Espoir Bwenge Malembaka

bsky.app/profile/epie...

An LLM that never hallucinates There are two big errors we can make with information, but one often gets forgotten

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:

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...

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

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

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

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

"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...

Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization Trump has long been critical of how the Geneva-based institution handled the Covid-19 pandemic.

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...

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

Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization Trump has long been critical of how the Geneva-based institution handled the Covid-19 pandemic.

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...

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.

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.

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....

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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!

So here is a starter pack of African scientists and researchers across disciplines. It will continue to grow as I find more people and more migrate to this platform but gotta start somewhere 😊.
go.bsky.app/GixA4xP

This is helpful !

We can't avoid models - even insights from 'raw data' require assumptions... New post: kucharski.substack.com/p/we-cant-av...