Research using animal models has shown that the diabetes drug dulaglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, may reduce symptoms of depression. A new study published in Brain and Behavior reveals the mechanisms that are likely involved.
By conducting a range of tests in mice treated with and without dulaglutide, investigators confirmed the effects of dulaglutide on depressive-like behaviours, and they identified 64 different metabolites and four major pathways in the brain associated with these effects.
Markers of depression and the antidepressant effects of dulaglutide were linked to lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism.
“These primary data provide a new perspective for understanding the antidepressant-like effects of dulaglutide and may facilitate the use of dulaglutide as a potential therapeutic strategy for depression,” the authors wrote.
Rates of HIV and Hepatitis C are “extremely high” among people who inject illicit drugs, according to new research by TB HIV Care. The organisation tested over 1200 injecting drug users in Tshwane, eThekwini, Mashishing and Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit).
In Tshwane 72% tested positive for HIV and nearly 90% had antibodies for hepatitis C virus (HCV), which could indicate past or present infection.
HCV is a blood-borne virus which damages the liver. When left undiagnosed it can be fatal, though it’s usually curable if treated.
Less than half of those who tested positive for HIV in Tshwane were aware of their HIV status. As such they would not have been on treatment and could have been spreading the virus without knowing.
Survey Site
HIV Prevalence among people who inject drugs
Antibodies for Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs
Share of HIV positive people who knew their status
eThekwini
49%
75%
76%
Mashishing
45%
41%
77%
Mbombela
30%
91%
64%
Tshwane
72%
89%
48%
Results of the TB HIV Care survey of four cities.
People who inject drugs (such as heroin) are at a higher risk of contracting HIV and HCV when needles are shared – something which happens because drug users don’t have easy access to new ones.
This has long been a problem in South Africa and appears to be getting worse. Research conducted in eThekwini in 2013 found that 17% of injecting drug users were HIV-positive. According to the new research, a decade later the figure has nearly tripled to 49%.
Professor Harry Hausler, CEO of TB HIV Care and a former technical advisor to the National Department of Health on TB/HIV, believes the main reason for this “massive” uptick in blood-borne diseases among drug users is “the limited access to needle and syringe programs” in the country.
Government ignored its own solution
Research shows overwhelmingly that providing clean needles to drug users reduces the spread of HIV, not only by removing the need to share injecting equipment but often because needle programs offer other services such as health education and condoms.
A large review published in 2017 identified 133 academic studies on needle and syringe programs (commonly known as NSP). The results were “supportive of the effectiveness of NSP in reducing HIV transmission among [people who inject drugs], as well as in reducing HCV infection, although the latter to a lesser extent”.
Yet despite these formal policy commitments, there is virtually no public funding for such interventions.
A person discards used needles in a specialised bin provided by TB HIV Care at a mobile clinic in Wynberg, Cape Town.
One exception is the Pretoria-based Community Oriented Substance Use Program, sponsored by the Tshwane Municipality. It has been left to non-profit groups, such as TB HIV Care, to provide these services. According to Hausler, the organisation currently provides clean needles to nearly 10 000 injecting drug users in Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay, eThekwini, Tshwane and Mbombela.
Users access needles from drop-in centres as well as mobile clinics – usually vans that get driven on set days to areas where injecting users congregate. Users discard their old needles in specialised bins provided by TB HIV Care. They will then receive a pack, which includes clean needles, alcohol swabs and sterile water.
Nurses are present at the mobile clinics so users can also get tested for HIV and HCV. They also offer ordinary medical services, such as cleaning and bandaging wounds.
Mobile clinics are also manned by psychosocial and human rights workers, and peer educators (people who were beneficiaries but now work for TB HIV Care) from whom users can get counselling or report abuses.
“We’re not just a needle provision organisation”, says Loraine Moses, who oversees quality standards for the program. “We’re a health services organisation”. Users have to register with peers and get health counselling and education before getting their needles, she says.
Beneficiaries have access to various amenities at TB HIV Care’s drop-in centres, including showers, lounging areas and washing machines.
Anthony (surname withheld), previously a heroin user for 15 years, who now volunteers for TB HIV Care, spoke to GroundUp at a drop-in centre in Cape Town.
“In the beginning, I started experimenting with friends in school [but] after my mother passed away, I found that there are those properties in [heroin] that calm you and numb pain, so that’s when I started to delve [into the drug] more.”
