 25 percent of Sub-Saharan African countries do not receive the funding for malaria research they need to successfully mitigate the impact of the disease. While all countries received funding for non-research purposes—such as for resources like bed nets and anti-malarial drugs—this funding is not sufficient for the regions where mosquitos carrying the parasite are becoming increasingly resistant to current drugs, vector controls, and preventative methods. A number of factors contribute to this gap in funding. Among the most critical is the lack of adequate research infrastructure in many Sub-Saharan African countries. The European Commission, in partnership with the European Union (EU), have devised and launched a new-age action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The foundation of the plan posits that AMR impacts not only human health, but also in environmental and animal health. The goal of these efforts is to make the EU a “best practice” region for combatting AMR; to boost research, development, and innovation; and to shape the global agenda. The new plan was launched to improve upon the efforts of the previous action plan, as AMR-related deaths are estimated to kill 25,000 Europeans every year. The new plan aims to address a wide range of issues related to AMR in the EU, including the varying levels of resistance around the Union, controlling agricultural practices, and controlling antimicrobial use. Quality-assured malaria drugs undergo substantial testing and verification from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). A recent study published in Malaria Today found that the private sector has made many non-quality-assured medicines available in several malaria-endemic countries. For instance, over 40 percent of private sector organizations in Kenya stock non-quality-assured drugs. These drugs have not been patient tested, have not gone through adequate clinical trials, or may have even been denied approval by regulating bodies such as WHO. Thus, not only is patient health and safety is compromised, but also these drugs have the potential to exacerbate vector- or malaria-resistance, making combating this disease more difficult.  
PATH/Claire Suni
June 25, 2017

Research Roundup: Venom, technology for smart vector control & animals as a human health threat

Written by Taylor Capizola / GHTC
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In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Researchers at the University of Maryland are employing innovative techniques in their efforts to eradicate malaria. Their approach involves injecting spider and scorpion venom into already toxic fungi, in order to kill the malaria vector. By targeting the vector using this technique, scientists may be able to kill larger populations of disease-carrying and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. The venom acts as a neurotoxin, and the fungus acts as the catalyst to transfer the toxin into the mosquito. The effects of this method were clear: First, the mosquito stopped feeding. Then, the neurotoxin killed the vector. While there are concerns about using venom in wild settings, the Environmnetal Protection Agency (EPA) has approved this method and has noted that neither the venom nor the fungus pose a threat to birds, mammals, or other insects. Not all mosquitoes carry diseases—some are simply a nuisance. When it comes to vector control, methods such as insect traps trap and kill all mosquitoes indiscriminately. This makes identifying the species known to carry diseases from among hundreds of dead vectors quite difficult. However, new traps created by Microsoft have the capacity to scan each mosquito that enters the system. If the wings match the wings of a disease-carrying species, the system traps the mosquito in its own cell. This system correctly identifies disease-carrying vectors 90 percent of the time, thus making catching and identifying specific mosquito species much easier. The system is currently expensive, with each system costing several thousand dollars. However, scientists hope to drive the price down to a few hundred dollars to allow for worldwide distribution. Researchers at EcoHealth Alliance studied viruses in animals to investigate which species pose the greatest threat to humans. The researchers found that about one-third of known animal viruses—about 200 viruses total—are zoonotic, or capable of animal-to-human transmission. The researchers then categorized which animals would most likely pose a threat to humans based upon how many of the zoonotic diseases affect each animal species, and which of those animals interact the most with humans. They found that rodents and non-human primates were the two most virally promiscuous creatures, with the highest chance of transmitting viruses to humans.