Category Archives: Embryology

Embryology

Racism Is a Health Crisis. Why Aren’t We Treating It Like One? – Healthline

After 5 days of protests against police brutality in Columbus, Ohio, the city council organized a virtual meeting and introduced a resolution to classify racism as a public health crisis.

Joining that meeting was Ohio State University (OSU) President Michael V. Drake, who gave his unqualified support to the resolution.

The burden of being Black in America is not only exploding in our bodies, its spilling into the streets. If we dont begin treating this as a health crisis, our communities will never heal, said Drake, who then committed the universitys staff and resources toward addressing the issue.

Dr. Nwando Olayiwola, chair of the department of family medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, admires how Drake called racism a health crisis.

There are many institutions across the nation that are still not comfortable actually saying that, so I think calling it by its name is hugely important as a first [step] to addressing it, Olayiwola said.

In the medical community, theres a growing body of research confirming that racism, in addition to being a societal ill, is indeed a public health crisis, one that has been hard to ignore with the arrival of COVID-19.

The pandemic has revealed stark disparities among racial lines in health outcomes. Death rates for Black and Hispanic/Latino people are significantly higher in every age category, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The disparity is especially apparent in younger brackets. Death rates of Black and Hispanic/Latino people ages 45 to 54 are at least six times higher than rates for white people.

While geography may play some part in these disparities, there are deeper forces at work.

A study released in February from Auburn University found that racist encounters caused sustained stress among a group of African Americans, which in turn led to cellular aging.

David Chae, ScD, who helmed the research team, called racism a social toxin that becomes embedded at the cellular level.

This would help explain why, for example, Black men continue to have shorter life expectancies than white men (72.2 years vs. 76.6 years, respectively, in 2011, according to the CDC).

Stress stemming from biased encounters is far from the only factor that leads to shorter life spans.

Racism is a multisystem agitator, said Wizdom Powell, director of the Health Disparities Institute and associate professor of psychiatry at UConn Health.

Its many tentacles are wrapped around the policies, practices, and procedures that govern (and harm) Black lives, she says.

There is more than enough evidence to affirm that racism in all of its myriad forms has significant detrimental impacts or implications for the health of Black Americans, Powell said.

Racisms harm to health is both physical and mental. Experiencing an act like racial profiling or a microaggression can lead to a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and trauma for a Black person.

A 2019 study from UCLA and University of Southern California scientists showed that the toxic effect of stress caused by racism can trigger an immune system response that increases chronic inflammation in Black people, which in turn causes a host of health problems like heart disease and metastatic cancer.

The redlining of neighborhoods across the country had led to ongoing segregation and poorer quality environments and education for many communities of color.

Numerous studies equate higher education with less stress and longer life spans. Wealth is also tied to better health, leaving a bleak outlook for those with few opportunities for employment and upward mobility.

Long histories of discrimination sow distrust in institutions among people of color. And this spills over into the healthcare system.

If you experience a lot of racism in your everyday life, youre more likely to believe, and rationally so, that you could experience the same racism while trying to get your healthcare needs met, Powell said.

This perception is earned. Research has shown that healthcare providers treat Black patients differently than white patients.

A 2010 study found that physicians are more likely to recommend a cardiac procedure to white patients presenting with the same symptoms as Black patients. Nonwhite patients also receive less pain relief in emergency rooms, according to a 2019 report that listed implicit bias as a factor.

Racism isnt just a figment of peoples imagination or an attitudinal challenge, Powell said. Its actually one thats rooted in an unfortunate reality, and thats that Black folk dont always get equal treatment and equal quality care.

The United States has a long history of medical malice, says Powell, most infamously the Tuskegee experiment conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service in which Black men unbeknownst to them were observed for untreated syphilis for decades.

Horrific abuses, from slavery to present day, fill books like Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington and Bones in the Basement by Robert Blakely and Judith M. Harrington.

Powell worries even today about how well-intentioned providers in the current pandemic may be making decisions based on implicit bias, such as where to allocate a ventilator or other lifesaving medical resources.

While theres no study to back up this concern, Olayiwola attests that not all providers are as committed as OSUs president to the belief that racism is a health crisis.

I wish I could say that that these physicians feel thats a problem, but Im confident that thats not true, Olayiwola said.

Recently, OSUs department of family medicine, which she chairs, hosted an open dialogue where several doctors expressed that they remained unconvinced of this connection.

Because racism is a deep-seated issue that touches every institution, it requires a complete system change, one that transforms spaces where people live, work, play, pray, get educated, and get healthcare, Powell said.

I always talk about racism as a virus, Powell said, noting parallels between the work of containing an outbreak and stamping out bias at every level.

For an institution, the first step is calling racism a health crisis, as OSU has done. Then comes a plan of action for addressing it.

To this end, an institution can conduct an internal review of its practices in employment, promotion, and, in OSUs case, its selection of students and curriculum.

While all medical students undergo implicit bias training, for example, Olayiwola believes far more can be done to teach about racism in medical education, just as we would embryology and understanding the genesis of a human being.

Youre doing a self-examination on an X-ray, if you will, of your own performance, and mitigating or eliminating any of the disparities that you find, Olayiwola said.

