(VOR News) – In an interview conducted at the Euronews Health Summit, the COVID health commissioner emphasised that the approach to developing EU health policy that was established during the COVID-19 epidemic cannot be reversed.

This is the reason it should remain a primary priority.

Outgoing Cypriot Commissioner Kyriakides emphasised the significant impact of the outbreak on EU health policy in an exclusive interview that coincides with tomorrow’s Euronews Health Summit. In conjunction with the summit, the interview was conducted.

We observed a paradigm shift in the realm of health as a result of COVID-19. “It was a clear demonstration to us that, as member states, we are more powerful when we collaborate and work together,” she concluded.

Upon his election to the presidency in 2019, Kyriakides’ initial objectives were to address the issue of antibiotic resistance, revitalise the pharmaceutical industry in the European Union, and advance significant initiatives, including the European Union’s Beating Cancer Plan and the European Health Data Space.

The summit is expected to address two topics: the Data Space and the European Union’s Critical Medicines Strategy.

Conversely, the introduction of COVID-19 resulted in a modification of her mandate, which led to the establishment of the European Health Union with the objective of improving the preparedness and resilience of health systems.

Kyriakides identified the advancements that have been achieved in the pursuit of a more comprehensive strategy that considers climate change and all other pertinent health-related factors during her reflections on her time.

There are always COVID incidents that should have been handled better.

Conversely, she asserted, “We have accomplished a substantial change in our comprehension of health.”

Ongoing concerns

One of the Commissioner’s most noteworthy accomplishments during the pandemic was the timely and effective distribution of vaccinations to all member states of the European Union.

“That moment was very special in my mandate,” Kyriakides stated after reflecting on the event.

She emphasised that the European Commission that will be established in the future should prioritise the preservation of health as the primary objective on the political agenda. The numerous decisions that were made will now be COVID implemented following the conclusion of the European Health Union.

The next leadership team will still need to prioritise critical issues, including the improvement of the Beat Cancer Plan and the provision of treatment for mental health and mental illness.

Kyriakides emphasised the critical importance of establishing mental health on an equal basis with physical health and ensuring that it is incorporated into any strategy.

There are still some unresolved business in the Beating Cancer Plan, particularly in the sections that pertain to the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

The upcoming Commission and the challenges that lie ahead

Several Commissioners, including Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné, Health Commissioner-designate Oliver Varhelyi, and Preparedness Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, will allocate responsibilities associated with health during the upcoming Commission.

Kyriakides provided a guarantee that the division would not impede the progress that is currently being made. “A horizontal strategy is necessary because, as she stated in her mandate, the Beating Cancer Plan was contributed to by up to thirteen Commissioners.”

“It is going to work effectively because,” “COVID Health needs to be viewed across all policies to develop comprehensive strategies,” she stated in her official statement.

Nevertheless, there have been enquiries regarding the appointment of Oliver Varhelyi as Health Commissioner of Hungary. The European Parliament’s acceptance of Varhelyi’s appointment is dubious due to his limited experience in the medical field and his staunch support of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Kyriakides, conversely, is optimistic and anticipates that von der Leyen’s personnel will be “well-prepared and capable of participating.”

She underscored the importance of collaboration among the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Union Council to guarantee the successful implementation of health policy over the next five years during her speech.

At the conclusion of the meeting, she declared, “The initial COVID step will be to establish that relationship, as the European Parliament has been an essential partner over the past five years.”

SOURCE: EN

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Rwanda Reports 8 Deaths Linked To Ebola-Like Marburg Virus Days After It Declared An Outbreak

Kigali, Rwanda – Rwanda reports that eight individuals have died as a result of the Ebola-like and extremely contagious Marburg virus, just days after declaring an outbreak of the fatal hemorrhagic fever for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.

The Marburg virus, like Ebola, originates in fruit bats and spreads to humans by direct contact with infected individuals’ bodily fluids or surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can kill up to 88% of those who become ill with the disease.

Rwanda Reports 8 Deaths Linked To Ebola-Like Marburg Virus Days After It Declared An Outbreak

Rwanda, a landlocked country in central Africa, declared an epidemic on Friday, with the first six deaths confirmed the following day.

So far, 26 cases have been recorded, with eight individuals dying, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana announced on Sunday night.

