The power of individuals and the dependency of nations in global eradication and immunisation campaigns

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Muraskin
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Social Consciousness ◽  
Global Alliance ◽  
Moral Imperative ◽  
Eradication Campaign ◽  
Greater Good ◽  
Global Eradication ◽  
Gates Foundation

I have intensively focused on the International Task Force on Hepatitis B Immunisation – led by James Maynard, Alfred Prince and Richard Mahoney; the Children’s Vaccine Initiative led by or influenced by Scott Halstead, Philip Russell and Roy Widdus; the Bill and Melinda Gates’ Children’s Vaccine Programme led by Mark Kane and James Maynard; the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization created by Mark Kane, Tore Godal, Jacques-Francois Martin, Steve Landry and Amy Bateson; the Rockefeller Foundation’s Public-Private Partnership project single-handedly championed by Ariel Pablos-Mendez (with the support of Timothy Evans) – many of which were ultimately adopted by the Gates Foundation and (incorrectly) seen as originating with it; and the global polio eradication campaign conceived by William Foege, Alan Hinman, Ciro de Quadros and run by Bruce Alyward. Driven by a powerful moral imperative and social consciousness, these dozen and a half men fought to make things happen that under normal circumstances would not have happened in the fight to save the lives of countless children using vaccines and immunisation as their tools. Among their supporters have been many engaged and committed vaccine champions within the scientific community: scientist/activists working for what they believed was clearly the ‘Greater Good’.

scholarly journals Some lessons for malaria from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matiana González-Silva ◽  
N. Regina Rabinovich
Keyword(s):  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Vaccine Virus ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Polio Virus ◽  
History Of ◽  
Eradication Campaign ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative ◽  
Governance Strategy ◽  
Malaria Eradication ◽  
Near Future

AbstractThe Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched in 1988 with the aim of completely clearing wild polio viruses by 2000. More than three decades later, the goal has not been achieved, although spectacular advances have been made, with wild polio virus reported in only 2 countries in 2019. In spite of such progress, novel challenges have been added to the equation, most importantly outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio cases resulting from reversion to neurovirulence of attenuated vaccine virus, and insufficient coverage of vaccination. In the context of the latest discussions on malaria eradication, the GPEI experience provides more than a few lessons to the malaria field when considering a coordinated eradication campaign. The WHO Strategic Advisory Committee on Malaria Eradication (SAGme) stated in 2020 that in the context of more than 200 million malaria cases reported, eradication was far from reach in the near future and, therefore, efforts should remain focused on getting back on track to achieve the objectives set by the Global Technical Strategy against Malaria (2016–2030). Acknowledging the deep differences between both diseases and the stages they are in their path towards eradication, this paper draws from the history of GPEI and highlights relevant insights into what it takes to eradicate a pathogen in fields as varied as priority setting, global governance, strategy, community engagement, surveillance systems, and research. Above all, it shows the critical need for openness to change and adaptation as the biological, social and political contexts vary throughout the time an eradication campaign is ongoing.

scholarly journals The seasonality of cholera in sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Perez-Saez ◽  
Justin Lessler ◽  
Elizabeth C. Lee ◽  
Francisco J. Luquero ◽  
Espoir B. Malembaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Gates Foundation

Background Cholera remains a major threat in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where some of the highest case fatality risks are reported. Knowing in what months and where cholera tends to occur across the continent can aid in improving efforts to eliminate cholera as a public health concern; though largely due to lack of unified large-scale datasets, no continent-wide estimates exist. In this study we aim to estimate cholera seasonality across SSA. Methods We leverage the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) global cholera database with statistical models to synthesize data across spatial and temporal scale in order to infer the seasonality of excess suspected cholera occurrence in SSA. We developed a Bayesian statistical model to infer the monthly risk of excess cholera at the first and/or second administrative levels. Seasonality patterns were then grouped into spatial clusters. Finally, we studied the association between seasonality estimates and hydro-climatic variables. Findings The majority of studied countries (24/34) have seasonal patterns in excess cholera, corresponding to approximately 85% of the SSA population. Most countries (19/24) also had sub-national differences in seasonality patterns, with strong differences in seasonality strength between regions. Seasonality patterns clustered into two macro-regions (West Africa and the Sahel vs. Eastern and Southern Africa), which were composed of sub-regional clusters with varying degrees of seasonality. Exploratory association analysis found most consistent and positive correlations between cholera seasonality and precipitation, and to a lesser extent with temperature and flooding. Interpretation Widespread cholera seasonality in SSA offers opportunities for intervention planning. Further studies are needed to study the association between cholera and climate. Funding The NASA Applied Sciences Program and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

scholarly journals The ‘Astronomy for the Public’ Task Force

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 550-551
Author(s):  
Carolina J. Ödman-Govender ◽  
Ian E. Robson
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
General Public ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Scientific Thinking ◽  
The Public ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Force Range ◽  
The Universe