After an internal review comes the external work of investing in communities. OSU infused economic vibrancy in communities of color by building health facilities, increasing employment opportunities, and launching education programs.

And even more importantly, it has the recognition that we can do better, no matter how well we think were doing, Olayiwola said.

Of course, improvement or reform may not always be the answer.

Reform suggests that there is something meritorious in the design in the first place. And in many instances, thats the case. But there are circumstances and systems where that call for something more radical, Powell said.

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, protestors are demanding a dismantling of the police, which institutionally began as a slave patrol in the United States.

I am hard-pressed to imagine, or try to reimagine, how we could rebuild that, Powell said.

Healthcare has its own advocates for a rebuilding.

But there are also areas for reform to ensure greater access to care for Black people and all vulnerable people, including increasing access to care regardless of employment status and other hurdles that disproportionately affect people of color.

On a local level, communities can reallocate budgets to spend less money on law enforcement and more on resources for mental health.

In an ideal world, a counselor, not a cop, can be called to help a child after an angry outburst. Police are ill-equipped to deal with people dealing with mental health issues, and prisons are no substitute for treatment centers.

Schools can also be resource centers to help young people cope with trauma, be it intergenerational or rooted in the pandemic, police shootings, and protests that have shook the nation.

In Los Angeles, students are marching to demand the removal of police who patrol the public schools in favor of funding college counselors, mental health services, nurses, and more programs.

This could be just the beginning of the conversation in creating an anti-racist school environment.

Community groups are key in this fight.

The Center for African American Health provides a wide range of essential resources in the Denver area. It connects individuals and families with general services like food and clothing, parental support, employment, and transportation, as well as education programs in parenting, aging, health insurance literacy, and nutrition.

These groups need committed leaders, volunteers, and resources. When Deidre Johnson joined as CEO and executive director nearly 5 years ago, she expanded the organizations scope to become a family resource center.

The goal was, how can we start earlier in the life span so that were not managing diseases but starting to prevent them altogether? Johnson said. Having changed our model, we really are working to help people have better access to all the social determinants.

Local groups also have the ability to convey the Black communitys needs to positions of political power.

A social movement maintained by the center, BeHeard Mile High, surveys Black Denver-area residents on issues related to health that are shared with policymakers.

Recently, the group was able to collect more than 500 responses about COVID-19 from Black residents after the state failed to collect many responses from Black people on its own invaluable data that spotlighted the crisis in this community and will help address it.

Youve got to be flexible, Johnson advised other groups looking to serve communities of color.

COVID-19, for example, spurred the center to pivot suddenly in its services. It began distributing personal protective equipment as well as funds to help people pay food and rent.

We were the only ones that were doing it for the African American community in Denver, Johnson said with incredulity. Im glad that we were there. Were still raising more, but we got way more requests than we had the ability to handle.

This is not a problem that cannot be solved, Powell said. Race is a sociological invention. The circumstances and experiences linked to race are very real, and the structural barriers produced by race are real. The violence against community in the name of race are real, but race itself is fictitious.

Be active in seeking out information and resources that others have already prepared.

Think about how you can use a platform to create an ant-racist culture. This could be at work or even at the dinner table, where conversations with children and family members can turn into an opportunity to learn from this moment and grow.

This gets in the way of a lot of substantial action, Powell said. As a psychologist, I can tell you its normal and appropriate in some instances, but too much of that will paralyze you.

Donating even a small amount to organizations that are supporting Black communities and advocating for social justice, like the Center for African American Health, can make a big difference.

Beyond donating, contact an organization to see what volunteer support is needed.

Reach out, but dont reach out with assumption that you know whats needed. Just reach out and ask how you can be of service, Johnson advised.

This could mean voting for them, engaging in mentorship opportunities, or giving up a seat at the table.

My liberation is bound up in yours. If Im not free, youre not free, Powell said. If theres a racial injustice Im experiencing, then were all living in a racially unjust world.

Breathe, baby, breathe. I would say to everyone, because this is heavy, Powell said.

Not everyone will be able to attend in-person protests and demonstrations, especially in the middle of a pandemic.

Theres many paths to the revolution, Powell said. Hers is scholarship; for others, it might be writing, giving, or having those tough conversations.

We owe it to them to ensure that, while were fighting the unnecessary fights, that we are pouring love back into our children and reminding them they matter, that their lives matter, their words matter, their existence matter, Powell said.

In many ways, without them, the future of our nation will be compromised. So we have to hold space for our children as we are holding space for our own pain, anger, and grief, she said.

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Racism Is a Health Crisis. Why Aren't We Treating It Like One? - Healthline

Embryology

Re X [2020] and the Court’s continued legal creativity in surrogacy cases – Lexology

The recent decision of Re X marks a further departure from the strict application of the legal requirements for a parental order, and a more flexible, creative interpretation of the law to fit the difficult circumstances on the facts. The further chipping away at the mandatory s54 requirements marks a further example of why a wholesale update of the law is required.