After ending up on the street and becoming “a slave to that drug”, he increasingly wanted to get sober. Fetching needles from a TB HIV Care site, he began speaking with one of the peers. The person told him about TB HIV Care’s opioid agonist program, which helps users to quit or reduce their heroin intake.
Opioid agonists are drugs which block heroin withdrawal. Methadone is the most widely known. Numerous clinical trials show that initiatives which offer methadone to heroin users over an extended period are more effective than rehab programs that force users to quit cold turkey.
Hausler says that TB HIV Care currently provides methadone to over 1100 people. Along with the medicine, they receive counselling and are assisted with finding shelter, and in some cases to reintegrate with their families.
Anthony says he’s been taking methadone since June last year. The program also helped him link up with a shelter and get an ID document so that he could find work.
“Being a client at TB HIV Care has helped me a lot to reintegrate back into society,” he says. “Being on the street, you lose a lot of yourself”.
A notice board at the TB HIV Care drop-in centre in central Cape Town.
Law enforcement continues to confiscate needles
Local governments have assisted TB HIV Care with some of its services. The City of Cape Town provides the HIV tests for use at mobile clinics, according to Hausler.
And yet, not only has the government failed to directly fund the sterile needle programs but in some cases it appears to work against them.
Research carried out by TB HIV Care shows that users frequently have their injecting equipment confiscated by law enforcement officers.
In Tshwane and eThekwini more than half of all people surveyed said that the authorities had seized or destroyed their needles at least once in the previous six months.
Outcome
Mashishing
Mbombela
eThekwini
Tshwane
No
57%
76%
31%
36%
Yes, In the last 6 months
18%
20%
64%
54%
Yes, but not in the last 6 months
25%
4%
5%
10%
Results of survey question: Have you ever had your needles and syringes confiscated or destroyed by a police officer/law enforcement? Source: TB HIV Care
“What’s very frustrating is that there are two arms of government,” says Hausler. “There’s health and then there’s police. And police are confiscating needles and syringes that we’ve been providing to clients – [even though what we’re doing] is a clearly endorsed health intervention.”
Hausler notes that in some cases the organisation has “really good alliances with local police”, but in other cases it is a constant battle.
“There needs to be better mainstreaming of education of officials across all government departments on the … HIV and TB response [plans],” says Hausler. “If people were really sensitised, we would not run up against as many obstacles.”
Asked for comment, Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told GroundUp that “possession of needles is not a criminal offence. Therefore, we cannot arrest a person [for] possession of needles, and neither can we confiscate needles”.
Note: The full report by TB HIV Care, which received assistance from the United States CDC, is not yet publicly available. A 16 page summary of some of the findings can be found here.
Professor Harry Hausler, CEO of TB HIV Care, at his office in Cape Town.
The modern complexities of the business world have meant that the cost of a bad hire can extend far beyond a salary, threatening your company’s financial health and reputation. With the rise of technology, background screening solutions can be a business’ best defense against costly hiring mistakes that may disrupt the workplace, writes Jennifer Barkhuizen, Head of Marketing at Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE), the largest background screening and vetting company in Southern Africa, and a division of Mettus.
Hiring the wrong person can cost a lot more than just a salary. While the price tag of a bad hire isn’t always obvious, the damage to your bottom line, team morale, and reputation is undeniable. In South Africa’s competitive job market, where the cost of hiring is already high, ignoring the importance of thorough background screening can lead to financial damage.
It’s easy to focus on salary as the main expense when hiring, but the real costs go far deeper. The average cost of onboarding a new employee in South Africa equates to approximately R30 000, which increases significantly the more senior the position1. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Factor in time spent on interviews, onboarding, and training, and those costs start climbing.
A poor hiring decision means more than just one person’s salary – it involves wasted hours training someone who doesn’t deliver, creating a ripple effect of lost productivity. While not the case in all instances, more extreme situations can see exit costs escalate, including severance packages, legal fees, or worse, disputes over wrongful dismissal that can spiral costs further.
A bad hire doesn’t just drain your wallet – it can poison the well. Think about it: a disruptive employee can damage team morale, slow down productivity, and ultimately drive good employees out the door. That’s a double whammy. Not only are you paying for the bad hire, but you’re also forking out for the damage they cause when valued staff start walking.
