Lou-Downs
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lou-downs.bsky.social
Lou-Downs
@lou-downs.bsky.social
88 followers 33 following 5 posts
Infectious diseases clinician living in beautiful Kenya 🇰🇪

Working to improve healthcare services for those living with hepatitis B infection 🦠
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
Scientific, public health & lived experience rationale for expanding #hepatitis B treatment.
Webinar hosted by @ice-hbv.bsky.social & #HepatitisBFoundation.
Details in flyer 👇
#HBV #HepSky #LiverSky #MedSky 🧪💊🌍
@suwang88.bsky.social
@lancetgastrohep.bsky.social
www.hepb.org
Flyer for webinar on hepatitis B treatment, scheduled for Oct 23 205 4pm EDT.
September 26, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
Shout out to @lou-downs.bsky.social & Dorcas Okanda for a prize at #COLDA. Their #HBV work in #Kenya expands insights in a neglected space, using #virus #genomics to influence healthcare.
#MedSky #NoHep
@crick.ac.uk @ndm.ox.ac.uk @ucl.ac.uk @wellcometrust.bsky.social
@kemriwellcome.bsky.social
🧪🇰🇪🌍
Photo of Dorcas and Louise with first prize certificate Photo of members of the Matthews group for hepatitis elimination at COLDA in Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭
September 25, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
Work by @mariondelphin.bsky.social & @tongaimaponga.bsky.social to describe #immune signatures associated with diverse treatment outcomes in #HBV infection.
#hepatitis #immunology #LiverSky #MedSky 🧪
@crick.ac.uk @suhealthsci.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
doi.org/10.6084/m9.f...
Immune activation correlates with viral persistence in individuals living with HBV in South Africa
This poster was presented at HBV meeting 2025
doi.org
September 13, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
My original post doesn't show our paper in @lancetmicrobe.bsky.social ...hoping @bsky.app/ @support.bsky.team will fix this... in the meantime here is a thumbnail (link in thread above).
#NoHep #HBV #HepSky #GastroSky
Screen shot of a paper at Lancet Microbe "Hepatitis B virus resistance to necleos(t)ide analogue therapy: WHO consultation on questions, challenges, and a roadmap for the field" by Sheila Lumley et al.
April 11, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
Our team led by @lou-downs.bsky.social has been studying new #biomarkers for #HBV to support wider access to assessment and #treatment.
New data from KWTRP in Kenya using a point-of-care test.
@wellcometrust.bsky.social
🧪🌍🇰🇪
#NoHep #HepSky #LiverSky #MedSky
doi.org/10.1093/ofid...
Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) point-of-care tests as a risk stratification tool for treatment eligibility: experience from Kenya
Abstract. We undertook a point-of-care test (POCT) for hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) on adults living with HBV in Kilifi, Kenya. A positive tes
doi.org
March 7, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
emilymartyn.bsky.social
Fill out this survey on the impact of US gov changes on hepatitis B care where you are. #GHS2025 #liversky
'Plan-B': Impact of changes in the global funding landscape for Hepatitis B clinical and research programmes
We are a team of clinicians and researchers based at the Francis Crick Institute in London, and working with international partners and collaborators to advance progress towards hepatitis B eliminatio...
docs.google.com
March 19, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
emilymartyn.bsky.social
Fab talk by @mariondelphin.bsky.social describing an interesting immune signal for non-viral suppression following nucleotide analogue treatment in people living with hepatitis B in South Africa.

#HepSky #LiverSky #GHS2025
March 19, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
lancetgastrohep.bsky.social
New research - Vincent et al - Hepatitis B core-related antigen rapid diagnostic test for point-of-care identification of women at high risk of hepatitis B vertical transmission: a multicountry diagnostic accuracy study

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

#LiverSky #MedSky #HepSky #IDSky
Hepatitis B core-related antigen rapid diagnostic test for point-of-care identification of women at high risk of hepatitis B vertical transmission: a multicountry diagnostic accuracy study
HBcrAg-RDT might offer a practical solution for integrating the prevention of vertical transmission of HBV into decentralised antenatal care in resource-limited settings, enabling timely identificatio...
www.thelancet.com
March 14, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
thelancet.com
✨ Exciting new Lancet role ✨

