Wellcome Trust

🌍 A landmark moment for African vaccine manufacturing and regional health security.   I’m delighted to see our partners at Biovac, with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), announce they are beginning clinical trials for an Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV). This is the first time in over 50 years that a preventative vaccine is being manufactured end-to-end in South Africa.  I remember some of my first conversations about the potential of Biovac back in 2017! So it’s fantastic to see that, after so many years in the ‘thinking’, we’re now firmly ‘advancing’. This work is critical. #Cholera outbreaks are growing, yet we face repeated, severe shortages of OCV doses 💉 The global vaccine stockpile simply cannot meet the demand, leaving millions exposed to a preventable and deadly disease.   This work has far-reaching impacts. It is about building a sustainable, regional manufacturing capability that can respond directly to the continent's health needs. It’s a crucial step towards the African Union's goal of 60% of all routine vaccines used in Africa to be manufactured on the continent by 2030, and a future where local solutions can save lives.    This is why Wellcome Trust is proud to be a long-term partner in this work. We co-funded the initial technology transfer between International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in South Korea and Biovac, with the Gates Foundation and are now co-funding this crucial clinical trial alongside them and the ELMA Vaccines & Immunization Foundation.  🎉 Congratulations to the Biovac team and all partners on this historic milestone.   Read the full announcement 👉 https://lnkd.in/esaiFzvq

Transdisciplinary teams can unlock groundbreaking discoveries. That’s why we’re launching the new Genomics in Context Awards. We’re funding collaborations between genomics, humanities, social sciences and wider society. By bringing in these perspectives from the start, we can open up new directions, questions and discoveries. These awards will provide the time and resources to establish new teams and create new inter- and transdisciplinary research agendas. Awarded projects will receive up to £500,000 over up to two years. Applications are open now. Register for our webinar on 18 November to find out more ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/erNEwXrj

2024 was the hottest year on record and the increased temperatures are making pregnancy riskier. Meet Emily, a pregnant teacher, who was worried for her baby’s safety during the heatwaves this summer. Extreme heat affects all of us, not just people in hotter countries. So how do we fix the problem? Clean energy is the best way to slow our warming world, but we also need to adapt our health systems to protect pregnant people and their babies. Read this Financial Times about how rising temperatures are making pregnancy riskier: https://lnkd.in/eaXr2WQH If you're at COP30 Brazil, come to our event at TED Countdown on the impacts of extreme heat on workers: https://lnkd.in/eixY3xXv

As #COP30 kicks off in Brazil today our short film shows how rising temperatures are endangering workers and economies worldwide. 2.4 billion workers are impacted by extreme heat worldwide and globally it’s costing our economies $1.09 trillion per year. "The heat is on" shows the impact of extreme heat on workers in India, Spain, Tanzania and the UK. Read the Financial Times article and watch the film here: https://lnkd.in/dr4sZ8mV

One of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions is to electrify everything. We already know how to do this for electrical grids and transportation – and that it can benefit both the planet and our health. Now, Jonathan Buonocore at the Boston University School of Public Health is looking at how we can do the same for buildings ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/e58usBtE

Children living in cold, damp and mouldy homes often develop chest infections. Olivia Swann, a children’s doctor and researcher based at The University of Edinburgh, wants to change that. She’s leading a study looking at housing and healthcare data across Scotland in more detail than ever before. Where could its findings lead? Find out in ‘Behind the Research’ ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eFT4xk7z

I’m privileged to learn about new discoveries in mental health science every day. From a new drug to treat schizophrenia to an app to predict psychosis. These breakthroughs come from the highest standards of research, informed by people with lived experience. Sometimes, discovering that an intervention doesn’t work is just as important. It all helps us piece together crucial evidence about what works, for who, in what contexts and why. But it’s essential that all interventions are rigorously tested – both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. In a recent interview with DIE ZEIT, I shared my thoughts on this – and more: https://lnkd.in/eQh6MuT5

You’re probably generating vast amounts of data each day. From smartphones and wearable devices to supermarket loyalty cards, social data is a powerful tool for health research. And we need to unlock its full potential. Combined with traditional health data, we can use it to address complex challenges that cut across disciplines. It can help researchers to: · identify health outcomes and risks · map lived experiences and environmental exposures · uncover systemic factors behind health disparities Social data has incredible potential to catalyse new discoveries. But researchers still face challenges in accessing and using it responsibly, systematically and sustainably. Our new report, produced by The Governance Lab, sets out a clear plan for action. Read it here ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/e9tkXvjt

Good news! These cool roofs are protecting people from heatwaves, without requiring any energy. They could offer benefits to the health, and economies of communities in hot places. The research kicked off in Pacific Island, Niue and is being rolled out across India, Mexico, Fiji and Burkina Faso. As #COP30 begins next week, we need more investment for solutions like this, that help communities adapt to our changing climate.

A critical moment for climate action is kicking off in Brazil. You may have heard about #COP30. But what is it? And why is this year’s event essential for protecting our health? The annual United Nations conference brings together world leaders, scientists and campaigners to agree on collective next steps for tackling climate change. Previous years have focussed on country commitments, but this year is all about implementation. What are governments actually doing to tackle the crisis? At Wellcome, we recognise that climate change is first and foremost a public health concern. So, if we want to create a future where all humans can flourish, we need to put people’s health at the heart of climate action, at COP30 and beyond. Find out more about Wellcome's work on Climate and Health: https://lnkd.in/eHvHCmxH