In England & Wales, Intended Parents must apply for a transfer of legal parenthood by way of a Parental Order after the baby has been born. To qualify for a Parental Order, the intended parent/parents, need to satisfy the qualifying criteria set out in section 54 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. These criteria are described fully here. It is only if those criteria are met that a Parental Order can be made. Sadly, there have been cases where it has not been possible for legal parenthood to transfer from the surrogate (and if applicable, her spouse) to the intended parent(s), because one or more of the criteria cannot be met, but the Courts are demonstrating more than ever a willingness to find a creative approach to the interpretation of the law to prevent that from being the case in all but the most difficult of circumstances. The result has been a gradual weakening of the mandatory nature of the requirements meaning that the law, as strictly written, no longer truly represents the reality on the ground.

The Section 54 criteria have been criticised by academics, practitioners and judges for as long as the law has been in force. In some cases, the Court has used its interpretative powers to bend the criteria wide enough to allow some perfectly sensible and appropriate applications, but which arguably fall outside of the strict rules. In others, the Court has found the Section 54 to be so restrictive that it was incompatible with human rights, placing the onus on Parliament to change them (which it eventually did in order to allow single applicants for example), but there is only so far the legislation can be corrected piecemeal, before it needs to be re-written.

The case of Re X focussed on the complications which arose after the Intended Father died unexpectedly before the PO application could be made.

The intended parents were Mr and Mrs Y. Their child referred to as X - was conceived via surrogacy using Mr Ys sperm and a donor egg. The surrogate was married. Therefore, upon birth, the legal parents were the surrogate and her husband. Very sadly, Mr Y died suddenly during the pregnancy.

Mrs Y applied for a Parental Order, asking that the application in fact be granted jointly not only to her, but also to her deceased husband, to create the legal relationship between he and X, even though he had died. Without a joint order, Mr Y would not be on Xs birth certificate and would not be the legal father. Even though Mr Y had died, he remains a central part of Xs identity. Further, Mrs Y was unable to qualify for a parental order as a single applicant, because she was not biologically related to the child.

The surrogate and her husband supported an application and order being made in favour of Mrs Y and her husband jointly. Due to the legal complexities, X was legally represented in the proceedings, and Xs litigation guardian also supported the order being made, the issue was how the mandatory requirements could be interpreted in way that allowed it to happen and indeed whether it was possible to do that without reaching a stage whereby the court was, in effect, simply ignoring the legal requirements.

The problems were that the Section 54 Criteria requires that:

This was an otherwise straightforward surrogacy arrangement which, for the reasons above, seemed initially to fall through the holes in the criteria, leaving Mrs Y, X and the surrogate in limbo. The Courts decision was binary: if the criteria could not be met (even within the context of the Courts creative interpretation), the Order could not be made, however much the Court may want to do so on a human level.

The Judge in this case looked at alternatives. None of them were attractive. An order that X should live with Mrs Y would give her parental responsibility until X was 18, but it would not sever the parental ties with the surrogate and her husband. Mrs Y could potentially apply for an adoption of X as a single applicant, but the parental link with Mr Y would not be protected and in any event, adoption does not reflect the truth of Xs conception and place in the family unit.

Applying some legal creativity, the Court was able to resolve the matter.

The Court considered the human rights of X and Mrs Y. It found that a failure to protect Xs connection with her father would discriminate against her right to enjoy her private and family life on the basis of her circumstances. Her status should be no different to what it would be had she been born in any other way. Arguably also, Mrs Y would have been subject to similar discrimination on the basis of being a widow. Both the right to enjoy a private and family life, and the right to do so without discrimination, are protected human rights. It was therefore resolved that the s54 criteria should be read in a way which allowed them to reflect the human rights of those involved.

So far as it is possible to do so, the Court can read and give effect to legislation in a way which is compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998. The Court felt it was able to read down the Section 54 criteria beyond its strict interpretation. That meant the Court was satisfied it could interpret the legislation as follows:

Happily, the Court granted the parental order.

This is another case in which the Court had to rely upon legal gymnastics to achieve justice after complexities arose after a surrogacy arrangement. It is fortunate for Mrs Y that it was possible on this occasion. This case still adds to the growing collection showing the limitations of the Section 54 Criteria as currently drafted and how the application of the law is slowly drifting away from the technical requirements. It should not be necessary for Intended Parents to have to go through what can be several years of complex and stressful litigation, and uncertainty, to resolve such issues when they arise and the law needs to reflect the needs of the growing numbers who now embark on surrogacy to expand their family. It is reassuring that the courts want to find a resolution to these cases, to give effect to what was intended and to avoid life-long legal complications, but many involved in surrogacy cases look forward to a situation whereby such creativity is not needed, and solutions can be more straightforward.

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Re X [2020] and the Court's continued legal creativity in surrogacy cases - Lexology

Embryology

Covid-19 screening in IVF clinics: safety is the priority – Cambridge Network

My argument is that it is better to screen more for coronavirus and subsequently relax, than to create the potential for positive cases that will reduce staff availability and patient confidence, comments Dr Thanos Papathanasiou, Medical Director at Bourn Hall Clinic (pictured). IVF treatment requires close interactions with staff and a paper by Dr Papathanasiou has highlighted considerable inconsistencies in the official guidance for testing.

