560,000 Gaza children vaccinated against polio; WHO prequalifies the first vaccine against mpox

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 13: Two good news have come from the UN Headquarters today. First was when the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that over 560,000 children in Gaza have been vaccinated against polio during the first round of our emergency campaign.

The Secretary-General said that despite extremely difficult circumstances "we reached 90% vaccination coverage in Gaza." He expressed his gratitude to health workers, partners and all involved in this huge task.

In his noon briefing, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said the first round of the emergency vaccination campaign in Gaza concluded yesterday. "In northern Gaza, during the final phase of this first round, WHO and partners reached more than 112,000 children with vaccines over the span of three days."

The spokesperson said as per OCHA the partners are set to commence the second round of the vaccination campaign in about four weeks’ time.

The second good news was when the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against mpox to be added to its prequalification list.

The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely and increased access to this vital product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak.

WHO’s assessment for prequalification is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for this vaccine.

“This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We now need urgent scale up in procurement, donations and rollout to ensure equitable access to vaccines where they are needed most, alongside other public health tools, to prevent infections, stop transmission and save lives.”

The MVA-BN vaccine can be administered in people over 18-years of age as a 2-dose injection given 4 weeks apart. After prior cold storage, the vaccine can be kept at 2–8°C for up to 8 weeks.

“The WHO prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine will help accelerate ongoing procurement of the mpox vaccines by governments and international agencies such as Gavi and Unicef to help communities on the frontlines of the ongoing emergency in Africa and beyond,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products.

“The decision can also help national regulatory authorities to fast-track approvals, ultimately increasing access to quality-assured mpox vaccine products.”

The escalating mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries was declared a PHEIC by the WHO Director-General on 14 August 2024.

Over 120 countries have confirmed more than 103 000 cases of mpox since the onset of the global outbreak in 2022. In 2024 alone, there were 252,37 suspected and confirmed cases and 723 deaths from different outbreaks in 14 countries of the African Region (based on data from 8 September 2024).

The spokesperson also flaged that a colleague of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) was killed overnight in El Far’a Camp in the West Bank. "They said that he was shot and killed on the roof of his home by a sniper, and that he is the first UNRWA staff member to have been killed in the West Bank in over ten years."

Taliban suspends polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan

GENEVA, Sept 16: The Taliban-controlled government in Afghanistan has suspended all polio vaccination campaigns in the country, according to the United Nations.

According to a report, Taliban had made no official statement and no reasoning was given for suspending vaccination campaigns ahead of planned immunization in September.

A senior official from the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that they were aware of discussions to move away from house-to-house vaccinations and carry out immunizations in mosques.

Dr Hamid Jafari from the WHO said, regarding the possibility of shifting towards site vaccinations rather than house-to-house vaccinations, “Partners are in the process of discussing and understanding the scope and impact of any change in current policy.”

In June, 2024, a nationwide campaign in Afghanistan started using the house-to-house vaccinations, which would reach a majority of children. It was found to be much more effective than the site-to-site vaccinations, popular in southern Kandahar, the base of the Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzad.

The WHO confirmed 18 cases of polio in Afghanistan this year, out of which only two are in the south of the country. This number has increased significantly from 6 cases confirmed in 2023.

Over 528,000 Children given polio vaccination in Gaza

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 11: Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric informed news persons that the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza was continuing.

Addressing a noon briefing here on Wednesday, Stéphane Dujarric said the World Health Organization informed that as of yesterday (Tuesday), more than 81,600 children under ten [in the north] had been vaccinated. "This brings the total number of children reached across Gaza to nearly 528,000."

He said more than 230 teams were on the ground trying to reach all children under the age of 10 with the first batch of the polio vaccination. "As you will recall, they will need to do this again in four weeks."

The spokesperson said that his colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that Gaza’s health-care system remained in dire condition, with the partners reporting that half of all essential medicines were not available in the Gaza Strip.

"Primary health centres are facing critically low levels of insulin. Routine vaccination to protect infants from tuberculosis, as well as diphteria, tetanus and pertussis, are also nearly exhausted."