Then there’s the reputational fallout. What happens if you hire someone without doing proper due diligence, only to find out later they’ve lied about their qualifications or have a criminal record? These instances have been well-documented in South Africa over the past few years, and the financial cost of replacing them pales in comparison to the reputational hit. Fixing damaged trust with clients or partners can cost far more than a few months’ salary.
When it comes to hiring, there’s no room for shortcuts. A thorough background screening process isn’t just a box-ticking exercise but the first line of defense against costly mistakes. Checking for criminal records, verifying qualifications, and digging into work history are critical steps that can save you from disaster down the line.
Imagine the consequences of hiring someone with a history of violence, only to place them in a role of authority. Without a proper check, you could be exposing your employees to serious risks. Should something happen on your watch, your business is on the line, potentially facing lawsuits, compensation claims, and a PR nightmare that could leave your reputation in tatters.
In roles where financial responsibility is key, skipping a thorough check could expose your company to fraud, theft, and more. Bad hires in this scenario don’t only drain your budget – they can sink the ship.
A strong background screening policy is like insurance for your business. Having a clear, consistent process in place ensures that every new hire goes through the same process, protecting your company from both financial and reputational damage.
Consistency is key. It’s not just about avoiding bad hires, but about showing your clients, stakeholders, and employees that you take hiring seriously. Trust is built on actions and your reputation benefits when people see that you’re committed to a thorough screening process.
In the end, the true cost of a bad hire goes beyond the numbers. A robust background screening process isn’t just an extra step in the recruitment procedure, but a necessary one to safeguard your business, team, and reputation. When the stakes are this high, a bad hire isn’t just a mistake, but a business risk many simply can’t afford to take.
To avoid these costly risks, businesses should turn to trusted solutions providers who specialise in comprehensive background screening and vetting services. By investing in the right tools and expertise, businesses can protect themselves from the financial, reputational, and operational fallout of a bad hire. In today’s competitive market, a proactive approach to screening isn’t just a safety net, but a strategic advantage.
A Birmingham-led study has found that AI-powered models match ophthalmologists in diagnosing infectious keratitis, offering promise for global eye care improvements.
Infectious keratitis (IK) is a leading cause of corneal blindness worldwide. This new study finds that deep learning models showed similar levels of accuracy in identifying infection.
In a meta-analysis study published in eClinicalMedicine, Dr Darren Ting from the University of Birmingham conducted a review with a global team of researchers analysing 35 studies that utilised Deep Learning (DL) models to diagnose infectious keratitis.
AI models in the study matched the diagnostic accuracy of ophthalmologists, exhibiting a sensitivity of 89.2% and specificity of 93.2%, compared to ophthalmologists’ 82.2% sensitivity and 89.6% specificity.
The models in the study had analysed a combined total of more than 136 000 corneal images, and the authors say that the results further demonstrate the potential use of artificial intelligence in clinical settings.
Dr Darren Ting, Senior author of the study, Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) Fellow and Consultant Ophthalmologist, University of Birmingham said: “Our study shows that AI has the potential to provide fast, reliable diagnoses, which could revolutionise how we manage corneal infections globally. This is particularly promising for regions where access to specialist eye care is limited, and can help to reduce the burden of preventable blindness worldwide.”
The AI models also proved effective at differentiating between healthy eyes, infected corneas, and the various underlying causes of IK, such as bacterial or fungal infections.
While these results highlight the potential of DL in healthcare, the study’s authors emphasised the need for more diverse data and further external validation to increase the reliability of these models for clinical use.
Infectious keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea, affects millions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to specialist eye care is limited. As AI technology continues to grow and play a pivotal role in medicine, it may soon become a key tool in preventing corneal blindness globally.
As described in research published in the Biotechnology Journal, investigators have developed a novel patch that can help liver tissue regenerate. The patch is a combination of decellularised liver matrix, a liver growth factor, and an anticoagulant. In lab tests with liver cells, the patch helped liver cells regain function after exposure to a toxin.
In rats, patches attached to the liver and gut promoted recovery from liver fibrosis, with notable decreases in scarring and inflammation.
“The decellularised liver matrix–based hepatic patch has demonstrated the ability to restore liver function and inhibit inflammation in fibrotic livers,” said corresponding author Yung-Te Hou, PhD, of National Taiwan University. “This approach shows great potential for treating various liver-related diseases, ranging from mild conditions such as fatty liver to severe conditions like liver cirrhosis.”