AbstractOne of the ways in which astronomy can stimulate development is by raising awareness of our place in the universe among the general public. This contributes to inspiring people and brings the scientific community and scientific thinking closer to everyone. The IAU OAD has set up one task force dedicated to ‘Astronomy for the Public’. Proposed activities of the task force range from low-tech astronomy outreach to citizen science. We will present the task force, its objectives and potential developmental impacts for the first few years of operation.

Polio eradication campaign loses ground

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 365 (6449) ◽  
pp. 106-107
Author(s):  
Leslie Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Eradication Campaign

scholarly journals Collecting birds: the importance of moral debate

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Bekoff ◽  
Andrzej Elzanowski
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Recent Article ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Moral Imperative ◽  
Moral Debate

In a recent article in this journal, Remsen (1995) attacked moral (and other) objections to killing birds for museum collections, objections that are frequently raised by the general public and scientific community alike. The only grounds for moral objections against killing birds that Remsen considers and rejects are reverence for all life or personal (p. 157; all page references refer to Remsen 1995), that is sentimental (p. 165) reasons. What Remsen ignores is avian sentience and the moral imperative of respecting it.

Polio Eradication Initiative in India: Deconstructing the GPEI

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Sathyamala ◽  
Onkar Mittal ◽  
Rajib Dasgupta ◽  
Ritu Priya
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative ◽  
Global Eradication ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
The U.S

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) promised eradication of polio by the year 2000 and certification of eradication by 2005. The first deadline is already a matter of history. With the reporting of polio cases in 2004, the new deadline for polio eradication by 2004 is postponed further. This article seeks to argue that the scientific and technical bodies spearheading the GPEI, including the WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, have formulated a conceptually flawed strategy and that it is not weak political will that is the central obstacle in this final push for global eradication. The validity of the claims of “near success” by the proponents of the GPEI is also examined in detail. By taking India as a case study, the authors examine the achievements of the GPEI in nine years of intense effort since 1995. They conclude that the GPEI is yet another exercise in mismanaging the health priorities and programs in developing countries in the era of globalization.

scholarly journals CYTO Lab Hacks: A platform for the exchange of innovations in cytometry

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Bispo ◽  
Bunny Cotleur ◽  
Christopher Hall ◽  
Virginia Litwin ◽  
Jakub Nedbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Experimental Protocols ◽  
Software Code

This article reports on a conference workshop conducted at CYTO 2019. This workshop centered on an online directory for non-commercial cytometry innovations called CYTO Lab Hacks. The CYTO Lab Hacks website is being developed to become a curated platform to collate and to promote cytometry related materials developed by the wider scientific community. The website will present brief summaries and links to repositories with experimental protocols, descriptions of hardware changes, document templates, software code, and other innovations. The workshop outcomes, summarized in this manuscript, cover the topics of the website functionality and user experience, organization of the volunteer task force, and understanding the needs of the cytometry community in respect to sharing innovations.

scholarly journals The role of genetic sequencing and analysis in the polio eradication programme

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Jorgensen ◽  
Margarita Pons-Salort ◽  
Alexander G Shaw ◽  
Nicholas C Grassly
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Eradication Programme ◽  
Genetic Sequencing ◽  
Serotype 1 ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Eradication Campaign ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Abstract Genetic sequencing of polioviruses detected through clinical and environmental surveillance is used to confirm detection, identify their likely origin, track geographic patterns of spread, and determine the appropriate vaccination response. The critical importance of genetic sequencing and analysis to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has grown with the increasing incidence of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) infections in Africa specifically (470 reported cases in 2019), and globally, alongside persistent transmission of serotype 1 wild-type poliovirus in Pakistan and Afghanistan (197 reported cases in 2019). Adapting what has been learned about the virus genetics and evolution to address these threats has been a major focus of recent work. Here, we review how phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods have been used to trace the spread of wild-type polioviruses and identify the likely origins of VDPVs. We highlight the analysis methods and sequencing technology currently used and the potential for new technologies to speed up poliovirus detection and the interpretation of genetic data. At a pivotal point in the eradication campaign with the threat of anti-vaccine sentiment and donor and public fatigue, innovation is critical to maintain drive and overcome the last remaining circulating virus.

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