Latest news with #TheKidsResearchInstituteAustralia
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Local weather conditions, access to cities can impact prevalence of tuberculosis, study finds
New Delhi: Researchers who mapped tuberculosis cases in African countries found that local weather conditions and access to cities can influence prevalence of the bacterial disease. The study's methodology of identifying disease patterns could help fight tuberculosis in a more targeted manner around the world -- particularly in regions where resources are limited, they said. Tuberculosis (TB) mostly affects the lungs and can be deadly if untreated. The disease -- symptoms of which include persistent cough, chest pain and fever -- spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Focusing on 14 nations, including Nigeria and Mozambique, the team, including researchers from Curtin University and The Kids Research Institute Australia, analysed prevalence of tuberculosis from 50 population-based surveys, involving over 15 lakh people. The researchers estimated how common the disease is at a local level, breaking each country down into grids, each five square kilometres in area, to identify hotspots. "Here we estimate 1.28 million TB cases across 14 countries, with marked spatial variations," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Communications Medicine. "Factors such as temperature, precipitation, and access to cities are positively associated with higher TB prevalence, while higher altitude is linked to lower TB prevalence," they wrote. For example, rainfall tends to keep one spends indoors, thereby increasing person-to-person contact, crowding, and affecting ventilation levels -- all of which have been linked to spreading of tuberculosis, the researchers explained. Lead researcher Alemneh Liyew, PhD candidate from Curtin University's school of population health, said the study uncovered dramatic differences in disease burden between local regions within countries -- which could prove vital in reducing the impact of tuberculosis. "This study highlights how factors such as higher temperatures, rainfall, altitude and better access to cities can influence the prevalence of tuberculosis. "With this data, health resources can be better targeted towards the communities that need them most," Liyew said. The study is also the first to provide local-level tuberculosis maps across Africa, the researcher said. "Until now, we haven't been able to see where within countries the disease is most concentrated," Liyew said. Author Kefyalew Alene, associate professor Curtin University, said the study's findings could potentially help fight the disease outside of Africa. "While some aspects of the study are Africa-specific, using mapping to identify patterns associated with tuberculosis could help battle the disease in a more targeted manner elsewhere," Alene said. "One-size-fits-all national strategies aren't as effective, particularly in regions where resources are limited," the researcher said.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Local weather conditions, access to cities can impact prevalence of tuberculosis, study finds
Researchers who mapped tuberculosis cases in African countries found that local weather conditions and access to cities can influence prevalence of the bacterial disease. The study's methodology of identifying disease patterns could help fight tuberculosis in a more targeted manner around the world -- particularly in regions where resources are limited, they said. Tuberculosis (TB) mostly affects the lungs and can be deadly if untreated. The disease -- symptoms of which include persistent cough, chest pain and fever -- spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Study highlights Focusing on 14 nations, including Nigeria and Mozambique, the team, including researchers from Curtin University and The Kids Research Institute Australia, analysed prevalence of tuberculosis from 50 population-based surveys, involving over 15 lakh people. The researchers estimated how common the disease is at a local level, breaking each country down into grids, each five square kilometres in area, to identify hotspots. "Here we estimate 1.28 million TB cases across 14 countries, with marked spatial variations," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Communications Medicine. "Factors such as temperature, precipitation, and access to cities are positively associated with higher TB prevalence, while higher altitude is linked to lower TB prevalence," they wrote. For example, rainfall tends to keep one spends indoors, thereby increasing person-to-person contact, crowding, and affecting ventilation levels -- all of which have been linked to spreading of tuberculosis, the researchers explained. Lead researcher Alemneh Liyew, PhD candidate from Curtin University's school of population health, said the study uncovered dramatic differences in disease burden between local regions within countries -- which could prove vital in reducing the impact of tuberculosis. "This study highlights how factors such as higher temperatures, rainfall, altitude and better access to cities can influence the prevalence of tuberculosis. Possibilities of expansion "With this data, health resources can be better targeted towards the communities that need them most," Liyew said. The study is also the first to provide local-level tuberculosis maps across Africa, the researcher said. "Until now, we haven't been able to see where within countries the disease is most concentrated," Liyew said. Author Kefyalew Alene, associate professor Curtin University, said the study's findings could potentially help fight the disease outside of Africa."While some aspects of the study are Africa-specific, using mapping to identify patterns associated with tuberculosis could help battle the disease in a more targeted manner elsewhere," Alene said. "One-size-fits-all national strategies aren't as effective, particularly in regions where resources are limited," the researcher said.
