Latest news with #BurnetInstitute
Sydney Morning Herald
21-06-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘A bomb thrown into the middle of science': Trump cuts hurt Australian medical research
Australian medical research institutes are suspending projects on malaria, tuberculosis and women's health, as well as laying off staff, as they reel from the Trump administration's multibillion-dollar science cuts. The situation has drawn condemnation from Australian scientists. Burnet Institute director Professor Brendan Crabb likened the cuts to 'having a bomb thrown into the middle of science'. 'The world of science and research in all its forms … is undergoing a global seismic shift as a result of what the US is doing,' he said. 'I can't think of another circumstance since the end of World War II where things have been upended so profoundly.' Preliminary estimates from the Burnet Institute show that the US cuts have left a $1.2 million funding shortfall across the organisation's global health programs and collaborations. A spokeswoman said this had led to the suspension until 2030 of research projects involving malaria, harm reduction, tuberculosis and women's and children's health. Loading Professor James Beeson, a world-renowned malaria researcher from the Burnet Institute, said the cuts would put millions of lives at risk. Beeson pointed to research by the Malaria Atlas Project, which estimates that a complete freeze in US funding would lead to 15 million additional cases of malaria every year and 107,000 deaths. Maternal deaths, stillbirths, tuberculosis and HIV rates throughout the Asia-Pacific region and parts of Africa would also increase substantially over the next few years unless the funding cuts were reversed or replaced by other funding sources, he said.
The Age
21-06-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘A bomb thrown into the middle of science': Trump cuts hurt Australian medical research
Australian medical research institutes are suspending projects on malaria, tuberculosis and women's health, as well as laying off staff, as they reel from the Trump administration's multibillion-dollar science cuts. The situation has drawn condemnation from Australian scientists. Burnet Institute director Professor Brendan Crabb likened the cuts to 'having a bomb thrown into the middle of science'. 'The world of science and research in all its forms … is undergoing a global seismic shift as a result of what the US is doing,' he said. 'I can't think of another circumstance since the end of World War II where things have been upended so profoundly.' Preliminary estimates from the Burnet Institute show that the US cuts have left a $1.2 million funding shortfall across the organisation's global health programs and collaborations. A spokeswoman said this had led to the suspension until 2030 of research projects involving malaria, harm reduction, tuberculosis and women's and children's health. Loading Professor James Beeson, a world-renowned malaria researcher from the Burnet Institute, said the cuts would put millions of lives at risk. Beeson pointed to research by the Malaria Atlas Project, which estimates that a complete freeze in US funding would lead to 15 million additional cases of malaria every year and 107,000 deaths. Maternal deaths, stillbirths, tuberculosis and HIV rates throughout the Asia-Pacific region and parts of Africa would also increase substantially over the next few years unless the funding cuts were reversed or replaced by other funding sources, he said.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Getting COVID booster alongside flu shot could reduce hospitalisations, study finds
As winter begins, a new study has found that getting a COVID-19 booster at the same time as the flu vaccination could reduce the rate of hospital admissions for coronavirus. In a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, Burnet Institute researchers found that offering COVID-19 vaccination boosters alongside the flu shot could reduce the hospital admission rate for COVID-19 by up to 14 per cent. It comes amid a renewed push by experts for Australians to get the COVID-19 booster as the NB. 1.8.1 variant has driven up infections. Researchers used mathematical models to compare scenarios where COVID-19 vaccines were delivered at different times of the year. The results showed that even though COVID-19 was not seasonal like influenza, increasing COVID-19 booster rates by offering them at the same time as the influenza vaccine was still likely to be an effective public health strategy. In the last six months, there have been 1.3 million doses of COVID boosters administered to people aged 18 years and over. Experts have been proactive in their push for higher vaccination rates. Among them is Burnet Institute head of modelling and biostatistics, and co-author of the study, Associate professor Nick Scott. He said offering both vaccinations at the same time could also be a simple way to increase vaccination coverage. "By offering a COVID-19 booster vaccination alongside the annual influenza vaccination, we could aim to achieve similar vaccination coverage for COVID-19 as influenza, which would make a meaningful difference in reducing hospital admissions and deaths," he said. Another of the study's co-authors, mathematical modeller Fenella McAndrew, said the research showed that getting vaccinated at any time