Dr Neil Polwart, Novarum founder and BBI Group head of Mobile, has over a decade of experience in the delivery of next generation diagnostic technologies within mobile health (mHealth).
Vaccines
It is 75 years since the last outbreak of smallpox in the USA, and nearly 40 years since the world was declared ‘smallpox free’, but in the 21st century with autonomous vehicles looming, virtual voice assistants on hand to help, and mobile technology that’s able to summon everything from a doughnut to a date with a simple swipe, it is easy to imagine that these basic biological threats are a thing of the past.
However, following the news last week that the WHO has stripped the UK of its measles-free status, it’s clear that although it seems that we have succeeded in winning the battle against smallpox, there are many more diseases which continue to be a threat. Growing vaccine hesitancy is listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the top 10 threats to global health and diseases like measles – which may seem like a disease long-conquered - are staging a comeback. Indeed, last year Europe experienced its highest number of measles cases this century - with cases topping 60,000 according to WHO data.