AGP Executive Report

Polio: Guinea-Bissau was among the countries that closed a type 2 poliovirus outbreak in August, a milestone highlighted as World Polio Day was marked. The WHO says 168 million children across 22 African countries received polio vaccines from January to September, but warns funding gaps could put eradication efforts at risk. Hepatitis B Study: A proposed trial involving newborns in Guinea-Bissau will not proceed after the government refused authorization, a researcher confirmed. The study planned to delay the birth dose for some infants. Police searched the Bandim Health Project’s offices and seized vaccine doses; authorities said the seizure alone does not indicate any problem with vaccine quality, safety or effectiveness.

Hepatitis B Study: Guinea-Bissau’s government has refused approval for a proposed newborn vaccine trial, and researchers say it will not go ahead. The plan would have delayed the birth dose for 7,000 babies until six weeks of age. Police raided the Bandim Health Project’s offices and seized vaccine doses as part of an investigation; they said the seizure does not indicate any problem with vaccine quality or safety. Polio Vaccination: WHO says 168 million children across 22 African countries received at least one polio vaccine dose from January to September, but funding shortages and coverage gaps threaten eradication efforts.

Hepatitis B Trial Halted: A controversial U.S.-funded study involving newborns in Guinea-Bissau will not proceed, a lead researcher said, after the government withheld approval. The plan would have delayed the birth dose for about 7,000 babies until six weeks of age. Judicial police seized vaccine doses from the Bandim Health Project during an investigation, but said the seizure alone did not indicate any problem with the vaccines’ quality, safety or effectiveness. Health experts have urged faster access to the birth dose, which the country plans to introduce universally in 2028. Polio Prevention: WHO warns that funding shortfalls and gaps in vaccination coverage threaten Africa’s polio-eradication efforts, calling for stronger domestic investment and reliable support for immunisation campaigns.

Trial Halted: A planned U.S.-funded hepatitis B study involving up to 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau will not proceed, researcher Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer says, after the government withheld approval. The design would have delayed vaccination until six weeks for half the infants, prompting serious ethical concerns because the vaccine is proven to prevent infection and its complications. Vaccine Seizure: Judicial police searched the Bandim Health Project’s offices and seized hepatitis B vaccine doses as part of an investigation into the shipment. Police said the seizure does not establish any problem with the vaccines’ quality, safety or effectiveness. Guinea-Bissau plans to introduce a universal hepatitis B birth dose in 2028; the trial’s collapse renews attention on protecting newborns from the disease.

Trial Halted: A controversial U.S.-backed hepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau will not proceed after the government refused approval. The plan would have delayed the birth dose for half of about 14,000 newborns until six weeks, drawing strong ethical concerns because the vaccine is proven to prevent infection. Vaccine Seizure: Judicial police searched the Bandim Health Project’s offices and seized vaccine doses during an investigation into the shipment. Police said the seizure does not establish any problem with the vaccines’ quality, safety or effectiveness. Guinea-Bissau plans to introduce a universal hepatitis B birth dose in 2028; health advocates say newborns should receive it sooner.

Vaccine Trial Halted: A researcher says the US-backed hepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau will not proceed because it lacks government approval. The plan would have delayed vaccination for thousands of newborns; judicial police seized vaccine doses as part of an investigation, while stressing the seizure does not show any problem with vaccine quality or safety. Newborn Protection: Hepatitis B is a serious health burden in the country. The WHO says the vaccine prevents most mother-to-child transmission, and health experts are urging Guinea-Bissau to make the birth dose available sooner than its planned 2028 rollout.

Hepatitis B Trial Halted: A researcher says a controversial US-backed study in Guinea-Bissau will not proceed because the government did not grant the necessary approval. The trial would have delayed hepatitis B vaccination for thousands of newborns, drawing ethical objections from the WHO and others. Vaccine Seizure: Judicial police raided the Bandim Health Project and seized vaccine doses as part of an investigation. Officials stressed that the seizure does not indicate problems with vaccine quality, safety or effectiveness. Newborn Protection: Guinea-Bissau plans to introduce universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth in 2028; health experts say getting the proven vaccine to every newborn sooner should remain a priority.