Earlier this afternoon, he said local time in Gaza, an Israeli air strike hit an UNRWA school being used as a shelter, the New Nuseirat school in Gaza. The site had been previously deconflicted with Israeli forces.

"This is the fifth strike on the same location in the past 11 months. We are trying to confirm reports that some UNRWA staff members were killed in the attack."

In the West Bank, OCHA reported that the United Nations and our partners continue to support Palestinian civilians affected by the 10-day Israeli security operation in Jenin and Tulkarm, as well as adjacent refugee camps. The support includes the delivery of food and water, with OCHA coordinating efforts to provide additional assistance.

Over the weekend, OCHA – along with UNRWA and other humanitarian partners – began assessing the needs of Palestinians impacted by the operation. OCHA reports that more than 620 people – over a third of them children – remained displaced. As of Sunday, 2,400 housing units had been damaged, with more than 100 rendered uninhabitable.

In the Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, more than 2.6 kilometres of water and sewage networks were bulldozed during the operation, severely hindering the delivery of essential services. OCHA reports that more than 33,000 residents have been coping with water cuts and sewage flooding over the past two weeks.

In the Kafr Dan, in the Jenin Refugee Camp, and in eastern Jenin, about 70 per cent of the city’s roads and underlying water and sewage networks were bulldozed during the operation – cutting drinking water for about 35,000 residents of those areas and creating sewage flooding problems.

He said the Secretary-General last evening strongly condemned the Israeli air strikes that took place in a densely populated area designated as a safe zone by the Israeli security forces in Khan Younis and the killing of civilians, including women and children. 

The use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas was unconscionable, said the Secretary-General.

UNHCR Seeks $21.4 M To Reinforce Health Services Amid Mpox Emergency

By Deepak Arora

GENEVA, Sept 11: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, needs $21.4 million until the end of the year to urgently scale up critical response and prevention efforts for refugees in countries impacted by the mpox emergency. The appeal, launched today, aims to support 9.9 million forcibly displaced people and host communities in 35 countries across Africa.

At least 88 mpox cases have been reported among refugees in Africa, with 68 of them among refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the country that has recorded the highest number of cases globally. Cases have also been reported among refugees in the Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

Although mpox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades, the rising number of cases of the new strain of the disease, clade 1b, particularly in the DRC, led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern on 14 August. To date, there have been over 20,000 suspected cases reported in 2024 in Africa.

“This new mpox outbreak puts the most vulnerable populations at high risk, including many refugees and forcibly displaced communities living in difficult conditions,” said Allen Maina, UNHCR’s Public Health Chief. “They often live in overcrowded shelters lacking access to safe water, soap and nutritious food. For refugees and displaced communities already facing enormous challenges in accessing health care, these conditions place them at higher risk of falling sick and make it harder to protect themselves.”

Africa is home to over a third of the world's forcibly displaced people. Many reside in countries grappling with mpox transmission and find themselves in extremely vulnerable situations, compounded by protracted conflict, chronic lack of humanitarian funding and multiple disasters.

The mpox emergency threatens to further strain already overstretched humanitarian resources, potentially disrupting critical services and aid such as food distribution, education and protection activities.

“We need to support governments and partners in the mpox response to ensure that no one is left behind,” said Maina. “We need sustainable financing to strengthen health systems, water and sanitation facilities and other services, ensuring they are resilient now and in the future.”

UNHCR teams have been responding to the mpox outbreak since it first emerged in 2022, working with national and local authorities, UN agencies and other partners.

India Issues Directive Over Mpox Outbreak

NEW DELHI, Sept 9: The government has issued a directive over the Mpox outbreak and suggested screening, testing, and contact tracing of all suspected patients. States have also been asked to identify hospitals to prep isolation facilities for treating suspected as well as confirmed cases.

The centre has also directed a review of public health preparedness by senior officials.

The most common symptom is rash (including symmetrical or genital rash), followed by fever, the government directive said citing the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO has declared the Mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but assessed the risk of the spread of the disease to be moderate beyond Africa.

