2023-12-30 14:19:00
Amal Allam wrote Saturday, December 30, 2023 04:19 PM
As we bid farewell to the year 2023, we review the most important research and…Medical achievements The year 2023 witnessed at the global level. This year witnessed the end of the national emergency for the Corona virus and monkeypox, and two malaria vaccines were developed and approved by the World Health Organization, and a vaccine for dengue fever was obtained. A pig heart was also transplanted into humans during the year 2023, and a number of people were cured. From diabetics using stem cells, the emergence of new drugs that delay the disease for years, and other medical achievements recorded in history… know their details.
The year 2023 witnessed the transplantation of pig hearts into humans.
After the first transplant of a genetically engineered pig heart into a human in early 2022, doctors this year completed the second such transplant (both surgeries were performed on a compassionate use basis because the recipients were terminally ill). Sadly, the man who received the heart In the final surgery, he died 6 weeks later, most likely because his immune system rejected the organ. Other researchers have completed successful transplant trials on people who suffered brain death. Monkeys that received a pig kidney survived for up to two years. Scientists hope they will soon be able to improve the procedures. Enough to test these technologies in clinical trials on humans soon.
The year 2023 witnessed the arrival of vaccines for the respiratory syncytial virus.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes unpleasant cold-like symptoms in most people, but the disease can be fatal in very young children or the elderly. For decades, scientists have tried to develop a vaccine to protect against RSV, but a series of… Disastrous clinical trials in the 1960s ended up making the disease more serious, leading to the deaths of two children. However, the researchers persisted, and as of this year, several safe and effective RSV vaccines have been approved by the FDA to protect… Pregnant women and the elderly.
Performing the first face and eye transplantation as well..
Organ transplants weren’t the only type of organ transplants happening this year. In May, doctors in New York City completed the first partial transplant of the entire face and eye of an Arkansas man who suffered severe electrical burns while working as a line worker. A cornea is considered routine, but this was the first time an entire human eye had been transplanted and it remained healthy six months later, according to the transplant team. The recipient, 46-year-old Aaron James, did not regain sight in that eye, but doctors say retinal tissue… The eye is healthy, and there are signs that it may be sending signals to the brain. This feat opens the door to restoring appearance – and perhaps, one day, function – for people who have suffered traumatic eye injuries.
Ending the health emergency for the Corona virus and monkeypox..
Amidst all the crises, there was also positive news this year. On May 5, after the relevant emergency committees convened, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the end of two public health emergencies of international concern: the coronavirus and the smallpox virus, while also stating that the threats posed by Both are not finished yet.
The World Health Organization said that, with the continued threat of Corona, and the imminent threat of an influenza pandemic, the World Health Organization continues to expand its networks to track respiratory pathogens that have the potential to turn into a pandemic, using its global influenza surveillance and response system and CoViNet to monitor the evolution of pathogens, Conduct risk assessments, and prepare for a potential vaccine when needed. The World Health Organization, through all its work, is committed to leveraging the gains achieved during the Corona pandemic to support Member States in confronting and successfully managing current and future threats.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, stressed that this announcement does not mean that Corona no longer poses a threat to global health, but rather that the time has come for countries to move from emergency mode to managing Corona alongside other infectious diseases.
In his announcement, the Director-General praised the innovation of researchers and vaccine developers, the difficult decisions that governments have to make, and the amazing skill and dedication of health and care workers.
As of November 2023, 72% of people worldwide have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with 13.6 billion doses administered worldwide, preventing serious illness and millions of people being hospitalized, and we are beginning to see promising signs of recovery in levels. Immunization of children after the decline that occurred during the Corona pandemic.
The year 2023 witnessed the emergence of modern techniques for treating diabetes that achieve recovery and eliminate the need for insulin using stem cells. Modern medicines and techniques have appeared to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes, representing a revolution in treatment. Stem cells have been used for type 1 diabetics, and this technology has received approval. The US Food and Drug Administration has identified some categories of patients to apply this type of treatment to, and it is not a drug. It is a stem cell transplant, which are cells that are implanted inside the body and grow and develop into insulin-secreting cells. It has been tried on a number of patients and they were completely cured of the disease. Sugar, and it is implanted in the portal vein and taken from the patient himself, or from the umbilical cord of the child.
There is also another technique, which is transplanting pancreatic cells into the body from beta cells that secrete insulin. It has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration from deceased people. Some people have completely dispensed with taking insulin, and there are patients who have reduced their insulin intake, and this is considered a success in itself. These cells are injected into the portal vein of the liver from deceased donors, and they began in Europe and Switzerland, explaining that in the United States they began to adopt and apply them.
There is also a new medicine, which is an injection that is taken daily for two weeks for people who have entered the early stages of diabetes, and certain tests are done until the treatment is taken. It delays the development of type 1 diabetes for two and a half years, and it prevents the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. There is hope that other medications will be found that work in the same way and prevent infection for a longer period.
There are also medications to treat type 2 diabetes and reduce weight, and they are in the final trial phase. One of their advantages is that they reduce weight and in the pre-diabetic stage they postpone diabetes. They will bring about a revolution in the treatment of diabetes, and it represents a revolution in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and has been approved. There are drugs that are still in final trials and represent a revolution in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
A new device represents a breakthrough in the treatment of type 1 diabetics
The British newspaper “Daily Mail” revealed a new device for patients with type 1 diabetes that eliminates the need for frequent insulin injections, which represents a revolution in the treatment of the disease, explaining that the new device reduces the need for regular injections for patients with type 1 diabetes, and the Health Service Authority in England is preparing To approve ground-breaking medical technology that has been described as “the closest thing science can provide to a cure for type 1 diabetes.”