Vaccine Inquiry: Guinea-Bissau’s judicial police searched the Bandim Health Project and seized hepatitis B vaccine doses as part of an investigation into their circumstances. Police stressed that the seizure alone does not indicate any problem with vaccine quality, safety or effectiveness. Trial Status: Health Minister Quinhin Nantote says the government has not authorized the disputed newborn study, which would delay the birth dose for some infants to compare health outcomes. The proposed trial has drawn ethical criticism because hepatitis B is common in Guinea-Bissau and can cause liver disease and cancer.

Police Investigation: Judicial police searched the Bandim Health Project in Bissau and seized hepatitis B vaccine doses, saying the move is part of an investigation and does not establish any problem with the vaccines’ quality or safety. Trial Approval: Health Minister Quinhin Nantote says Guinea-Bissau has not authorized the controversial newborn study, despite researchers reporting ethics approvals. The proposed trial would delay the birth dose for half of 14,000 infants until six weeks of age, prompting concern about withholding protection against a serious infection.

Vaccine Trial: Guinea-Bissau’s health minister says the country has not authorized a proposed hepatitis B study in 14,000 newborns, despite reports that a revised protocol received ethics approval. The trial would give half the babies the vaccine at birth and the rest at six weeks, the current national schedule. Researchers say they want to track broader health outcomes; critics warn delaying a proven vaccine could leave infants exposed to infection that can cause liver cancer and cirrhosis. The study’s status remains disputed.

Newborn Vaccine Trial: Guinea-Bissau’s health minister says the country has not authorized a proposed hepatitis B vaccine study involving 14,000 newborns, despite Danish researchers saying a revised protocol received ethics approval. The plan would give half the babies the vaccine at birth and the rest at six weeks, the current local standard. Critics warn the delay could leave infants exposed to infection; hepatitis B can cause liver failure and cancer. An advocacy group’s newly released investigation also raised concerns about consent, transparency and oversight.

Hepatitis B Trial: Danish researchers are defending a proposed study involving 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau. The revised plan has reportedly received ethics approval in Denmark and Guinea-Bissau, but the health minister says the government has not authorized it. The study would compare a birth dose of the vaccine with vaccination at six weeks, the current local practice. Critics warn that delaying a proven vaccine could leave some babies vulnerable to infection in a country where hepatitis B is widespread.

Hepatitis B Trial: Danish researchers are defending a proposed study involving 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau, saying it will examine broader health outcomes. Under the plan, half the babies would receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth and half at six weeks, the current practice. Researchers say a revised protocol has ethics approval in Denmark and Guinea-Bissau, but Health Minister Quinhin Nantote says the government has not authorized the trial. The dispute leaves the study’s status unclear, amid concerns about delaying a vaccine that protects against a disease linked to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis B Trial: A proposed study involving 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau is back in focus after Danish researchers defended a revised plan to compare a birth-dose vaccine with the country’s current schedule, which starts at six weeks. Half the babies would not receive the shot at birth. Guinea-Bissau’s health minister says the government has not authorized the trial, while researchers say ethics committees approved the updated protocol. Why It Matters: Hepatitis B is widespread in the country and can cause liver failure or cancer. The WHO recommends vaccination within 24 hours of birth; critics warn delaying the dose could expose babies to preventable infection and question the study’s consent and oversight safeguards.

Hepatitis B Trial: Researchers are defending a proposed study involving 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau. Under the plan, half would receive the hepatitis B vaccine at six weeks rather than at birth. Danish and Guinea-Bissau ethics committees reportedly approved a revised protocol, but the health minister says the government has not authorized the trial. The dispute centers on whether delaying a proven vaccine is ethically justified in a country where hepatitis B is common.

Hepatitis B Trial: Danish researchers are defending a controversial proposed study in Guinea-Bissau that would delay the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine for half of 14,000 newborns until six weeks of age. The revised protocol has reportedly received ethics approvals, but Health Minister Quinhin Nantote says the government has not authorized the trial. The vaccine has been used safely for decades, and WHO recommends giving it within 24 hours of birth; the study’s disputed status has renewed concerns about infant protection and research oversight.