To help professionals working in fertility medicine to balance safety and cost, Dr Papathanasiou has compared in a paper the clinical guidance given by four societies: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE); American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM); British Fertility Society (BFS) and Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS). The paper has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (12 June 2020).

Dr Papathanasiou continues: Although there is guidance about when to test for COVID-19 it varies between scientific societies. This is because there is no relevant experience or research in the area of reproductive medicine; it is a new disease after all."

Assessment of risk is complicated, as it is known that some people carry the coronavirus and are infectious without showing any symptoms of the COVID-19 disease. Therefore, making the decision to treat based just on reporting of symptoms may not protect staff or other patients from infection. A test is needed to confirm good health, but not all clinics insist on this.

Dr Papathanasiou comments: The Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the regulatory body, does not instruct how intensively clinics should screen as its priority is for the clinic to have a plan of action with risk assessments and an audit trail.

As a result, it falls to individual clinics to decide how exactly they will set up their COVID-19 practices. Consequently, some will have stricter or looser protocols and this is causing confusion for patients.

IVF treatment requires a number of face-to-face interactions over a period of several weeks so Bourn Hall has introduced a COVID-19 screening process, including self-assessment and health questionnaires and COVID-19 testing for patients and staff, for its clinics in Cambridge, Norwich and Wickford.

Bourn Hall has also introduced new ways of working to reduce footfall in its clinics, enable social distancing where possible and strict use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). A concern for the clinics and patients is that the implementation of these measures will increase the cost of each treatment cycle. At present, Bourn Hall is not passing on the increased costs to current patients other than an additional charge of 100 for each COVID-19 test.

Although a staged or triage approach based on self-assessment questionnaires and testing was recommend by all the societies, the type of questions and the timing of testing differs. For example, some include occupation as a risk factor and only one asks about local incidence of disease.

We will be making repeated assessments during treatment to confirm good health, Dr Papathanasiou continues. Even if this may mean treatment of an individual is cancelled as a precaution, safety is our priority. The good news is that this region has a relatively low number of incidents and we will be monitoring this closely within our decision-making.

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Covid-19 screening in IVF clinics: safety is the priority - Cambridge Network

Embryology

Woman gives birth to twin sons 10 years apart – Times Now

A Chinese woman gave birth to the twin brother of her son after 10 years. | Image: Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital 

Hubei: A woman has given birth to twin sons - 10 years apart. The woman gave to the twin brother of her son from an embryo that was frozen for 10 years.

Wang, from China, had been struggling to conceive a child. In 2009, she decided to try the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and doctors cultivated a "batch of embryos". They implanted one embryo into Wangin October of that year.

While Wang went on to give birth to baby 'Lulu' in June 2010, the doctors at Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital froze the rest of her eggs so that she could go through the process later.

About 10 years later, Wang (now 41) decided to have a second baby. When she returned to Director Xiao Mei, who helped her with her first pregnancy, the doctor recognised Wang immediately.

The hospital said that despite her age, Wang's pregnancy was "relatively smooth".

The woman welcomed her second son on June 16 after giving birth via cesarean. The baby who has been named Tongtong weighed 3.48 kilograms at the time of birth, exactly the same weight as that of his elder twin brother.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in the UK explains that there may be good quality embryos left over after the IVF treatment. Instead of discarding them, those embryos can be frozen to use in the future, in case the first treatment doesn't work. They can also be frozen to preserve fertility to try for a sibling at a later date.

"From a medical perspective, Lulu and Tongtong are twin brothers," Zheng Jie, a doctor from the fertility centre of the hospital, said.

"The same doctor did the test tube operation, the same doctor did the cesarean section operation, the two babies were the same batch of embryos, the same sex, the same weight, were also born in June," the hospital said, adding that the twins born10 years apart have so much in common that it's "extremely rare".

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Woman gives birth to twin sons 10 years apart - Times Now

Embryology

How to cope with fertility treatment – EasternEye – Eastern Eye

FOOD WRITER SEETAL SAVLA DISCUSSES HER EMOTIONAL IVF JOURNEY

by MITA MISTRY

THE Covid-19 lockdown is having a detrimental effect on lives globally, but for many couples trying for a child it is a devastating time because fertility treatments have been indefinitely postponed and some feel they are running out of time.

As each day of lockdown progresses they feel like their chances of having a biological child are shrinking and its particularly terrifying for women who feel like their egg reserves are dwindling.

British Asian food writer Seetal Savla has been married for 11 years to her husband Neil and after suffering an early miscarriage from a biological pregnancy, has been trying for a baby for over four years. She has gone through three unsuccessful IVF cycles and a fourth has been interrupted due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The struggle has been made harder by an out dated cultural legacy that looks down on a woman who cant conceive.

Eastern Eye caught up with Savla to talk about her deeply emotional IVF journey, key advice for infertile couples and her future hopes.

Please tell us about your fertility journey?My husband and I suffered an early miscarriage from a natural pregnancy in 2016-2017. Until then, hed expressed a stronger desire to become a parent than I had, but this devastating loss was my catalyst to be proactive. It was a wakeup call for two reasons: wed been married for eight years and this was our sole pregnancy, plus it made me realise how much I wanted children. Amid all the pressure to procreate, Id suppressed my feelings, which had finally surfaced. We sought fertility treatment shortly afterwards, through the NHS and then private clinics. However, our fourth cycle has been postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19, which is frustrating.

