Middlesbrough Hemlington Lake toxic algae warning
A spokesperson for Middlesbrough Council said: "Tests carried out by the Environment Agency on the water at Hemlington Lake have shown that blue/green algae levels are above the warning threshold."The high levels make the water potentially toxic to humans and dogs, especially if it's ingested."The problem can occur during calm weather when several bloom forming species rise to the surface, creating an appearance like paint, mousse or small clumps.
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The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Takeaways from AP's report on problems in the worldwide campaign to eradicate polio
For nearly four decades, the World Health Organization and partners have been trying to rid the world of polio, a paralytic disease that has existed since prehistoric times. While cases have dropped more than 99%, polio remains entrenched in parts of Afghanistanand Pakistan. In its quest to eliminate the virus, WHO and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have been derailed by mismanagement and what insiders describe as blind allegiance to an outdated strategy and a problematic oral vaccine, according to workers, polio experts and internal materials obtained by the Associated Press. Officials tout the successes – 3 billion children vaccinated, an estimated 20 million people who would have been paralyzed spared – while acknowledging challenges in Pakistan and Afghanistan. WHO polio director Dr. Jamal Ahmed defended progress in those two countries, citing workers' tailored response in resistant pockets. Here are some takeaways from AP's report on what's happened in one of the most expensive efforts in all of public health. Documents show major problems on polio vaccination teams Internal WHO reports reviewing polio immunization in Afghanistan and Pakistan over the past decade — given to AP by current and former staffers — show that as early as 2017, local workers were alerting problems to senior managers. The documents flagged multiple cases of falsified vaccination records, health workers being replaced by untrained relatives and workers improperly administering vaccines. On numerous occasions, WHO officials noted, 'vaccinators did not know about vaccine management,' citing failure to keep doses properly cold. They also found sloppy or falsified reporting, with workers noting 'more used vaccine vials than were actually supplied.' According to an August 2017 report from Kandahar, Afghanistan, vaccination teams worked 'in a hurried manner,' reports said, with 'no plan for monitoring." A team in Nawzad, Afghanistan, covered just half of the intended area in 2017, with 250 households missed entirely. Village elders said no one visited for at least two years. Polio workers say problems have gone unaddressed Health officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan told AP their efforts to vaccinate children are often stymied by cultural barriers, misinformation about the vaccines, and poverty. Sughra Ayaz has traveled door to door in southeastern Pakistan for the past decade, pleading for children to be immunized. Some families demand basics such as food and water instead of vaccines. Others, without citing proof for their beliefs, repeat false rumors and say they think the oral vaccine doses are meant to sterilize their kids. Ayaz said that given the immense pressure for the campaign to succeed, some managers have instructed workers to falsely mark children as immunized 'In many places, our work is not done with honesty,' she said. Some scientists blame the oral vaccine Polio eradication demands perfection — zero polio cases and immunizing more than 95% of children. But some scientists and former WHO staffers say the campaign's efforts are far from perfect, blaming in particular the oral vaccine. It's safe and effective, but in very rare instances, the live virus in the oral vaccine can paralyze a child. In even rarer cases, the virus can mutate into a form capable of starting outbreaks among unimmunized people where vaccination rates are low. Except for Afghanistan and Pakistan, most polio cases worldwide are linked to the vaccine; several hundred cases have been reported annually since 2021, with at least 98 this year. Most public health experts agree the oral vaccine should be pulled as soon as possible. But they acknowledge there isn't enough injectable vaccine — which uses no live virus and doesn't come with the risks of the oral vaccine — to eliminate polio alone. The injectable vaccine is more expensive and requires more training to administer. More than two dozen current and former senior polio officials told AP the agencies involved haven't been willing to even consider revising their strategy to account for campaign problems. Last year, former WHO scientist Dr. T. Jacob John twice emailed WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calling for a 'major course correction.' John wrote that 'WHO is persisting with polio control and creating polio with one hand and attempting to control it by the other.' Ahmed told AP the oral vaccine is a 'core pillar' of eradication strategy and that 'almost every country that is polio-free today used (it) to achieve that milestone.' Critics say there's no accountability Dr. Tom Frieden, who sits on an independent board reviewing polio eradication, said he and colleagues have urged WHO and partners to adapt to obstacles in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since 2011, the board has issued regular reports about program failures, but had little impact. 