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Reposted by Espoir Bwenge Malembaka

Dr Ellie Murray, ScD @epiellie.bsky.social · 3d

My review of the third autism-Tylenol study RFK Jr mentioned is out now.

If you weighed in on "what proportion of kids have neurodevelopmental disorders" yesterday, this paper is why I asked the question. Most of you will be very surprised by their answer!

open.substack.com/pub/epiellie...

RFK Jr's third Tylenol-autism study is just run-of-the-mill bad research

I’m reading through RFK Jr’s supposed evidence that Tylenol causes autism and it’s not looking good for his conclusions.

open.substack.com

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Adam Kucharski @adamjkucharski.bsky.social · 28d

Want a large language model that never hallucinates? Easy: just get it to always print “I don’t know”, regardless of the input.

If you find this solution is a bit unsatisfying, you’re not alone. But it hits on a crucial trade-off with learning machines and decision-making more generally.

New post:

An LLM that never hallucinates

There are two big errors we can make with information, but one often gets forgotten

kucharski.substack.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · May 24

We are observing similar patterns of non-sexual transmission of mpox Clade Ib in eastern DR Congo.

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Non-sexual community transmission of mpox clade Ib in DR Congo

Introduction In September 2023, mpox clade Ib emerged in Kamituga, a mining zone in South Kivu, DR Congo, primarily through sexual transmission. This study investigates an mpox clade Ib outbreak in Uv...

www.medrxiv.org

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Dr Ellie Murray, ScD @epiellie.bsky.social · May 24

Tell me you’ve never heard of reverse causation without telling me you’ve never heard of reverse causation….

Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · May 23

“Smartphone users spent significantly more time on the toilet and had a 46% increased risk for hemorrhoids than nonusers, according to results of a recent survey.” www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Using Smartphones on the Toilet Increases Hemorrhoid Risk

Spending significant time on the toilet while using a smartphone is associated with an increased risk for hemorrhoids.

www.medscape.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · May 11

At least 60 deaths recorded in the Fizi, one of the DRC's historical cholera hotspots. It would not be surprising to see a sharp increase in the number of cases, given the devastating impact of flooding on water and sanitation infrastructures. Preventive vaccination !

actualite.cd/2025/05/10/r...

actualite.cd

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Feb 27

We demonstrate a major shift in mpox transmission, with household-driven spread disproportionately affecting children, a pattern, distinct from the clade II outbreaks in men who have sex with men and early clade Ib cases in Kamituga linked to heterosexual transmission
doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Non-sexual community transmission of Mpox clade 1b in Uvira, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: a descriptive study

Abstract Introduction In September 2023, mpox clade 1b emerged in Kamituga, a mining zone in South Kivu, DR Congo, primarily through sexual transmission. This study investigates an mpox clade 1b outbr...

doi.org

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Feb 27

In this second paper, clade Ib mpox outbreak in Uvira primarily affected children under 15 years (63.7%), with limited reported sexual transmission. Occupational healthcare and workplace exposures were rare. The overall case fatality ratio was 0.7%, but high among HIV-positive and infants < 1 yr.

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Feb 27

Mpox Clade Ib incubation periods are longer than previous MPXV estimates and vary by exposure route, with shorter periods for sexual transmission. These differences suggest the need to revise post-exposure monitoring guidelines.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...

The incubation periods of Monkeypox virus clade Ib

Background Monkeypox virus (MPXV) clade Ib, first detected in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in September 2023, spread internationally within months, prompting a WHO emergency declaration. Dat...

doi.org

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Ursula Hofer @hoferu.bsky.social · Jan 23

New correspondence in The Lancet Infectious Diseases

Disseminated mpox in an immunocompromised patient in DR Congo: a call for a shift from disease-focused to person-centred outbreak response

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Disseminated mpox in an immunocompromised patient in DR Congo: a call for a shift from disease-focused to person-centred outbreak response

This Correspondence examines a complex case of an immunocompromised patient at an mpox treatment centre in South Kivu, DR Congo, highlighting the shortcomings of outbreak-focused care models and their...

www.thelancet.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Jan 23

"Although reactive vertical approaches can provide rapid responses to outbreaks, they often fail to strengthen broader health systems, leaving countries ill-prepared for future crises and jeopardising progress toward universal health coverage and pandemic resilience www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Disseminated mpox in an immunocompromised patient in DR Congo: a call for a shift from disease-focused to person-centred outbreak response

This Correspondence examines a complex case of an immunocompromised patient at an mpox treatment centre in South Kivu, DR Congo, highlighting the shortcomings of outbreak-focused care models and their...