To assist slow the spread, the general population has been advised to avoid physical contact. Some 300 people who came into touch with confirmed cases of the virus have also been identified, and an undefined number of them have been placed in isolation facilities.

The majority of those afflicted are healthcare workers from six of the country’s 30 districts.

“Marburg is a rare disease,” Nsanzimana said journalists. “We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.”

The minister stated that the source of the ailment has not yet been discovered. He noted that it can take three days to three weeks for a person infected with the virus to develop symptoms.

Symptoms include fever, muscle cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting, and, in some cases, death due to severe blood loss.

The World Health Organisation is increasing its assistance and will collaborate with Rwandan authorities to help stem the spread, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday on the social networking site X.

The US Embassy in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, has asked its employees to work remotely and avoid visiting premises.

Rwanda Reports 8 Deaths Linked To Ebola-Like Marburg Virus Days After It Declared An Outbreak

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have previously been reported in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Ghana, according to the WHO.

The unusual virus was initially identified in 1967, when it produced disease outbreaks in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven humans died after being infected with the virus while performing research on monkeys.

Separately, Rwanda has recorded six cases of mpox, a disease caused by a smallpox-related virus that normally produces milder symptoms. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox since it was first discovered in laboratory monkeys, has already spread to numerous other African countries, causing the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency.

Rwanda initiated an mpox immunisation campaign earlier this month, and further vaccines are scheduled to arrive. The majority of mpox cases have been reported in neighbouring Congo, which is in the epicentre of the problem.

SOURCE | AP

(VOR News) – Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the general population, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases diagnosed annually.

In both men and women, it is the cause of one in eight instances of cancer, and in women, it accounts for 25% of all cancer cases. Moreover, seventy percent of cancer-related deaths take place in settings with limited services available.

A multitude of variables contribute to the limited acceptance of early detection services, such as patient-level concerns associated with low awareness and understanding and systemic impediments. This ultimately results in poor outcomes due to a late-stage diagnosis.

Many low-resource regions have a younger breast cancer population.

This has a major influence on the number of moms who have lost their children to the sickness as well as considerably increasing the risk of early mortality.

With the goal of lowering death rates by 2.5% annually by 2040, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) in 2021 through three main pillars of action on health promotion for early detection, prompt diagnosis, and comprehensive cancer management.

The purpose of this program was to lower the number of breast cancer-related fatalities by a specific proportion. This will save the lives of 2.5 million people.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), a global event celebrated worldwide. The goal of this is to raise public awareness of breast cancer. We will focus on the need of early detection, timely diagnosis, thorough treatment, and the need to help people who have experienced experience, especially through patient navigation, during the month of October.

Furthermore, it gives everyone concerned a chance to evaluate the progress that has been made, to reflect on and restate their commitment to battling the illness, and to build momentum towards resolving the current disputes and challenges related to getting access to chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The items that are Breast cancer

In order to improve the number of people who undergo breast cancer screening and early detection, especially in circumstances when resources are limited, encourage advocacy, awareness, and communication on behaviour change. This is particularly crucial in scenarios where resources are few.

In order to facilitate knowledge sharing and partnerships, it is important to consider the following: offering a platform for the dissemination of information about breast cancer; encouraging knowledge sharing; and fortifying collaborations and partnerships in order to achieve the goal of breast cancer control.

You can help the World Health Organization’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) be adopted at the national level. One way to achieve this is by supporting the Global Cancer Initiative’s adoption and execution, placing a special focus on early detection, prompt diagnosis, and all-encompassing care for individuals with cancer.

Gender and socioeconomic inequalities in breast cancer care access must also be addressed. Furthermore, patient navigation systems must be used to highlight the need of patient-centered care, which encompasses social, emotional, psychological, and medical support.

Encouraging patients to help one another and strive towards eradicating inequities is also crucial.

Individuals engaged

October has been designated Breast Cancer Awareness Month in honour of the importance of breast cancer. Through this event, a wide range of interested parties—including the following—will come together:

The World Health Organization’s headquarters, as well as regional and national offices, all

The Health Departments and the delegates of each individual department

Providers of healthcare services and treatments

Partnerships for mutual growth and international exchanges

Supporters and donors to nonprofit groups

Academic institutions, charitable organisations, and non-governmental organisations all have an interest in breast cancer and integrated women’s health programs.

The people who have firsthand knowledge of life

Civil society organisations.

SOURCE: WHO

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