Production de la solution hydro-alcoolique durant la crise humanitaire de l’épidémie Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest 2014-2016 : le cas du Liberia et de la Guinée

Durant l’épidémie Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest, l’absence de contrôle de l’infection dans les établissements de soins a amplifié la transmission interhumaine et disproportionnellement affecté les soignants. Ce projet sponsorisé par les hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève et l’aide humanitaire Suisse a permis de former des pharmaciens au Liberia et en Guinée à produire de la solution désinfectante hydro-alcoolique (SHA) avec pour objectif d’améliorer la sécurité des soins et d’établir une capacité locale pérenne. Au total 43 pharmaciens provenant de 20 hôpitaux ont bénéficié de la formation et ont pu produire de la SHA avec un contrôle qualité satisfaisant. Cinq pharmaciens sont devenus des référents de formation. Le projet confirme la faisabilité de produire de la SHA durant une crise humanitaire sous condition de soutien financier, d’approvisionnement en matériel et de formation. Cependant, la pérennité du projet dépend de la politique de santé locale une fois les acteurs internationaux partis

À quoi sert la dose de rappel avec un vaccin à ARNm en pleine vague omicron ?

Rubrique "lu pour vous". Concerne la publication: Garcia-Beltran WF, et al. mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine boosters induce neutralizing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Cell 2022;185:1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.033.</p

Grossesse et vaccination contre le Covid-19 : risque-bénéfice

Rubrique "lu pour vous". Concerne: Sadarangani M, et al. Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy: a Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) network cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2022 Nov;22(11):1553-64. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00426-1.</p

Systematic screening for SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant women admitted for delivery: not as easy as it sounds

Comment on: Figueiredo R, Tavares S, Moucho M, Ramalho C. Systematic screening for SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant women admitted for delivery in a Portuguese maternity. J Perinat Med. 2020 Nov 26;48(9):977-980. doi: 10.1515/jpm-2020-0387. PMID: 33085639

Equity in access to COVID-19 testing for undocumented migrants and homeless persons during the initial phase of the pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has excessively affected socially and economically deprived groups of population. There is a dearth of empirical evidence about the effect of policies regulating access to care for such groups. This study aims to document the impact of an equity-based strategy to facilitate access to COVID-19 testing during the initial phase of the pandemic. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included all outpatients presenting at the Geneva University Hospital for COVID-19 testing in March and April 2020. We compared the testing program uptake, and the proportions of positive tests and of complicated clinical course between undocumented migrants and homeless persons and the general population. Results: Underserved patients represented 215 (6.5%) of the 3299 participants. There was no significant difference in the time-lag between the first COVID-19 evocative symptoms and the testing, the number of symptoms at presentation, and the participation to the program during its first month of implementation. The proportion of positive tests was significantly higher (32.1% vs. 23.6%, p=.005) among undeserved while the proportion of complicated clinical course was comparable. Conclusions: Equity-based policies can mitigate disparities in access to care during the pandemic and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community by early detection of infective cases. The high proportion of positive test in underserved patients highlight the need to include such groups into future COVID-19 immunization program. More globally, this study highlights the opportunity to reinforce healthcare systems to adapt to new threats and to contribute to a better protection of the whole of society.</p

Report of the WHO independent high-level commission on NCDs: where is the focus on addressing inequalities?

Summary box The current WHO independent high-level commission on non-communicable diseases’ report lacks clear focus on addressing the issues of inequalities in non-communicable diseases. Much stronger recommendations are needed to ensure appropriate investment in strengthening and improving the quality of health systems, especially at primary healthcare. Governments, the private sector and other actors all need to be involved in finding sustainable solutions to ensure access to medicines and technologies for non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases in humanitarian emergencies need to be included in any global guidance on the issue. In all contexts allocation of resources needs to optimise access for long-term care and treatment, paired with population-wide prevention efforts in order to guarantee universal health coverage