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Prof Malavige predicts dengue will get worse with climate change unless…
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The impact of dengue will probably get worse due to climate change, Professor Neelika Malavige of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Head of Dengue Global Programme and Scientific Affairs, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) has said recently at a conference organized by DNDi in Thailand.
The conference was held in parallel to the 20th International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria (ICTMM). DNDi is a non-profit drug research and development (R&D) organization that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases like dengue.
Professor Malavige said that as the world got warmer, dengue would spread to Europe and North America. She added that dengue fever had become increasingly common in recent decades worldwide with around 390 million infections occurring each year. Climate change had been identified by WHO and other national, and international health authorities as one of the primary causes of the global spread of dengue fever and other Aedes aegypti-transmitted viral infections, she said.
“The weather has an impact on vector-borne illnesses. Rainfall and ambient temperature are referred to as macro factors that influence dengue since they directly impact Aedes aegypti population density,” Prof. Malavige said.
The population density of Aedes aegypti declines when the average temperature is lower.
“The larval development time, larval and adult survival, and duration of the gonotrophic cycle of the dengue vector are directly affected by climatic factors such as ambient temperatures, rainfall, and relative humidity. Vectors are increasing due to increasing temperature. As temperature increases the mosquitoes mature faster, giving them more time to spread the disease,” she said.
On the other hand, increasing population, lifestyle changes and uncontrolled urbanization are also reasons for the rapid global spatial spread of dengue, she said.
“Risk factors like obesity, and diabetes are also increasing among the people. Those with these diseases are more likely to suffer from more serious forms of dengue.”
Doctors and medical administrators in countries with dengue were efficient in managing the disease and this explains why the mortality is lower. However, when there was an overload of cases, the system monitoring and evaluating dengue patients for severity suffers because keeping an eye on each patients becomes an impossibility, Professor Malavige said. “There is a shift in the age of those who get infected. Earlier it was a disease that children got. Now you can find patients from all age groups,” she said.
Commenting on attempts to develop a vaccine for dengue, most recently by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Professor Malavige said that the data available looked promising. The vaccine could be soon registered in Latin America and Asia. The current data shows that it reduces hospitalization by about 80%. This is similar to the effectiveness of COVID vaccine, although long term safety data for a dengue vaccine is needed for all serotypes. However, it is unfortunate that there is not yet a designated treatment for dengue.
“Dengue is a disease of the low income countries. Infection of the developing world. Each year hundreds of millions of people are affected by dengue but there is still no treatment for it. Would we have a vaccine so fast if COVID too was a disease of the low income countries? The amount of research done on COVID for the last two years is immense. Not even 10% of the research volume has been directed for dengue. There are not enough funds for dengue research. Global North has done some research but the researchers are far away from the disease. The perspective will be different if they too had to live with dengue,” she said.
Dr. Isabela Ribeiro, Viral Diseases Cluster Director, DNDi said that countries of the Global South must cooperate with each other to find a cure for dengue. There are a number of pharmaceutical powerhouses in the Global South and they can work together to find a cure, she said.
“The World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on neglected tropical diseases, ‘A road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030’ does not mention a treatment for dengue. Their focus is on vaccines and vector control,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jean-Michel Piedagnel, South-East Asia Director, DNDi said that while taking steps to prevent dengue, from vector control to using mosquito repellant was important, it should not be allowed to mask the fact that there was no treatment.
“There is no treatment because there is not enough funding. We must not forget that. Each year hundreds of millions are affected by dengue. They deserve treatment,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