How does it feel going through a cycle of IVF?It depends on the clinic, your protocol, the medications and your reaction to them, whether youre working, among others. During my first cycle, I felt overwhelmed. In hindsight, it was a breeze compared to the private clinic we chose for our second and third rounds. It was information and medication overload, which hit me so hard one day that I ended up in tears in the nurses office. On any given day, I flitted between anger that we had to undergo IVF, gratitude that we could afford it, shame, guilt and hatred towards my dysfunctional body, muted excitement about a positive outcome and fear of another failure.

How did it affect your daily life?The NHS cycle was so light that I continued to work and socialise. For the private rounds, it was a full-time job doing daily blood tests and scans, taking five to six different injections, plus pills and pessaries, at specific times throughout the day; it took over my life. By this time, I had changed jobs and did what I could around appointments until I was laid off for business reasons. Although being unemployed was a shock, the silver lining was that I had the headspace and time to fully focus on my relentless IVF schedule.

What is the hardest part of dealing with IVF/infertility?Undergoing IVF is like being on a never-ending rollercoaster ride: you are up and down emotionally. Each cycle is testing in different ways, with the toughest challenges being recovering from the heartbreak of yet another failed round and trying to remain hopeful when that final phone call only ever brings bad news. It hurts even more when the treatment overshadows your special occasions, such as our 10th anniversary, which was spent in blustery Brighton instead of beautiful Bali.

How did your family and friends help?We told our immediate families and close friends from the outset, all of whom were supportive. That said, we didnt divulge how traumatic the experience was, so they were taken aback when they read my first blog post revealing what went on behind closed doors. Having my sister, best friend and mother-in-law accompany me during certain clinic visits was also comforting. Furthermore, discovering the TTC community (Trying To Conceive) via Instagram was a lifeline as they instantly understood my hopes, fears and heartache.

Did you get community support?Our extended families have been a great source of support. By checking in with us to see how were coping, rooting for us and sending heartfelt messages after unsuccessful cycles, theyve given us considerable strength to keep going when we were close to giving up. It can be extremely difficult to know what to say to someone when their pain is so raw, but some people are naturally empathic and their words have soothed me.

Did you seek any other professional help?I started therapy after our third cycle. I sometimes find it easier to talk to strangers about my struggles. Therapists only have the backstory you share; theyre not personally invested in you, so they wont try to fix your problems with platitudes or fertility success stories. You get a neutral perspective and dont feel guilty for constantly talking about yourself as youre paying them to listen. With family and friends, youre conscious that youre offloading on them, you dont want to worry them and they have their own issues.

What advice would you give someone going through IVF and infertility?I recommend starting with the HFEA website (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), which offers plenty of information about fertility treatments, funding, egg, sperm or embryo donation and UK clinics. Speaking of clinics, dont feel obliged to stick to the same one its okay to move if your original choice no longer works. Similarly, shop around when buying meds as prices vary (supermarket pharmacies are often the cheapest). Also, injecting yourself wont be as bad as you imagine (unless youre prescribed intramuscular injections). Lastly, there are many online and offline support networks, so please dont suffer in silence.

In what ways could all those women going through IVF/infertility be better supported?A one-size-fits-all solution is impossible because were all different. For me, being advised to just relax or stay strong and be positive is irritating as these words fail to acknowledge my inner turmoil. Instead of platitudes or pity, something like, Im sorry, this is s**t and Im thinking of you works well. Ask how they are, just listen and dont advise.

What would you say are your hopes for the future?To have a happy and healthy baby. Its hard to make plans given the uncertainty around Covid-19, but a baby would be miraculous. While I admire the determination of those who wont quit until they achieve their goal, reaching double digits for cycles, we couldnt continue without an end date. Being on the IVF treadmill is physically, mentally, emotionally and financially draining. If success eludes us, we will explore alternatives, starting with anonymous donor eggs. However, we do not want infertility to define us and some of us are ready to call time sooner than others.

Visit http://www.savlafaire.com, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram: @SavlaFaire

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How to cope with fertility treatment - EasternEye - Eastern Eye

Embryology

The NHS worker from Croydon who needs to find 40k to take up her place at Oxford University – MyLondon

Being accepted to Oxford was a life changing moment for this 22-year-old from Thornton Heath.

But if Leighann Nesbeth, an NHS admin worker, cant raise the 40,000 needed to pay for the fees, her dream may not become a reality.

Inspired by her work in the gynocology oncology department at Guys Hospital, she hopes taking a masters in Clinical Embryology at Oxford will set her on a path where she can help women struggling to get pregnant.

She said: I find with a lot of patients with ovarian cancer their fertility is affected, and going to an assisted fertility unit is the first point of contact before they have cancer treatment so they can preserve their fertility.

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I found I was really interested in that and I was looking for a positive way to impact the lives of women so fertility is definitely my calling.

Leighann was determined to pursue a career in clinical medicine from a young age despite being told by a teacher to aim lower.

Her sights remained high even after being rejected from medical school multiple times.

