WHO says mpox outbreak is a global health emergency, and other top health stories

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared that the increase of mpox, formerly called monkeypox, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a number of other African nations constitutes a health emergency of international concern.

On 14 August, the WHO stated that mpox has the 'potential to spread further across countries in Africa and possibly outside the continent.'

Sweden's public health agency has already recorded what it says is the first case of a more dangerous type of mpox outside of the African continent.

Magnus added that "this case does not require any additional infection control measures in itself, but we take the outbreak of clade I mpox very seriously".

Global research must be strengthened and accelerated to prepare for future pandemics, warned the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) at the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 on 1 August in Rio de Janeiro.

They advocated for a broader research strategy, as outlined in a new WHO R&D Blueprint for Epidemics report, including entire families of human-infecting pathogens – not just those with known pandemic risk – and using prototype pathogens to develop adaptable knowledge and tools.

The approach aims to improve surveillance, understanding of pathogen transmission and immune response, the agencies said.

"This framework will help steer and coordinate research into entire pathogen families, a strategy that aims to bolster the world’s ability to swiftly respond to unforeseen variants, emerging pathogens, zoonotic spillover, and unknown threats referred to as pathogen X,” said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI.

WHO is establishing Collaborative Open Research Consortiums worldwide to foster greater collaboration, especially in high-biodiversity, resource-limited regions.

Scientists are identifying biomarkers that track Alzheimer’s progression and could enhance treatments of the disease, according to new research published in Nature.

These biomarkers, which indicate a person's medical state, aren't treatments themselves but could transform Alzheimer's therapy by detecting the disease early, potentially delaying or preventing symptoms and brain damage.

In as little as a few years, a simple blood test taken by "any family doctor" will be able to predict patients' risk of developing the disease and help slow its progression, according to Randall Bateman, a neurologist working on the research at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri.

“It’ll be just like going to get your blood cholesterol checked and then being given statins if levels are too high," he said.

Dementia, of which Alzheimer's is the most common type, affects more than 55 million people worldwide. While treatment still depends on the further development of drugs, "the biomarkers are already improving clinical trials", enabling researchers to test interventions earlier.

New research shows a fifth of medicines in Africa may be substandard or fake. Of 7,508 samples analyzed by researchers at Bahir Dar University, 1,639 failed quality tests, raising serious concerns about patient safety.

A seven-year-old boy being treated for a kidney condition has become the first child in the UK to receive surgery using the Versius Surgical Robotic System at Southampton Children's Hospital. This pioneering technology, part of a UK trial, aims to speed recovery, reduce pain and shorten hospital stays, the BBC reports.

In 2021, the top 10 causes of death accounted for 39 million of the 68 million global fatalities, the WHO reports. Cardiovascular (eg, ischaemic heart disease, stroke) and respiratory (eg, COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) conditions were the leading causes, with significant variations between high- and low-income countries. COVID-19 ranked as the second leading cause of death worldwide.

Women in hospitals wait longer and receive less pain medication than men, according to a new study, Nature reports. The research highlights how unconscious bias can affect the perception and treatment of pain.

Researchers have created a blood test that predicts male infertility risk with 74% accuracy. The AI-driven test, detailed in Scientific Reports, can identify severe infertility with 100% accuracy. However, it’s a preliminary screening tool, not a substitute for semen testing, according to lead researcher Hideyuki Kobayashi, based at Japan's Toho University School of Medicine.

The latest health technology boosted by AI in the brain of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was able to recognize words he tried to speak, and artificial intelligence helped produce sounds that came close to matching his true voice.

Oral diseases affect nearly half the global population, causing health risks and economic losses. This article examines the WHO's 2022 strategy, highlighting the need for increased public and private investment to improve oral healthcare affordability and accessibility.

Blockchain technology can enhance transparency and traceability in food supply chains, improving produce quality and accessibility, saving lives, and addressing data privacy and security issues, writes Matthew Van Niekerk, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SettleMint.

Research shows a healthy lifestyle can reduce dementia risk, even for those genetically predisposed. The World Economic Forum's Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative is investing $700 million over six years into drug development and healthcare diagnostics to help combat the disease.