Most Mpox cases are found among young men in the 18-44 years age group, the directive said. Sexual contact is the most commonly reported modes of Mpox transmission globally, followed by person-to-person non-sexual contact.

The mpox virus was discovered in Denmark (1958) in monkeys kept for research and the first reported human case was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, 1970).

No confirmed case has been reported from India so far, but a man who recently returned from a country where confirmed cases have been reported was isolated on Sunday and his samples are being tested. His conditions is reported as stable.

Over 120 countries have reported Mpox cases between January 2022 and August 2024, according to the WHO. There have been over 100,000 lab-confirmed cases and around 220 deaths. This includes five Mpox cases in Pakistan, reports Geo News.

According to the WHO, a vaccine can help prevent the infection. It can also be administered after a person has been in contact with someone found infected with Mpox.

Second Round Of Polio Vaccination Concludes; 256,000 Children given doses in Khan Younis, Rafah

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 9: Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric ,has informed that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and its partners have concluded the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign on Sunday in southern Gaza.

In his noon briefing, Stéphane Dujarric , said over 256,000 children under 10 years in Khan Younis and Rafah were reached over a period of four days during the second phase of the vaccination campaign.

OCHA stated that the initial round of the campaign was now almost 70 per cent complete – with more than 446,000 children vaccinated out of 640,000 targeted during this first round. The second round of vaccination is expected to start in about four weeks’ time.

The last phase of this first round is set to begin tomorrow (Tuesday) in northern Gaza. However, new evacuation orders issued for parts of the north include areas where local pauses had been agreed for polio vaccination. About 5,000 displaced people sheltering in seven collective centres, mostly buildings that had been used as schools, are among those affected by this order – that’s according to the initial assessments by our humanitarian partners.

OCHA warned that repeated evacuation orders were deepening the humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza. “As of today, more than 55 evacuation orders remain in effect, covering up to 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip. These directives – coupled with active hostilities, attacks on aid convoys, and the destruction of key roads, the presence of unexploded ordnance, and a lack of public order and safety – are impeding aid operations in Gaza,”.

Access delays and denials have also continued to significantly constrain humanitarian access. OCHA reported that the number of humanitarian missions and movements within Gaza that were denied access by the Israeli authorities nearly doubled in August as compared to July – with 105 missions and movements denied last month, versus 53 the previous month.

India reports suspected Mpox case, patient's condition stable

NEW DELHI, Sept 8: A young male patient who recently returned from a country with ongoing Mpox (monkeypox) transmission has been identified as a suspected case of the virus, the Union health ministry said on Friday. The patient has been placed in isolation at a designated hospital and is reportedly in stable condition.

The health ministry confirmed that samples have been taken and are undergoing testing to verify whether the patient has contracted Mpox.

“Samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox. The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the ministry said in a statement.

The government has assured that the situation is under control, stating that the development is consistent with previous risk assessments conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“There is no cause of any undue concern,” the ministry said. “The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel related case and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk.”

The suspected Mpox case was detected in India three weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.

Meanwhile, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO launched a continent-wide response plan to the Mpox outbreak on Friday. The six-month plan, with an estimated budget of nearly $600 million, will focus on surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement, according to Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya.

On Thursday, Congo received its first batch of 100,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine, donated by the European Union through HERA, the EU's health emergency agency.

These vaccines are seen as vital in protecting health workers and vulnerable populations. However, the doses received represent only a small fraction of the 3 million vaccines needed to end the outbreak in Congo, which remains the epicentre of the global health crisis.

Kaseya confirmed that the vaccine rollout would initially target adults who have been in close contact with infected individuals, as well as sex workers. However, the vaccination campaign’s start date remains unclear. The European Medicines Agency is evaluating data for potential administration to children aged 12 to 17, with a decision expected by the end of the month.

189,000 children vaccinated for polio in Gaza: UNICEF Regional Director Khodr

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 4: In the first phase of the three-day polio campaign, over 189,000 children under 10 years old have been vaccinated in the central area of the Gaza Strip, according to Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Approximately 513 teams were deployed across the area.