against COVID-19 was a benefit, so it made sense to receive both vaccinations together. "Unlike influenza, COVID-19 doesn't have a well-defined season, and when we modelled different scenarios, the percentage of people receiving booster vaccinations was more important than the timing of the vaccination," she said. With such a reliable vaccine available for COVID-19, it makes sense for people to receive regular booster vaccinations to protect themselves, she added. COVID-19 infection can lead to serious illness that can impact every system in the body, leading to a variety of health concerns including cognitive decline, immune system damage, liver impairment, kidney disease and reduced lung function. It can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The Australian government recommends COVID-19 booster vaccinations every 12 months for healthy adults between the ages of 18-64 without any risk factors. Older Australians, aged 75 and older, without any risk factors are advised to receive a booster vaccination every six months. According to the Department of Health, regular COVID-19 vaccinations are the best way to maintain your protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. They are especially important for anyone aged 65 years or older and people at higher risk of severe COVID-19.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
U.S. foreign aid cuts might devastate global progress against HIV/AIDS
HIV could explode worldwide in the wake of U.S. cuts to foreign aid, resulting in millions of AIDS deaths and soaring rates of infection, a new analysis says. President Donald Trump has floated the notion of ending the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief, a program created under President George W. Bush that combats HIV and AIDS in the developing world. The Trump Administration paused all foreign aid funding Jan. 20, ostensibly for a 90-day review and evaluation, with only limited exception. Authorization for PEPFAR lapsed Tuesday, according to CBS News, and the world is now watching and waiting to see what will come next. Such funding cuts could undo decades of progress made to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat, researchers argue in a study published Wednesday in The Lancet HIV. That study came at the same time Britain's Prince Harry withdrew from an AIDS/HIV charity he led in Africa for 19 years. If U.S. aid is cut, researchers estimate that new HIV infections could surge to as many as 10.8 million additional cases, and HIV-related deaths to 2.9 million, by 2030. "The United States has historically been the largest contributor to global efforts to treat and prevent HIV, but the current cuts to PEPFAR and USAID-supported programs have already disrupted access to essential HIV services including for antiretroviral therapy and HIV prevention and testing," co-lead researcher Debra ten Brink, a senior research officer at Australia's Burnet Institute, said in a news release. "Looking ahead, if other donor countries reduce funding, decades of progress to treat and prevent HIV could be unraveled," ten Brink said. "It is imperative to secure sustainable financing and avoid a resurgence of the HIV epidemic which could have devastating consequences, not just in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, but globally." Five nations provide more than 90% of total international HIV funding, and the U.S. pays nearly three-quarters of that, researchers said in background notes. To estimate the potential effects of cuts to HIV funding, researchers projected infection and death rates in 26 countries that currently receive funds to hold the line against the virus. As much as a six-fold increase in new infections could occur, with between 4.4 million and 10.8 million additional new HIV infections by 2030. The cuts could also result in between 770,000 to 2.9 million HIV-related deaths by 2030, results show. "There could be an even greater impact in sub-Saharan Africa, where broader prevention efforts, such as distributing condoms and offering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP is a medication that reduces the risk of getting HIV.) are at first risk to be discontinued," co-lead researcher Rowan Martin-Hughes, a senior research officer with the Burnet Institute, said in a news release. "This is in addition to disruptions in testing and treatment programs [that] could cause a surge in new HIV infections, especially in some of the areas where the greatest gains have been made, such as preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and pediatric HIV deaths," Martin-Hughes added. Between 2010 and 2023, countries that receive foreign aid made significant progress against HIV, with an average 8% annual decrease in new infections and a 10% decrease in HIV-related deaths, researchers noted. Researchers said if foreign aid is greatly reduced, new infections and deaths could be expected to rise back to levels not seen since 2010, potentially undoing all progress made since 2000. Even a temporary cut in funding of one to two years could represent a setback that would require an additional 20 to 30 years of investment before HIV/AIDS is ended as a public health threat, researchers wrote. The U.S. action dovetailed with news that a management dispute prompted Prince Harry to step down as a patron of Sentebale, a charity he set up to help young people with HIV and AIDS in the African nations of Lesotho and Botswana. Reuters noted that he co-founded the charity in 2006 in memory of his mother Princess Diana, who helped combat stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. More information The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on HIV/AIDS. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
