Development of Global Precision Medicine: Pharmalys Ltd at the EU-Africa PerMed Workshop 2024
EU-Africa PerMed (Building Links Between Europe and Africa in Personalised* Medicine)is an international project funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme. Its goal is to integrate more African countries into the global Precision Medicine (PM) research agenda by facilitating their participation in the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed) and by strengthening collaborations between Africa and Europe in areas of mutual interest. Africa continues to face a heavy disease burden, affecting around one billion people and resulting in significant annual productivity losses. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated healthcare inequities and impacted African economies. By involving African countries in the global PM agenda, the continent can benefit from innovative diagnostic and treatment methods, access cutting-edge technologies, and address both infectious and non-communicable diseases in a sustainable way – ultimately making healthcare more efficient and equitable across Africa.
The EU-Africa PerMed Initiative
Launched in February 2021, the EU-Africa PerMed project has led several key stakeholder engagement efforts. The first stakeholder workshop, held in February 2022, introduced African stakeholders to the project and ICPerMed, outlining how the remaining three years of planned activities could best address African needs and expectations. In February 2023, the second workshop focused on understanding the significance of Precision Medicine, as well as exploring the challenges and opportunities in fostering collaboration between Africa and Europe. Read more about Pharmalys Ltd at the Third EU-Africa PerMed Workshop, held in June 2024: https://www.pharmalys.com/development-of-global-precision-medicine-pharmalys-ltd-at-the-eu-africa-permed-workshop-2024/
Long COVID in Children and Teenagers
The PostAcute Sequelae of SARSCoV-2 (PASC)
The COVID-19 pandemichas caused widespread devastation, with the immediate and short-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection now well described. While most people recover, many experience longer-lasting effects known as long COVID, post-COVID condition, or post-acute sequelae of SARSCoV-2 (PASC). PASC encompasses a diverse range of symptoms that can impact nearly any organ system, with common issues including fatigue, cough, malaise, and pain. These symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years after the initial infection resolves, often significantly affecting quality of life. Experts estimate that around 65 million people globally are living with PASC, with long-term consequences expected to affect population health for decades. Certain groups are at a greater risk of developing long COVID, including females, individuals hospitalized with acute COVID-19, and those with pre-existing comorbidities. While the exact causes of PASC are still being studied, several factors are thought to contribute, including immune system dysregulation, autoimmunity and immune printing, microvascular clotting with endothelial dysfunction, and impaired neurological signaling.
Limited Research Data on Long COVID in Children
Most research on PASC has focused on adults, leading to a misconception that paediatric PASC is rare or presents in the same way as it does in adults. This misunderstanding may cause clinicians to overlook or misdiagnose long COVID in children. Read more: https://www.pharmalys.com/long-covid-in-children-and-teenagers/
A Free Webinar by Pharmalys Ltd, CREDO Institutional Sponsor
Implementation Research: what is it about and what is its value?
28 November 2024
13:00-15:00 GMT
About CREDO
TheClinical Research Excellence and Development Opportunity (CREDO) is a non profit organisation founded two years ago with initial support from Pharmalys Ltd. CREDO’s mission is to foster a dynamic research community that can advance health outcomes across Africa. This mission is driven through shared knowledge and experiences in health research, delivered via expert interviews, insightful articles, and webinars aimed at health and clinical research professionals.
CREDO Events
The first CREDO event was a hybrid conference held in September 2022 hosted within the Infectious Diseases Department of Dakar’s main teaching hospital. The conference, titled ‘Clinical Trials in Africa: Impact, Know-how and Perspectives’, opened with an introduction to clinical trials, followed by a focus on vaccine trials in Africa. Discussions examined the impact of clinical research on African health systems, along with its broader social, societal, and economic effects. Esteemed panel speakers included A. Dicko from Mali, G. Mombo-Ngoma from Gabon, M. Seydi from Senegal, S.B. Sirima from Burkina Faso, S. Sow from Mali, and S. Viviani from Italy, with nearly 100 attendees in participation. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees commending the conference’s high-caliber discussions and the expertise of the speakers, delivering cutting-edge insights. Encouraged by this response, CREDO now holds a scientific event every two years. Don’t miss the next opportunity! Join us on 28 November for an engaging discussion. More information: https://www.pharmalys.com/credo-free-webinar-implementation-research-what-is-it-about-and-what-is-its-value/
