Health

WHO reveals new team to investigate Covid origins

Last chance’: WHO reveals new team to investigate Covid origins

The World Health Organization has unveiled a team of scientists it wants to revive the stalled inquiry into Covid origins, with one senior official saying it may be the last chance.

The group of 26 experts will be charged with producing a new global framework for studies into the origins of emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential – and their remit includes Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Michael Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies director, said it may be the “last chance to understand the origins of this virus” in a collegiate manner.

The WHO announced earlier this year it would set up a Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (Sago).

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, said Sago would urgently assess what was now known, what still remained unknown, and what rapidly needed to be done.

“I anticipate that the Sago … will recommend further studies in China and potentially elsewhere,” she said. “There’s no time to waste in this.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Chen Xu, China’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, told the UN correspondents’ association that Sago’s work should not be “politicised”.

“If we are going to send teams to any other places, I believe it’s not to China because we have received international teams twice already,” he said. “It’s time to send teams to other places.”

In August, China rejected the WHO’s calls for a renewed inquiry on the ground into the origins of Covid-19.

Besides the current Covid crisis, a growing number of high-risk pathogens have appeared or reappeared in recent years, including Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), bird flu viruses, Lassa, Marburg and Ebola.

“The emergence of new viruses with the potential to spark epidemics and pandemics is a fact of nature, and while Sars-CoV-2 is the latest such virus, it will not be the last,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Understanding where new pathogens come from is essential for preventing future outbreaks.”

The 26 members the WHO has put forward were chosen from a field of more than 700 applications and are drawn from a range of scientific disciplines.

The team is subject to a two-week public consultation.

They include Christian Drosten, the head of Berlin’s Institute of Virology; Yungui Yang of the Beijing Institute of Genomics; Jean-Claude Manuguerra of France’s Institut Pasteur; and Inger Damon from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Several of the experts were on the joint WHO-China scientific mission investigating the origins of Covid-19: Vladimir Dedkov, Farag Elmoubasher, Thea Fischer, Marion Koopmans, Hung Nguyen and John Watson.

The terms of reference say the group must give the WHO an independent evaluation of all available scientific and technical findings from global studies on Covid origins.

It must also advise the UN health agency on developing, monitoring and supporting the next series of studies into the origins of the virus. That could include “rapid advice” on the WHO’s operational plans to implement the next series of studies into the pandemic’s origins, and advice on additional studies.

The pandemic has killed more than 4.85 million people and battered the global economy since the virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

After much delay, a WHO team of international experts went to Wuhan in January 2021 to produce a first phase report, written in conjunction with their Chinese counterparts. Their March report drew no firm conclusions, but ranked four hypotheses.

Most probable was that the virus jumped from bats to humans via an intermediate animal, it said. It judged a leak from the Wuhan virology laboratories was “extremely unlikely”.

However, the investigation faced criticism for lacking transparency and access, and for not evaluating the lab-leak theory more deeply.

Health

Akwa Ibom records five monkeypox cases

The Akwa Ibom State Government has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of monkeypox in the state, with five confirmed cases recorded so far.

The government has urged residents to be vigilant as the disease spreads across local government areas.

During an update on Friday, September 6, the state government revealed that out of 30 samples collected for diagnosis, five tested positive. The initial four confirmed cases included three males and one female, aged 2, 4, 12, and 41.

Samuel Etuk, the official in charge of disease surveillance and notification at the state Ministry of Health, confirmed the fifth case and noted that contact tracing efforts are underway while the affected individuals are in isolation.

Etuk provided details at a Media Review Meeting organized by Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP).

He emphasized the importance of community involvement in monitoring the disease, with 10 informants engaged in each of the state’s 368 political wards to report cases to health authorities.

Etuk explained that Mpox can be transmitted from animals to humans (a zoonotic process), as well as through direct or indirect human contact. Transmission can occur through contact with urine, blood, faeces, skin lesions, and oral secretions.

Symptoms of Mpox typically appear after an incubation period of 5 to 21 days and include fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, rashes, and muscle pain. The rashes often start on the face and spread to other parts of the body.

To prevent further spread, residents are advised to avoid contact with sick animals or humans, maintain proper hygiene, and report any suspected cases to health authorities or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Etuk reminded the public that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Mpox a global public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, signaling the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures.

Health

FG to establish blood collection centres in 774 LGAs

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish Blood Collection Centres in all 774 local government areas, including the FCT, to ensure availability of blood during medical emergencies and transfusions.

Abdullahi Haruna, Head, Media and Publicity, National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement quoted Prof. Saleh Yuguda, the Director-General, NBSA, as reiterating government’s commitment towards addressing blood shortages in the country as the initiative would save lives.

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“We are working tirelessly to ensure that blood needs are adequately addressed, and this initiative is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

“NBSA has partnered with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to establish a formidable blood bank at the Corp’s medical facility.

“This collaboration aims to mitigate blood shortages during medical emergencies and provide critical support to sister security agencies,” he said.

He explained that to kickstart the blood collection project, the FCT will host strategic blood collection facilities in easily accessible locations.

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“This move is expected to increase blood donation rates and ensure a steady supply of blood for medical purposes.

“The establishment of blood collection centers across Nigeria is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving the country’s healthcare system.

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“As the project rolls out, Nigerians should expect improved access to blood transfusions and better health outcomes,” he said.

The statement also disclosed that the Deputy Commandant Emeka Okeke of the NSCDC said: “this initiative will play a vital role in addressing blood shortages and saving lives.”

Health

WHO sets targets to end Mpox outbreaks in Africa

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has set a target of halting mpox outbreaks in Africa within the next six months.

This announcement came as the first vaccine shipments are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, in the coming days.

Africa, particularly the DRC, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths, has received only a fraction of the vaccines to combat the virus.

At a press briefing on Monday, September 2, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed confidence in ending the outbreaks, citing strong government leadership and collaborative partnerships.

In August, WHO declared mpox outbreaks a global emergency to spur a more robust international response even though a new strain of mpox known as clade1b, has been identified in many countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The potentially more contagious variant of the virus was detected in Congo in May, prompting heightened concerns among health officials.

WHO estimates that approximately 230,000 vaccines could soon be sent to Congo and other affected countries. The WHO is also implementing educational campaigns to inform people in outbreak areas about preventing the spread of the disease.

Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it aims to receive 380,000 vaccine doses from donors, including the US and the EU, which falls short of the quantity required to eradicate the outbreaks.