The Independent
27-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Foreign aid cuts will lead to more HIV infections and deaths, study suggests
HIV infections and deaths will rise as a result of cuts to foreign aid, according to a study. Researchers said that funding cuts could undo decades of progress. A new report says that infections and deaths could surge to levels not seen for more than two decades. Experts, led by academics from Australia, estimate there could be up to 10.8 million additional HIV infections by 2030 in low-and-middle income countries as a result of the cuts. And there could be up to 2.9 million HIV-related deaths between 2025 and 2030 if funding cuts proposed by the top five donor countries, including the USA and the UK, are not mitigated. Sir Keir Starmer recently slashed overseas aid spending to fund defence commitments he said were necessary to protect the UK amid uncertainty over the Ukraine war and its implications for European security. Anneliese Dodds resigned as international development minister over the decision, which will see the budget cut from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in the next two years. After taking up post in January, US president Donald Trump announced a pause in most US foreign aid spending. He also announced that the US would withdraw from the World Health Organisation. A paper, published in The Lancet HIV, highlights how international donors have contributed to 40% of all HIV funding in low-and-middle income countries since 2015. The USA, UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands together account for more than 90% of international funding, but they have each recently announced plans to implement significant cuts to foreign aid, the article adds. It is estimated that these plans will lead to a 24% reduction in international HIV funding by 2026. As a result, the team modelled the human cost of the cuts. They estimated there could be between 4.4 million to 10.8 million additional HIV infections by 2030 in low-and-middle income countries. And between 770,000 to 2.9 million HIV-related deaths in children and adults could occur in the same time frame. 'Unmitigated funding reductions could significantly reverse progress in the HIV response by 2030, disproportionately affecting sub-Saharan African countries and key and vulnerable populations,' the authors wrote. It comes after the UN programme for combating HIV and Aids, UNAids, said that daily new HIV infections around the world could almost double without the aid provided by the United States. 'The United States has historically been the largest contributor to global efforts to treat and prevent HIV, but the current cuts to Pepfar (the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) and USaid-supported programmes have already disrupted access to essential HIV services including for antiretroviral therapy and HIV prevention and testing,' said co-lead study author Dr Debra ten Brink of the Burnet Institute (Australia). 'Looking ahead, if other donor countries reduce funding, decades of progress to treat and prevent HIV could be unravelled. 'It is imperative to secure sustainable financing and avoid a resurgence of the HIV epidemic which could have devastating consequences, not just in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, but globally.' And reports suggest that the Trump administration is planning to end funding for Gavi, the vaccine alliance. Responding to the reports, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said: 'The funding cuts in the first three months of this year affecting USaid, ODA, WHO and now Gavi are suffocating global health.' Commenting on the study, the National Aids Trust said it is 'extremely alarmed' by the potential impact of proposed cuts. Daniel Fluskey, director of policy, research and influencing at the charity, said: 'These funding cuts will have a devastating impact for millions of people across the world as well as threatening the progress that has been made, both globally and in the UK, on ending the HIV epidemic. 'Like any virus, HIV does not stop at international borders. We will not reach the goal of ending new transmissions by 2030 in the UK with a resurgence of HIV across the world.' Anne Aslett, chief executive of the Elton John Aids Foundation, added: 'This report demonstrates the critical and urgent need for donors to recognise the cumulative impact of their decisions to cut aid budgets. 'If funding for the global HIV response falls away to the extent this report suggests it could, millions more people will get sick, and health budgets will simply not be able to cope.' A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'The UK provides significant funding to the global HIV response, supporting work to end Aids-related deaths and prevent new HIV infections. 'We remain firmly committed to tackling global health challenges, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it will help us deliver on our Plan for Change in the UK by supporting global stability and growth.'