NDTV
27-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Local Weather Conditions Can Impact Prevalence Of Tuberculosis: Study
New Delhi: Researchers who mapped tuberculosis cases in African countries found that local weather conditions and access to cities can influence prevalence of the bacterial disease. The study's methodology of identifying disease patterns could help fight tuberculosis in a more targeted manner around the world -- particularly in regions where resources are limited, they said. Tuberculosis (TB) mostly affects the lungs and can be deadly if untreated. The disease -- symptoms of which include persistent cough, chest pain and fever -- spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Focusing on 14 nations, including Nigeria and Mozambique, the team, including researchers from Curtin University and The Kids Research Institute Australia, analysed prevalence of tuberculosis from 50 population-based surveys, involving over 15 lakh people. The researchers estimated how common the disease is at a local level, breaking each country down into grids, each five square kilometres in area, to identify hotspots. "Here we estimate 1.28 million TB cases across 14 countries, with marked spatial variations," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Communications Medicine. "Factors such as temperature, precipitation, and access to cities are positively associated with higher TB prevalence, while higher altitude is linked to lower TB prevalence," they wrote. For example, rainfall tends to keep one spends indoors, thereby increasing person-to-person contact, crowding, and affecting ventilation levels -- all of which have been linked to spreading of tuberculosis, the researchers explained. Lead researcher Alemneh Liyew, PhD candidate from Curtin University's school of population health, said the study uncovered dramatic differences in disease burden between local regions within countries -- which could prove vital in reducing the impact of tuberculosis. "This study highlights how factors such as higher temperatures, rainfall, altitude and better access to cities can influence the prevalence of tuberculosis. "With this data, health resources can be better targeted towards the communities that need them most," Liyew said. The study is also the first to provide local-level tuberculosis maps across Africa, the researcher said. "Until now, we haven't been able to see where within countries the disease is most concentrated," Liyew said. Author Kefyalew Alene, associate professor Curtin University, said the study's findings could potentially help fight the disease outside of Africa. "While some aspects of the study are Africa-specific, using mapping to identify patterns associated with tuberculosis could help battle the disease in a more targeted manner elsewhere," Alene said. "One-size-fits-all national strategies aren't as effective, particularly in regions where resources are limited," the researcher said.
West Australian
15-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
What's next for kids' health in Australia?
At a lab bench in Western Australia, researchers are working on a vaccine that could save millions of lives. Another team is working hard to find less toxic and better treatments for children's cancer, and simultaneously, work on therapies to combat antimicrobial resistance and reduce the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in young babies is underway. These scenes are part of the everyday mission at The Kids Research Institute Australia, where research is transformed into real-world solutions. Now, with a bold new ten-year strategy, 'Research Reimagined', the Institute is setting its sights even higher. For 35 years, The Kids (formerly Telethon Kids Institute) has been at the forefront of children's health research, tackling the most pressing health and wellbeing challenges facing young people. Its latest strategy signals a pivotal shift, not just in what it aims to achieve, but how it intends to achieve it. 'We want to establish a pipeline of breakthrough discoveries,' Executive Director of The Kids Research Institute Professor Jonathan Carapetis said. 'But we want to do this in true partnership with our community, our corporate and philanthropic supporters, government and industry.' The ambition is clear: bold science, global impact, and a commitment to solving the biggest problems for kids and families. The work happening inside the Institute's labs is extraordinary and broad ranging, but it doesn't stop at medicine. The Institute is deeply engaged in the everyday realities of children's lives. 'Our researchers are also using science and data to help inform governments and service providers on policies and programs,' Professor Carapetis said. 'This includes using evidence from our research to develop best practice programs for physical activity for children under four, and to illustrate the impact of skipping breakfast on kids' school results.' These findings go beyond data to become actionable programs and policy, helping to shape healthier futures for children across Australia and around the world. Though headquartered in Perth, The Kids Research Institute is a national and global leader. 'We're known for major public health wins, like reducing neural tube defects by introducing folate into bread or creating the roadmap to eliminate rheumatic heart disease in Australia,' Professor Carapetis said. 'And we're leading the world in accelerating vaccines for Strep A.' WA's collaborative health and research landscape, along with strong community support through initiatives like Telethon, is ideal for this kind of innovation. It's no coincidence that some of the most significant advances in children's health are being spearheaded right here. Crucially, Research Reimagined puts equity front and centre. 'While our vision is for all kids to be happy and healthy, it is our duty to ensure that those who have the poorest outcomes receive proportionately more benefits from research,' Professor Carapetis said. That includes a strong focus on Indigenous child health. The Institute aims to become the world's leading Indigenous child health research organisation, a goal built on deep, sustained partnerships with First Nations communities. 'We believe these partnerships provide pathways to improved outcomes for kids not just in Australia, but globally.' At its heart, The Kids is powered by a single purpose: giving every child the chance to live a full, healthy life. With Research Reimagined, that mission has entered a new era, where scientific excellence meets social responsibility, and where WA remains at the forefront of a global movement. The Kids Research Institute Australia is about giving children the best possible chance to grow, thrive, and enjoy life. And with every discovery, they're turning that vision into reality, one child at a time. To find out more, visit the website .