He said the past three days have brought a rare bright spot amid the disastrous conflict in the Gaza Strip. “After almost a year of families experiencing horrors no man, woman or child should ever have to endure, this week we saw what can be achieved with, simply, will,” he added.

Adele Khodr said “the risk of polio spreading within Gaza and even beyond, especially to neighbouring countries, remains high. This week, we began to address it. UNICEF, UNRWA and WHO are working tirelessly to roll out a campaign in Gaza to vaccinate 640,000 children under 10 years of age.”

Speaking to newsmen in his daily briefing at the UN Headquarters, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General has been following very closely the campaign against polio in the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary-General has been moved by images of young children receiving their vaccinations in the midst of rubble and utter ruin. It is clear to him that the polio pauses are a rare ray of hope and humanity in the cascade of horror that we have seen in Gaza.

The Secretary-General commends everyone involved in this polio vaccination campaign, especially the extraordinary humanitarians leading this effort.

“This coordinated action is a contrast to what Gaza has endured since the acts of terror unleashed by Hamas in Israel on 7 October, said António Guterres.

The spokesperson said that Gaza has become synonymous with relentless bloodshed - most recently the killing of six hostages, which the Secretary-General utterly condemned.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for the immediate release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire.

If the parties can act to protect children from a deadly virus, he said, surely, they can and must act to protect children and all innocents from the horrors of war, he added.
However, Adele Khodr said “none of this can be achieved without the area-specific humanitarian pauses to ensure healthcare workers and children can engage in the campaign without risking their lives. The agreed pauses were respected in this first phase, giving families and health workers the confidence to get the job done.

“This must continue. Without a polio pause to implement the remaining two phases of the campaign, we will fail to protect the children of Gaza and place other children in the region at risk. We must reach at least 90 per cent vaccination coverage to stop the virus from spreading,” Adele Khodr said.

UNFPA urges private sector to invest in women employees' sexual and reproductive health

By Deepak Arora

BANGKOK/NEW DELHI, Sept 4: Across Asia and the Pacific, millions of women are employed in the garment and manufacturing sectors – the majority are young, often migrants, and from low-income families with limited access to healthcare and education. These issues are compounded by a lack of access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, which directly affects their health, job retention, and productivity.

As the world marks Sexual Health Day, UNFPA Asia-Pacific calls on businesses across the region to prioritize investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as garment and textile factories. Evidence shows that supporting women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in the workplace can drive significant economic and productivity gains, while fostering healthier, more engaged employees.

UNFPA’s Return on Investment Tool (ROI-T) provides businesses with a concrete framework to assess the financial returns of investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights in the workplace. The tool demonstrates that workplace programmes addressing women’s health issues – including menstrual health, anemia and sexual and reproductive health – offer health improvements and significant cost savings for companies.

UNFPA has trained 75 private sector companies in the Philippines to provide family planning sessions for female employees, developed awareness-raising resources for trainers on gender-based violence in South Asia’s largest lingerie manufacturing factory based in Sri Lanka, and is collaborating with garment manufacturers in Bangladesh to ensure workers have access to essential health services.

"Businesses that invest in the health and well-being of their employees are positioning themselves for long-term economic success. The data is clear: when women’s sexual and reproductive health needs are met, companies reap substantial financial rewards, creating a win-win scenario for both businesses and their employees, with improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, and overall employees’ job satisfaction,” said Pio Smith, UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

One compelling example of the economic and social benefits of investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights is at Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel manufacturer, where its Project Pravah, a menstrual health initiative, has provided support to the needs of its predominantly female workforce.

The latest case study, ‘The Health and Economic Benefits of Investing in a Menstrual Health Programme in the Workplace,’ was developed to assess the benefits of Project Pravah and, by using the ROI-T, to demonstrate the financial benefits of expanding the project to one additional Shahi factory.

