Malaria vaccine reaches Africa; bird flu spreads worldwide

Last week ChatGPT read 8134 top news stories. After removing previously covered events, there are 9 articles with a significance score over 7.3.

Public health

[7.9] Cameroon receives first shipment of malaria vaccine — Reuters

Cameroon received 331,200 doses of the Mosquirix malaria vaccine, becoming the first African country to do so. The vaccine aims to combat the disease that kills over 600,000 people globally each year, with nearly half a million being children under five. The vaccine alliance GAVI expects 1.7 million doses to arrive in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger, and Sierra Leone soon.

[7.7] Bird flu virus causing unprecedented global outbreaks — South China Morning Post

A study published in Nature reveals that the H5N1 bird flu virus has caused unprecedented outbreaks in wild bird species across five continents since November 2021. The virus has become more persistent in wild bird populations, spreading to new regions and affecting marine and land mammals. The virus has shifted from China to Europe and northern Africa. Researchers urge sustained vaccination to eliminate the virus. Gene editing shows promise in breeding chickens resistant to bird flu.

[7.6] Misuse of antibiotics could lead to 10 million deaths by 2050 — The Straits Times

The World Health Organization warns that misuse of antibiotics could lead to 10 million deaths by 2050. A study in 14 countries found antibiotics were wrongly prescribed for common cold (24%), flu-like symptoms (16%), sore throat (21%), and cough (18%). In these countries, a third of 8,200 people surveyed took antibiotics without a prescription. WHO urges immediate intervention and education to prevent antimicrobial resistance.

[7.6] COVID-19 linked to long-term health problems — ABC News

A growing body of scientific research is linking COVID-19 to long-term health problems, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and autoimmune conditions. Studies show a substantial increase in the risk of these diseases following a COVID infection. Research suggests that COVID may not directly cause these complications, but it significantly increases the risk in susceptible individuals.

[7.6] Fruit-flavored medicine reduces child's multidrug-resistant tuberculosis risk — Bloomberg

A recent study has found that a fruit-flavored medicine, taken once daily for six months, reduces a child's risk of developing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) disease by over 50%. This breakthrough offers hope to the nearly two million children worldwide infected with the often deadly bacteria. Previously, bitter-tasting medications had to be taken daily for months, posing a challenge for parents. This development is a rare positive in pediatric treatment advancement.

Business and economy

[7.4] Stock market surge reduces demand for protective strategies — Bloomberg [$]

In November 2023, the stock market's rapid surge has led to a decline in demand for protective strategies. The S&P 500 has risen by almost 9% this month, causing a shift away from defensive assets like inflation-protected bonds and bearish options. Instead, there is a growing interest in junk bonds and small-cap equities. This trend reflects a significant change in investor behavior during this historic market rally.

[7.3] Australian telco Optus' CEO quits after network outage — Reuters

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has resigned after a network-wide outage left nearly half of Australia without phone or internet for 12 hours. Over 10 million Australians were affected.

Environment

[7.7] Global fossil fuel subsidies rise to $7 trillion — Reuters

At the COP26 climate summit in 2021, world governments agreed to phase out "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies. However, global subsidies have since risen to $7 trillion, with China leading at $2.2 trillion. The U.S. had $760 billion in subsidies, Russia spent $420 billion, India had $350 billion, and the EU doubled subsidies to $310 billion.

[7.6] Brazil joins global agreement to triple renewable energy — Reuters

Brazil has joined a global deal to triple renewable energy by 2030 and reduce coal usage, aligning with about 100 countries. The agreement aims to decrease coal power and double energy efficiency improvement rates annually to 4% by 2030. Brazil, deriving over 80% of its electricity from renewables, mainly hydropower, solar, and wind, acknowledges the impossibility of tripling its own renewable energy output due to its already high levels.

Thanks for reading us and see you next week,

Vadim