Instead she chose to study for a degree in Medical Physiology in Nottingham where she graduated with first class honours.

She explained that accepted to Oxford has boosted her confidence in what shes capable of, but the huge fees nearly stopped her from applying at all.

She said: When I did my research and I found out it was 40,000 I honestly wasnt even going to apply. I thought theres no way I could afford it. I spoke to my mum and dad about it and we thought it was just impossible.

It was only an encouraging message on the day of the deadline that prompted Leighann to submit her application.

There are some scholarships available, she said, but she wont know if she has been granted any until just two weeks before the day her fees need to be paid at the end of June.

In terms of the money, it does make me feel very disheartened, she said.

Its just such a huge barrier. If the only thing thats stopping me is the finance it seems like Ive come so far to just not be able to get it.

Leighann has raised just over 6,000 towards her target on her Go Fund Me page. You can help get her Oxford by donating here.

Do you have a story you think MyLondon should cover? If so, email danielle.manning@reachplc.com.

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The NHS worker from Croydon who needs to find 40k to take up her place at Oxford University - MyLondon

Embryology

Merck Foundation Together With 18 African First Ladies Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Four Main Areas – Devdiscourse

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Monrovia, Liberia Business Wire India Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany has raced to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic in partnership with 18 African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information and Education focusing on four main areas: 1. Community Support: Merck Foundation partners with African First Ladies to support livelihood of thousands of women and casual workers affected by Coronavirus lockdown. 2. Healthcare Capacity Building: Merck Foundation started Coronavirus healthcare capacity building by providing online one-year diplomas and two-year masters degree in Respiratory Medicines and Acute Medicines for African Doctors 3. Community Awareness through media Awards: Merck Foundation announced, Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards in Africa, Middle East, Asia & Latin America to raise awareness about Coronavirus.

4. Community awareness for Children and Youth: Merck Foundation launched an inspiring storybook Making the Right Choice in partnership with African First Ladies to sensitize children and youth about Coronavirus Merck Foundation has partnered with the African First Ladies of Liberia, Ghana, DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Niger, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Burkina Faso to support livelihood of thousands of women and families of casual and daily workers who are most affected by the Coronavirus (COVID -19) lockdown. The relief contribution was also undertaken in Egypt with the aim to support 500 families. Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation explained, Lockdown imposed in most countries has hit the daily workers and women the most, making it very difficult for them to survive. Therefore, Merck Foundation decided to partner with the African First Ladies to support up to 1000 women and casual workers families in each country, with the aim to save their livelihood as part of Separated but Connected Merck Foundation Initiative. Speaking of women being impacted by the lockdown, Dr. Rasha Kelej explained, I am sad to know that the pandemic has led to a horrifying increase in violence against women. The confinement at home with an abusive partner has resulted in not only physical violence but also emotional violence against women which can have disastrous consequences for their health and well-being. Therefore, we decided to focus on supporting women in our coronavirus community intervention and strongly continue empowering infertile and childless women as part of our signature campaign Merck More than a Mother. We know they now need our support more than ever. We strongly believe that building professional healthcare capacity is the right strategy to improve access to quality and equitable healthcare specially during this vicious pandemic, Dr. Kelej added.

Therefore, Merck Foundation will strongly continue their current capacity advancement programs and will specially focus on building Coronavirus healthcare capacity through providing African and Asian medical postgraduates with one-year online diploma and two-year online Master degree in both of Respiratory Medicines and Acute Medicines at one of the UK Universities. This program is in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministers of Health and Academia across the two continents. As part of their strategy of responding to coronavirus lockdown, Merck Foundation scaled up to more African and Asian medical postgraduates to provide online medical specialization scholarships.