By providing biometric-enabled sanitary pad vending machines and delivering comprehensive awareness training on women’s health issues, Shahi witnessed a 22 per cent increase in the use of sanitary pads and a 15 per cent decrease in women feeling unwell during their menstrual cycle. Based on ROI-T projections, the estimated return should Shahi decide to expand the project to another one of its factories is US$2.90 for every US$1 invested​.

"As an employer of over 100,000 employees, 70 per cent of whom are women, Shahi understands the unique health and well-being needs of our workforce. Recognizing the direct impact on personal and professional development, we've adopted a systemic and evidence-based approach towards- worker well-being. By collaborating with researchers and global organizations, we have designed and conducted test interventions to scale up programmes that truly address the diverse needs of our employees, with a special focus on women’s health and well-being” said Deepak Rautela, Associate Vice President of Organizational Development at Shahi.

UNFPA’s ROI-T underscores the economic viability of such programmes and serves as a tool for companies to calculate their own potential benefits from similar investments.

"Working in partnership with UNFPA, we have been able to design programmes that prioritize the health and well-being of women in the workforce, making a measurable difference in employee well-being, especially women's health, and businesses benefits from such investments," added Lavanya Garg, Director, Partnerships and People Operations from Good Business Lab.

As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA advocates for companies across the region, and beyond, to take action by leveraging the use of the ROI-T and adopting sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes that can generate lasting health and economic benefits.

UNICEF issues emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines for crisis-hit countries

By Deepak Arora

NEW YORK, Sept 1: UNICEF hasy announced that it has issued an emergency tender for the procurement of mpox vaccines. Vaccines can play a critical role in containing the mpox outbreak which was declared a public health emergency by both the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The UNICEF tender is issued to help secure mpox vaccines for the hardest hit countries in collaboration with Africa CDC, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, the Pan American Health Organization and other partners. This collaboration to increase access and timely allocation also includes working together to facilitate donations of vaccines from existing stockpiles in high-income countries with the aim of containing the ongoing transmission of mpox.

Under the emergency tender, UNICEF will set up conditional supply agreements with vaccine manufacturers. This will enable UNICEF to purchase and ship vaccines without delay once countries and partners have secured financing, confirmed demand and readiness, and the regulatory requirements for accepting the vaccines are in place. WHO is currently reviewing the information submitted by manufacturers on 23 August and is expected to complete its review for Emergency Use Listing by mid-September.

More than 18,000 suspected cases of mpox, including 629 deaths, have been reported this year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is at the epicentre of the crisis. Four out of five deaths have been in children.

“Addressing the current mpox vaccine shortage and delivering vaccines to communities who need them now is of paramount importance. There is also a pressing need for a universal and transparent allocation mechanism to ensure equitable access to mpox vaccines,” said Director of UNICEF Supply Division Leila Pakkala.

“As we confront the ongoing Mpox outbreak, the timely procurement and distribution of vaccines is crucial to protecting the most vulnerable populations, particularly in the hardest-hit regions. This emergency tender is a critical step forward in our collective effort to control the spread of this disease. Africa CDC is committed to ensuring that vaccines are allocated swiftly and equitably across the continent, in partnership with UNICEF, Gavi, WHO, and other key stakeholders. Our unified response is essential to curbing the impact of this public health emergency and safeguarding the health and well-being of our communities,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.

“With several partners working on securing access to supply, today’s announcement represents an important step in this emergency, enabling UNICEF to purchase and deliver vaccines after Gavi and other partners make funding available and sign purchase or donation agreements with manufacturers for the most immediate dose needs,” said Dr Derrick Sim, interim Chief Vaccine Programmes and Markets Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

“Securing access to supply and financing, delivering doses, and in parallel ensuring countries are ready to administer them, are all vital actions that need to be conducted rapidly but thoroughly, and in a coordinated manner. We welcome this tender as another positive step our Alliance and Africa CDC are taking in this response.”

“A swift, coordinated, and equitable response is critical to controlling the current mpox emergency and preventing future ones,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO incident manager for the global mpox response and acting Director for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention.