2023 witnessed the approval of two malaria vaccines..
Another important milestone during the year was the World Health Organization’s recommendation to produce a new vaccine to prevent malaria, which provides hope for strengthening malaria prevention and saving hundreds of thousands of young people’s lives in the African region. There are now two life-saving vaccines that have been proven to be safe and effective in preventing malaria in people. children.
Dengue vaccine..
In addition, a new dengue vaccine has been recommended for introduction in places with a high disease burden, and the new vaccine offers hope in combating mosquito-borne infections, to which half the world’s population is estimated to be at risk.
Vaccine against meningitis..
At the same time, there has been promising news in the field of meningitis control, as the World Health Organization has qualified a new meningococcal vaccine for use in African meningitis belt countries, which are affected by seasonal epidemics. Men5CV has the potential to revolutionize the fight against meningitis. , as it is expected to be more affordable and available to countries in the meningitis belt than other available vaccines.
Cervical cancer..
Poor and marginalized women continue to be disproportionately affected by cervical cancer, but there is reason for optimism that strong progress is being made in HPV vaccination. Particularly encouraging is the progress made in covering the single-dose recommendation endorsed by the World Health Organization, and 30 countries have provided Others, including some countries with high levels of cervical cancer such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nigeria, bring the global total to 140 countries, which are on track to reach the 2030 goal of ensuring HPV vaccines are widely available to all. Girls all over the world.
Progress has been made in screening too: the World Health Organization has qualified a fourth test for HPV in June 2023, giving countries an additional option to implement more effective advanced screening methods to identify patients who need treatment.
Prevention and emergency response.
The year began with the World Health Organization’s response to a major earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, and ended with the horrific war in Gaza. Meanwhile, the world has witnessed many other crises, conflicts, and the continuing threat of disease outbreaks and climate change. In 2023, the World Health Organization responded to 65 State of emergency, including 22 new cases.
As the IASC-designated lead health agency, WHO coordinated health assistance provided by 900 partners to meet the needs of 107 million people affected by crises in 29 countries.
The re-emergence of many infectious diseases.
For the first time, this year witnessed the unprecedented resurgence of several infectious diseases – anthrax, chikungunya, cholera, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, dengue, diphtheria, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus – that required a coordinated regional and global response, including outbreaks. Others include Lassa fever in Nigeria and Ebola in Uganda, as well as Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Health and climate change..
In a historic first, the organizers of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) hosted a dedicated health day in response to the climate-related health crisis affecting at least 3.5 billion people – nearly half the world’s population. Extreme heat, weather events and air pollution will cause millions to die in 2023, putting enormous pressure on health systems and workforces.
The new UAE Declaration on Climate and Health (COP28) was signed by more than 130 countries at the UN Climate Conference. The declaration calls for a rapid increase in political and financial commitments, and concrete action to protect people from the devastating health impacts of the climate crisis.
In the run-up to COP28, WHO, in collaboration with global health partners, mobilized the signatures of more than 40 million health professionals calling for bold action on health and climate at the conference, and WHO also released an operational framework for building health systems. Low carbon and climate resilient, as a blueprint for a sustainable and future-proof health sector in an ever-changing climate.
Protecting people from non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders.
During the year, WHO announced that 5.6 billion people – 71% of the global population – were now protected by at least one WHO best practice policy to help save lives from tobacco, five times more than in 2007. In the 15 years since WHO’s MPOWER tobacco control measures were implemented globally, smoking rates have declined and about 40% of countries now have smoke-free indoor public spaces.
This year, Mauritius became the first country in Africa, and the Netherlands the first country in Europe, to implement the full package of WHO tobacco control policies at the highest possible level, joining only two other countries, Brazil and Turkey, who have achieved the same goal.
High blood pressure report.
In another precedent, the World Health Organization issued its first-ever report on the devastating global impact of high blood pressure: 1 in 3 adults suffer from this condition, and the report indicated that nearly 4 in 5 people with high blood pressure do not get it. On adequate treatment, but if countries can expand coverage, 76 million deaths could be avoided between 2023 and 2050.
Indeed, countries around the world are now intensifying their efforts to win the race against this silent killer. India has launched an ambitious initiative to screen and put 75 million people with high blood pressure or diabetes under standard care by 2025.
Since its establishment in 2019, the WHO Mental Health Initiative has helped provide community mental health services to an additional 50 million people, with at least 320,000 girls, boys, women and men accessing services for mental and neurological conditions.
Updating essential medicines.
The World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines List will be updated in 2023 with new inclusions for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and cancer, among other diseases. The updated list will facilitate greater access to innovative medicines and treatments that can have a significant impact on public health globally. Without jeopardizing health budgets in low- and middle-income countries.
Meanwhile, the list of essential diagnoses was updated with 8 new entries, including diabetes self-care diagnoses, and personal glucose monitors were among the additions, along with hepatitis E tests.
There has also been promising progress in supporting Member States to manage contaminated and substandard medicines. Publishing the WHO’s method for testing for contaminants in syrup medicines will help combat substandard health products that have led to the deaths of at least 300 children worldwide. .
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