www.thelancet.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Jan 21

Perhaps this is a chance to push for a more equitable system that truly values the agency and leadership of countries in the Global South...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization

Trump has long been critical of how the Geneva-based institution handled the Covid-19 pandemic.

www.bbc.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Jan 21

However, could the US withdrawal from the WHO also be an opportunity to rethink the funding structures and address the power imbalances inherent in global health? The persistent 'saviourist' and, to some people, colonialist dynamics within global health institutions have long shaped their operations

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Jan 21

This raises an important point. The U.S. withdrawal from WHO would undoubtedly disrupt critical health programs and initiatives, potentially causing significant harm, especially in vulnerable regions.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization

Trump has long been critical of how the Geneva-based institution handled the Covid-19 pandemic.

www.bbc.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Jan 19

Whether it’s Ebola, cholera, or mpox, the same issues persist—narrowly focused vertical programs driven by donor priorities. In an upcoming piece, we reflect on this challenge in the context of the current mpox outbreak in eastern DR Congo.

Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Jan 18

From HiV to Ebola to Covid and mpox, inequities in access is a defining feature

Grateful to @craigspencer.bsky.social for his advocacy

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Ebola and a Decade of Disparities — Forging a Future for Global Health Equity | NEJM

Since the 2014–2016 West African Ebola outbreak, there have been numerous proposals and promises to reform global health infrastructure. Yet inequity remains deeply entrenched.

www.nejm.org

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Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Jan 18

From HiV to Ebola to Covid and mpox, inequities in access is a defining feature

Grateful to @craigspencer.bsky.social for his advocacy

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Ebola and a Decade of Disparities — Forging a Future for Global Health Equity | NEJM

Since the 2014–2016 West African Ebola outbreak, there have been numerous proposals and promises to reform global health infrastructure. Yet inequity remains deeply entrenched.

www.nejm.org

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Katri Bertram @katribertram.bsky.social · Jan 6

Who are you “performing” for? A book review and personal reflections on: The Foreign Gaze – Essays on Global Health by @seyeabimbola.bsky.social katribertram.wordpress.com/2025/01/06/w...

Who are you “performing” for? A book review and personal reflections on: The Foreign Gaze – Essays on Global Health by Seye Abimbola

katribertram.wordpress.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Dec 27

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The Ferrari Lab @theferrarilab.bsky.social · Dec 18

Such horizontal preventive programs have been notoriously hard to motivate and fund precisely because the impact of each dollar spent is diffuse across many health outcomes and donors struggle to see the selfish benefit of their specific investment.

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The Ferrari Lab @theferrarilab.bsky.social · Dec 18

The root causes of measles mortality and recent headline grabbing malaria outbreak in DRC are the same: poverty, access, infrastructure. All are legacies of oppressive history.

Tiny Coffins: Measles Is Killing Thousands of Children in Congo

Problems with getting vaccines to families have left many children unvaccinated and in danger of contracting the virus.

www.nytimes.com

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Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Dec 11

www.who.int/director-gen...

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 10 December 2024

www.who.int

Espoir Bwenge Malembaka @esbwenge.bsky.social · Dec 11

If the unknown disease X in the DRC is malaria... its concernig that in 2024, there are still areas on earth unable to diagnose malaria. How can we discuss advancements like genomics surveillance when we have yet to address the basics of infectious diseases surveillance in DR Congo?

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Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Dec 9

This doctor raised the alarm about a deadly mpox outbreak that went global

Placide Mbala is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 202

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This doctor raised the alarm about a deadly mpox outbreak that went global

Placide Mbala is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2024.

www.nature.com

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Public Citizen @publiccitizen.bsky.social · Nov 30

The DRC spends just $22 per person annually on health care.

A single Mpox test costs $20.

This is outrageous.

Poorer countries shouldn't have to pay heightened test prices just so big pharma can make a bigger profit.

Drop the price now.

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Jason Kindrachuk @kindrachukjason.bsky.social · Nov 19

Very happy to see this important collaborative work out on preprint now detailing clinical and epidemiological considerations for Clade Ib mpox

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Epidemiological and Clinical Features of Mpox during the Clade Ib outbreak in South-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Clade Ib, a new strain of the Clade I monkeypox virus, emerged in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, sparking an international outbreak. Comprehensive studies are needed to assess it...

www.medrxiv.org

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Isabella Eckerle @eckerleisabella.bsky.social · Nov 22

If you are interested in #emergingviruses, new #vaccines & #publichealth, save the date for this event! April 7-9, 2025 in Geneva, co-hosted by our Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases & the Centre of Vaccinology of the University of Geneva & University Hospitals of Geneva! Superb speakers list!

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