During this lockdown, Merck Foundation will focus more on these online scholarships which will be for one-year diploma and two year master degree in several specialties such as: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Preventive Medicines, Endocrinology and Sexual and Reproductive Medicines. To apply for these scholarships, please email us on: submit@merck-foundation.com Merck Foundation has also launched Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards in partnership with African First Ladies of Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Guinea Conakry, Burundi, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), Chad, Zimbabwe, Zambia, The Gambia, Liberia and Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Mali, Mozambique for English, French, Portuguese and Arabic Speaking African countries. The awards have been also announced for Middle Eastern, Asian countries and in Spanish for Latin American Countries. The theme of the awards is Raising Awareness on how to Stay Safe and Keep Physically and Mentally Healthy during Coronavirus Lockdown with the aim to separate facts from myths and misconceptions to apply for these awards email: submit@merck-foundation.com Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, We strongly believe that media plays a critical role in raising awareness about sensitive and pressing issues such as Coronavirus. I am looking forward to receive the creative and informative work of our winners so that they become Merck Foundation health champions in their countries. Merck Foundation has also launched an inspiring storybook called Making the Right Choice in partnership with 18 African First Ladies. The story aims to raise awareness about coronavirus prevention amongst children and youth as it provides facts about the pandemic and how to stay safe and healthy during the outbreak. It also promotes honesty, hard-work and the ability to make the right choices even during the most challenging times. The story released in three languages: English, French and Portuguese. To read the storybook please click on below links: English: https://www.merck-foundation.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=%2Fapex%2FMF_MainPage%3FstartURL%3D%252FNews-Article%252FMerck-Foundation-together-with-African-First-Ladies-continue-their-strategy-to-provide-specialty-training-for-African-doctors-to-better-manage-Diabetes-and-Hypertension-patients-who-are-Coronavirus-risk-groups.&file=00P1r00002YfRDrEAN French: https://www.merck-foundation.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=%2Fapex%2FMF_MainPage%3FstartURL%3D%252FNews-Article%252FMerck-Foundation-together-with-African-First-Ladies-continue-their-strategy-to-provide-specialty-training-for-African-doctors-to-better-manage-Diabetes-and-Hypertension-patients-who-are-Coronavirus-risk-groups.&file=00P1r00002YfzaGEAR Portuguese: https://www.merck-foundation.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=%2Fapex%2FMF_MainPage%3FstartURL%3D%252FNews-Article%252FMerck-Foundation-together-with-African-First-Ladies-continue-their-strategy-to-provide-specialty-training-for-African-doctors-to-better-manage-Diabetes-and-Hypertension-patients-who-are-Coronavirus-risk-groups.&file=00P1r00002YfzeUEAR About Merck Oncology Fellowship and Master Degree Program A part of Merck Cancer Access, the program focuses on building professional cancer care capacity with the aim to increase the limited number of Oncologists in Africa. Oncology Fellowship Program of one year, one and half years, two years in India, Malaysia, Kenya and Master Degree in Medical Oncology for three years in Egypt in partnership with African Ministries of Health, Local Governments and Academia.

Launched in 2016, over 80 candidates from more than 26 African countries have been enrolled in the Merck Oncology Fellowship Program. The program will continue to build cancer care capability in African countries such as Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, DRC, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe. About Merck Fertility & Embryology Training Program Merck Fertility & Embryology Training Program was launched in 2016 as part of Merck More Than a Mother. Under this program, Merck Foundation has been providing hands-on practical training to candidates from Africa and Asia, in partnership with the Indonesian Reproductive Science Institute (IRSI), Indonesia; International Institute for Training and Research in Reproductive Health (IIRRH), India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India and Indira IVF Hospitals, India.

Through this program, Merck Foundation is making history in many African and Asian countries where they never had fertility specialists or specialized fertility clinics before Merck More Than a Mother intervention, to train the first fertility specialists such as; in Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Niger, Chad, Guinea, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Uganda. So far, Merck Foundation has provided for more than 180+ candidates, clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists in more than 35 countries across Africa and Asia such as: Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, CAR, Cote D'IVOIRE, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malaysia, Liberia, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, The Gambia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe. About Merck Diabetes Blue Points Project Merck Diabetes Blue Points Project in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health and Academia to help improve access to equitable and quality diabetes care nationwide in African countries. Candidates from different provinces, countries or districts of the respective countries are provided with one-year Online Postgraduate Diabetes Diploma in English for English Speaking countries, or an Online Master course on Clinical Management of Diabetes in French and Portuguese for 3 months duration, for French and Portuguese speaking countries respectively, ensuring geographical coverage of the whole country to help improve the landscape of diabetes care in Africa.

Download the Merck Foundation App now Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.merck.foundation.googleplay App Store - https://apps.apple.com/no/app/merck-foundation/id1297299793 Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard Facebook: Merck Foundation Twitter: @Merckfoundation YouTube: MerckFoundation Instagram: Merck Foundation Flickr: Merck Foundation Website: http://www.merck-foundation.com About Merck Foundation The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit http://www.merck-foundation.com to read more. To know more, reach out to our social media: Merck Foundation; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Flicker. To View the Image Click on the Link Below: Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation with H.E. DJN COND, The First Lady of Guinea; H.E. FATIMA MAADA BIO; The First Lady of Sierra Leone; H.E. Prof. GERTRUDE MUTHARIKA, The First Lady of Malawi; H.E. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia; H.E. DENISE NKURUNZIZA, The First Lady of Burundi; H.E. ASSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU, The First Lady of Niger; H.E. BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic; H.E. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana; H.E. CLAR MARIE WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia; H.E. ANTOINETTE SASSOU-NGUESSO, The First Lady of Congo Brazzaville; H.E. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of Namibia; H.E. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of Zimbabwe; H.E. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana; H.E. Dr. ISAURA FERRO NYUSI, The First Lady of Mozambique and Former First Lady of Mauritania PWR PWR.

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Merck Foundation Together With 18 African First Ladies Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Four Main Areas - Devdiscourse

Embryology

‘Authorised to resume licensed treatments’ following COVID-19 closure: what does this actually mean for a fertility clinic? – BioNews

8 June 2020

Scientific Director and HFEA Person Responsible, Hewitt Fertility Centres Knutsford and Liverpool, Liverpool Womens Hospital

Since fertility centres have been allowed to apply to reopen following their temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported in BioNews 1045, many fertility clinics have been approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) as 'authorised to resume licensed treatments'. This has naturally meant that patients previously left waiting for their treatment now desperately wish to get going again on their journey towards achieving a family.