'There's no management,' he said. With an annual budget of about $1 billion, polio eradication is among the most expensive initiatives in public health. WHO officials have privately admitted that sustaining funding will be difficult without signs of progress. Roland Sutter, who previously headed polio research at WHO, said donors had spent more than $1 billion in Pakistan trying to get rid of polio in the last five years — and made little progress. 'If this was a private company, we would demand results," he said. Ahmed pointed to the program's many successes. "Let's not overdramatize the challenges, because that leads to children getting paralyzed,' he said. Mistrust of the vaccine persists Vaccine workers and health officials say it's hard for campaign leadership to grasp the difficulties in the field. Door-to-door efforts are stymied by cultural barriers, unfounded stories about vaccines, and the region's poverty and transience. The campaign is up against a wave of misinformation, including that the vaccine is made from pig urine or will make children reach puberty early. Some blame an anti-vaccine sentiment growing in the U.S. and other countries that have largely funded eradication efforts. In a mountainous region of southeastern Afghanistan where most people survive by growing wheat and raising cows and chickens, many are wary of the Western-led initiative. A mother of five said she'd prefer that her children be vaccinated against polio, but her husband and other male relatives have instructed their families to reject it, fearing it will compromise their children's fertility. 'If I allow it,' the woman said, declining to be named over fears of family retribution, 'I will be beaten and thrown out.' Cheng reported from London. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
Community groups urged to help with Hull health trials
Researches are getting in touch with community groups in the Humber region to seek their help in clinical research, by the Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (Adem) team based at Allam Diabetes Centre in Hull, is used to develop treatments and team is keen to have more participation from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and people living in rural team manager Lisa Baldwin said: "It's really important that the clinical research we do represents the local population and that the work we do can be translated into clinical care for those that need it." She added: "The only way that we can achieve this is to engage with local community leaders and get the word out there about the work we're doing."According to the NHS Humber Health Partnership, only about one in every eight patients registered with the research team is known to be from a BAME they have a higher chance of developing some of the conditions treated by the unit, such as type 2 diabetes, at a younger age, the partnership Sajida Ita, from Hull, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 18 years ago, and she said it had been a struggle trying different drugs."They all have their benefits but equally they all have their side-effects," she said. Since taking part in the clinical research with the Adem team, Dr Ita has found a way to manage her diabetes, and she's encouraging other people to get involved."The more people who feel included in this research, the more impact it will have," she researchers are also keen to speak to people experiencing hormone-related issues, such as thyroid problems and adrenal gland research ranges from online questionnaires through to drug trials. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
'When they told me I had breast cancer, I laughed'
A woman who had a mastectomy from breast cancer is calling for Black and Asian women to get themselves checked and to speak up about their Kahn, a senior healthcare support worker, was 34 when she found a lump near her sternum and was diagnosed at the Bristol Breast Care Centre at Southmead Hospital. The now 38-year-old, who lives in Emersons Green in Bristol, said: "When they told me, you have breast cancer, I actually started laughing."Three years later, she is trying to get people from global majority backgrounds to be more aware of the symptoms saying they are often "bought up not to show weakness". Ms Kahn said: "As a black woman, we are not allowed to be ill. We are brought up not to show weakness and it is something we pass down to our daughters."I don't want my daughter to grow up and feel she, as a black woman, cannot speak about her health."It puts us at a huge disadvantage, because not only are we less likely to check our breasts when we get older, we also are more likely to wait longer to speak to a doctor about our symptoms."Ms Kahn was told she would need a lumpectomy but insisted on a mastectomy where the whole breast is removed. Following her operation, Ms Kahn had six rounds of chemotherapy and five rounds of radiotherapy to eradicate the Mullan, the clinical lead for breast services at North Bristol Trust, said: "It is important for all women to regularly check their breasts for changes and seek medical advice if there is something that does not seem quite right."Ms Kahn added: "One of things black women always tell me is that they don't go to the GP because they are often dismissed, and they feel that they are not heard based on the colour of their skin."I need people to understand what stops black women from going to get tested."
