October 02, 2016
A weekly roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
The next steps after UNGA in the fight against antimicrobial resistance: On the CDDEP Blog, Associate Director for Policy Hellen Gelband discusses the next steps in the fight against antimicrobial resistance after the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance. Gelband also discusses the role of the recently-formed alliance, CARA: The Conscience of Antimicrobial Accountability, in holding global organizations to goals established in the UN’s recent declaration on antimicrobial resistance. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) also discussed the next steps in the fight against antimicrobial resistance following the UN declaration, with comments from AMR experts, including CDDEP Director Ramanan Laxminarayan. [CDDEP, CIDRAP]
US Congress allocates $1.1 billion toward Zika fight, as virus spreads in Florida and reaches Thailand. The funds are part of a larger spending bill that keeps the federal government running through December 9. Most of the funding—$935 million—is for domestic measures, with $175 million for foreign use. The domestic funds are directed toward prevention, responding to the virus, and developing treatment. Congress also approved $152 million for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for vaccine research, $394 million for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and $387 million for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ public emergency fund. More than 3,000 cases of Zika have been reported in the United States, though most cases have been contracted by people travelling abroad. [Kaiser Health News, CIDRAP]
PAHO: Measles has been eliminated in the Americas. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has declared measles eliminated in the Region of the Americas, culminating a 22-year effort of mass vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. Before mass vaccination efforts began in 1980, measles caused nearly 2.6 annual deaths worldwide, with 101,800 deaths attributable to measles between 1971 and 1979 in the Americas. The announcement of its elimination was made by the International Expert Committee for Documenting and Verifying Measles, Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination in the Americas. [PAHO/WHO]
Brazil reports more than 46,000 new cases of chikungunya. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has reported 46,446 new cases, bringing Brazil’s total to 216,102. The chikungunya outbreak began in the Americas in December 2013, on the island of St. Martin. About 303,000 cases have been reported so far in 2016. Since the outbreak began, the region has seen 2.2 million cases. [PAHO, CIDRAP]
WHO warns that air pollution affects 92 percent of the global population. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released country estimates on air pollution exposure and its health impact. The estimates come from a new air quality model, developed in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom, using satellite data from 3,000 locations, air transport models and ground station monitors. According to the model, 92 percent of the world’s population lives in places where air quality does not meet WHO standards. These estimates are the most detailed outdoor air pollution-related health data, by country, ever reported by the WHO. [WHO]
Copper-infused surfaces and linens may lower rates of healthcare-associated infections. According to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control, copper-impregnated countertops, bed rails, and linens are associated with fewer healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In a community hospital in Virginia, researchers tracked rates of multidrug resistant infections in a renovated clinical ward, which included copper-impregnated composite hard surfaces and linens, and an unrenovated ward, comparing rates before and after renovation. Based on nearly 24,000 hospitalized patients over more than two years, those in the new wing had 78 percent fewer HAIs due to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) or Clostridium difficile compared with the baseline period, while rates in the unrenovated ward were unchanged. Further study is needed to confirm the connection. [AJIC, CIDRAP]
ECDC provides directory of strategies and materials to aid in AMR control. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) offers an online directory of strategies, guidance documents and training courses for the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections. The publications and tools were published by ECDC, EU/EEA Member States, international and national agencies, and professional societies to support healthcare professionals. [ECDC]
Photo via Bjoertvedt (CC BY-SA 3.0)