“All of us must act decisively now or risk allowing mpox to spread further and become an even greater global threat. In an interconnected world, the fight against mpox – as with other infectious diseases and health threats -- cannot be waged alone., WHO is glad to partner with UNICEF, Gavi, Africa CDC, other partners and affected countries to get life-saving tools to people in need.”

The emergency tender is designed to secure immediate access to available mpox vaccines as well as to expand production. Depending on demand, production capacity of manufacturers and funding, agreements for up to 12 million doses through 2025 can be put in place.

Vaccines are one of several tools used to interrupt transmission and to protect children and communities against mpox. Africa CDC, Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, and partners are also prioritizing infection prevention and control, and risk communication and community engagement. As part of this, UNICEF is deploying personal protection equipment, diagnostic tests, medical treatment kits, hygiene supplies and tents to countries at the forefront of the crisis. These supplies support a host of medical countermeasures such as treatment, case isolation and surveillance.

Mpox outbreak: Pakistan's Peshawar emerging as ‘epicentre’

ISLAMABAD, Sept 2: With rising concerns about the new strain of the mpox virus, Peshawar in Pakistan is becoming the “epicentre” of the outbreak, as the fifth case was reported on Sunday, according to Geo News.

The most recent patient, a 47-year-old man, tested positive on August 29 after being isolated by Border Health Services staff. He had recently returned from the Gulf region.

"This is the fifth mpox case reported this year [in the country] and the fourth since WHO declared mpox a global health emergency," said Federal Director General of Health Shabana Saleem was quoted as saying on Sunday. "The virus's re-emergence in Peshawar raises serious concerns about its transmission and demands immediate action," she added.

“Peshawar appears to be turning into an epicentre for mpox cases. This trend is alarming, and we are doubling our efforts to prevent further spread,” she said.

Saleem also stressed the importance of vigilance, pointing out that all recent cases involved individuals who had travelled to the Gulf region.

The fourth case was identified in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, where authorities had previously confirmed three other virus infections.

What is MPox?

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has been a public health issue in parts of Africa for over 50 years but resurfaced as a global concern in 2022. On August 14, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a new health emergency due to the 'clade 1b' strain of the virus, which has led to over 18,000 suspected cases and 615 deaths in Congo this year, along with additional cases reported in other regions including Africa, Sweden, and Thailand.

The WHO has declared the ongoing mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency, aiming to prompt a strong global response to the disease, which has been spreading largely unnoticed for years in parts of the continent, including Nigeria. In May, scientists identified a new variant of the virus in Congo that may be spreading more easily.

Experts have noted that without a deeper understanding of how mpox is transmitted in Africa, it will be challenging to determine the most effective use of vaccines.

Novel Blood Test Accurately Detects Fatal Brain Cancers In 60 Minutes

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept 1: Scientists have created a novel method for detecting brain cancer that is faster and less invasive than typical surgical biopsies. The newly developed 'liquid biopsy' uses only 100 microlitres of blood and can detect biomarkers associated with glioblastoma-the most prevalent and lethal type of brain tumour-in just one hour.

The test, which is more accurate than any known approach for detecting glioblastoma, is described by its researchers as having "near turn-key functionality.

A team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame in the United States collaborated with Australian scientists to develop the new approach. While still in its early stages, this proof of concept marks a huge step forward in brain cancer diagnosis.

According to a release by University Of Notre Dam, the average glioblastoma patient survives 12-18 months after diagnosis. The crux of the diagnostic is a biochip that uses electrokinetic technology to detect biomarkers, or active Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in certain cancers such as glioblastoma and found in extracellular vesicles.

"Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells. They are big - 10 to 50 times bigger than a molecule - and they have a weak charge. Our technology was specifically designed for these nanoparticles, using their features to our advantage," said Hsueh-Chia Chang, the Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Notre Dame and lead author of the study about the diagnostic published in Communications Biology.

The challenge for researchers was two-fold: to develop a process that could distinguish between active and non-active EGFRs, and create a diagnostic technology that was sensitive yet selective in detecting active EGFRs on extracellular vesicles from blood samples.