This understandable desire to resume treatment has led to clinic websites constantly being checked, phone lines in clinics becoming busy and many questions being asked across other channels of communication such as social media. Patients will often assume that if a clinic is now 'open' or can 'resume treatment' that this means it will happen immediately. It is sometimes difficult to explain to them the impact that COVID-19 has had on treatment plans and why things will take a long time to get back to any kind of normal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought huge challenges to our health service and to society, and I hope that by explaining some of the challenges that fertility clinics face, I can remove some of the confusion, and help to restore some faith in the fertility service.

HFEA-licensed fertility clinics come in all shapes and sizes. Some provide only NHS treatment, some both NHS and private, and others just private treatment. A number of clinics are standalone facilities, whereas others are attached to existing NHS hospital sites. Some clinics may have the capacity within the laboratories, scan rooms and procedure rooms to provide additional treatments, whereas others may be bursting at the seams and unable to grow any more in their current location.

Some fertility clinics provide only a few hundred fertility cycles per year, and others provide several thousand, which means clinics will also differ significantly in the number of patients whose treatment was put on hold when clinics were instructed to stop providing treatment.

The types of staff providing the specialist fertility services also differ between clinics. Some private clinics may rely on NHS anaesthetists, medical consultants and nursing staff to provide private fertility treatments outside of their contracted NHS hours. Others may have a dedicated team of specialists providing private fertility care. Clinics within the NHS will also rely on anaesthetists working elsewhere within the NHS. Some clinics may be part of a group of clinics, offering more deployable staff, whereas others operate in isolation with staff dedicated to just one clinic. Furthermore, during this period of closure, nursing, medical and scientific clinic staff, from both private and NHS clinics may have been redeployed to support NHS services during the COVID-19 crisis, again affecting the number of staff available for fertility services.

Clinics within an NHS Trust may have HFEA approval but may be awaiting local NHS Trust approval to reopen due to restricted footfall in the hospital and the continued need for redeployed staff to support other services, whereas standalone private clinics may not have the same problem. On the other hand, clinics within an NHS Trust will have secured supplies of suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and local infection control expertise, whereas private clinics may not have sufficient PPE nor advice available to be able to open immediately.

In short, although our clinics provide very similar fertility services, each has its own unique circumstances determining what will be a suitable strategy for reopening. This means that the way and the rate at which they re-open will be very different, and the number of patients 'on hold' and desperately waiting to re-start their treatment will also vary.

Although some clinics submitted their self-assessment to the HFEA for approval at the earliest opportunity, other clinics may need a little longer to build or implement their strategy. And although the HFEA list of approved clinics is growing each day, those approved clinics all have very different strategies created for their own unique service. All clinics, regardless of size, location or funding type, will have a number of patients who had to have their treatment cancelled or postponed and who need to be given priority in resuming their treatment. All clinics will undoubtedly need to re-open services at a lower capacity than before to ensure they keep their patients and their staff safe.

To answer the question directly: the differences between clinics means that the resumption of licensed treatment will look different across centres. Whatever the unique circumstances for your clinic, please be reassured that they, and the HFEA, are prioritising patient and staff safety by minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission but still ensuring that you have the very best chance of a successful outcome within a high quality service.

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'Authorised to resume licensed treatments' following COVID-19 closure: what does this actually mean for a fertility clinic? - BioNews

Embryology

Israeli, US researchers to get $7.3 million for joint agriculture projects – The Times of Israel

A joint US-Israeli agricultural research and development fund has approved grants of $7.3 million for 22 research projects done jointly by Israeli and US researchers.

The 2020 research grants will go to 20 US and nine Israeli institutions, and the projects approved are in a wide range of fields including agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, animal production, animal health, crop health and production, water and renewable resources, and food production, BARD-the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, said in a statement on Sunday.

This year, BARD will also grant ten postdoctoral fellowships, four BARD senior research fellowships supporting American scientists who will conduct research in Israel, and two joint US-Israel workshops, the statement said.

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Fifty percent of the research grant recipients are early career scientists. They get an opportunity to work side-by-side with leading, experienced scientists, thus acquiring a crucial body of knowledge and expertise, the statement said.

This year we are facing many challenges as the coronavirus pandemic poses a threat to food security all over the world, said Yoram Kapulnik, BARDs executive director. The Ag research and development community has been influenced by this crisis yet the great minds in research and development will also be the ones to lead us safely towards finding new solutions and coping with the various challenges that have arisen. The wide array of research proposals approved is a testament to the excellent and innovative agriculture research communities both in the US and in Israel.

Among the projects approved for the grants are a project studying Beta-glucans as growth promoters and antibiotic alternatives in poultry; the development of salmonella sensing-based antibacterials for use in poultry; and the use of in-vitro embryo production and gene editing to study embryology in sheep.

Over the past 40 years BARD has funded more than 1,330 research projects with a total investment of $315 million. This research has led to some 200 new agricultural practices, 40 commercial deals, and 100 patent-series and breeding rights licenses, the statement said. The joint projects have helped both the Israeli and US economies and agricultural communities, as well as the continued collaboration among scientists in Israel and the US even after the projects are over, the statement said.

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Israeli, US researchers to get $7.3 million for joint agriculture projects - The Times of Israel