West Australian
01-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
The Kids Research Institute: Perth researchers make meningococcal breakthrough with combined vaccine
Parents could soon be able to immunise their children against all five common strains of meningococcal after Perth researchers demonstrated a combined vaccine was safe and effective in protecting children against the deadly disease. The existing immunisations for meningococcal types A, B, C, W and Y are the combined MenACWY jab and a separate jab for MenB. Researchers at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at The Kids Research Institute Australia, alongside national and international partners, found a 'pentavalent' vaccine taking in all five strains was as good at protecting against meningococcal as the two jabs given separately. It could eliminate the need for multiple jabs in children under the age of five and people aged 10-25 — the two main risk groups for meningococcal. 'The results of the study showed that there was no interference in those (immune) responses, because we know both those vaccines are protected against meningococcal disease, and that it was safe and well tolerated,' said Professor Peter Richmond, head of the Vaccine Trials Group at the Wesfarmers Centre and head of paediatrics at UWA's medical school. 'Really, this is a major advance in prevention of meningococcal disease globally.' Although rare, the nasty disease can quickly become life-threatening if it gets into the bloodstream or membranes lining the spinal cord and brain. Children who survive are often left with long-term health complications like brain injuries, scarring or amputated limbs. Chelsea Perrin's daughter Tahlea, 7, is one of those survivors, contracting meningococcal W in 2018 at just six months. 'The night she got sick . . . I woke up probably about three o'clock in the morning, and she was just really, really unwell,' Ms Perrin said. 'I didn't know what was wrong with her, but I knew that she just needed to get straight to the hospital. There was something seriously wrong.' Living in Geraldton at the time, Ms Perrin drove her infant daughter straight to hospital. Upon arrival, she noticed Tahlea had a few spots on her head — the tell-tale rash of advancing meningococcal. 'She was going in and out of consciousness. She wasn't breathing very well, and then they rushed her straight through,' she said. Doctors had to put Tahlea into an induced coma, and they were fearful enough for her life that they told Ms Perrin to say her goodbyes. 'Before they put her under they they told me, give her a kiss, you might not see her alive again, so kiss her now, say what you need to say to her,' she said. 'That was really hard. And then we were flown from Geraldton to Perth and straight to ICU.' After three weeks in intensive care and 162 days — more than five months — on a general ward, her little battler made it through. 'It was horrific. A lot of it's a blur . . . it was just so terrifying,' Ms Perrin said. The sinister disease left Tahlea with scarring to 80 per cent of her body, amputated fingers and toes, epilepsy and a brain injury that renders her unable to talk, walk or swallow on her own. 'Almost every system of her body has had some sort of damage,' Ms Perrin said. 'It's scary . . . this disease is not a game, and it doesn't discriminate.' She said a five-strain combined vaccine on the national schedule would be a game-changer for families. 'The more people are vaccinated, the less people that have outcomes like this,' Ms Perrin said. The MenABCWY's recent approval by the United States' Food and Drug Administration means the green light for use in Australia could be closer than we think. 'We would normally expect once it's been licensed in one country, it starts to become available in other countries within a couple of years,' Professor Richmond said. 'We're just waiting to hear when that will be.' Despite a difficult start to life, seven-year-old Tahlea is living life to its fullest. A competitive dancer, she's the reigning champion in her division alongside sister, Ava. 'She's got this special charisma about her, that just makes everyone fall in love with her personality,' Ms Perrin said. She said if her 'extremely cheeky, very bright and bubbly' daughter is still smiling, they can get through anything.