This autumn, our Group is launching an OA journal dedicated to the unique health challenges on the African continent: The Lancet Regional Health—Africa 🌍

To lead this important endeavour, we are searching for an Editor-in-Chief. Find out more & apply ⤵️
bit.ly/3Xp919w
Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Regional Health - Africa
Do you enjoy using science to drive change in the world? Would you like to develop and launch an online-only gold open access journal for The Lancet. About our Team The Lancet Regional Health -Africa ...
bit.ly
March 2, 2025 at 3:26 PM
lou-downs.bsky.social
Also celebrating our wonderful leader and mentor @pippa-matt.bsky.social who brought us together and continues to inspire us daily with her passion, determination and vision. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInSTEM #nohep @crick.ac.uk
pippa-matt.bsky.social Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · Mar 8
On #InternationalWomensDay, celebrating this inspiring, passionate, courageous team, working to make the future brighter.
We live through turbulent times, but will keep speaking out for #representation & fighting for #equity.
🧪💪🙌

#IWD #HBV #Hepatitis #MedSky #HepSky #WomenInStem
@crick.ac.uk
Collage of 8 members of the Matthews group at the Crick with an international women's day icon at the centre which reads "Embrace Equity"
March 8, 2025 at 10:38 AM
lou-downs.bsky.social
Read about how we have been investigating the use of a new point of care test in #HBV at #kemri-wellcome trust, kilifi and how it may help differentiate those with liver disease and high viral loads #Kenya @wellcometrust.bsky.social @ndm.ox.ac.uk
March 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
hepatitissa.asn.au
Pathogens don't obey presidents or pollies. @worldhepalliance.bsky.social @suwang88.bsky.social @hepctrust.bsky.social @endhepcsf.bsky.social @hepatitisfund.bsky.social @thatliverguy.bsky.social
hepatitissa.asn.au/communitynew...
Pathogens Don’t Defer to Presidents or Politicians | HepSA Community News
The sudden freezing of USAID funds is jeopardising the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. In an editorial published 14 February, the Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology said efforts to …
hepatitissa.asn.au
February 21, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
nejm.org
Perspective by Eleanor R. Menzin, MD:

With U.S. politics threatening to erase the gains of science, reduce access to vaccines, and undermine their vast public health benefit, what is a conscientious pediatrician to do?

Read the full Perspective: nej.md/4iZNHQW
Square image with a purple background and a quote from a Perspective article by Eleanor R. Menzin, M.D., that reads "Some will ask, “Can you recommend a good pediatrician who does not believe in vaccines?” No, I say, no more than I can recommend a good physicist who does not believe in gravity." At the bottom of the image is "NEJM" next to the logo for the New England Journal of Medicine.
February 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
lou-downs.bsky.social
“We must not lose sight of the fact that globally, more than 300 million people are living with hepatitis B and C, and as many people die from these infections as from tuberculosis every year.”

Stark reminders from @lancetgastrohep.bsky.social on the need to continue HBV and HCV elimination plans
lancetgastrohep.bsky.social The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology @lancetgastrohep.bsky.social · Feb 15
New Editorial - US policy changes put elimination of viral hepatitis at high risk

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

#LiverSky #MedSky #IDSky #HepSky
February 16, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
US policy changes put elimination of viral #hepatitis at high risk.
Diagnosis, treatment & prevention all threatened.
This affects all of us… don’t look away.

#HepSky #MedSky
#CDC #USAID @gavi.org @who.int

@lancetgastrohep.bsky.social
@robbrierley.bsky.social

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
US policy changes put elimination of viral hepatitis at high risk
Sparked by a flurry of executive orders in the first week of taking power, and evolving at dizzying pace, the new US administration has taken a wrecking ball to health-related services and research bo...
www.thelancet.com
February 15, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
pippa-matt.bsky.social
Keep saying it: "U=U"
This sign from Kilifi says it well: 'sleeping viruses are not contagious'.
By treating #HIV and #HBV in individuals, we also protect communities.
Access to medicines keeps everyone safe.
💊🌍
@lou-downs.bsky.social
@who.int #USAID #PEPFAR #NoHep
#MedSky #IDSky #HepSky #KWTRP
Clinic sign which says U=U followed by explanation in Kiswahili text
February 15, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
suwang88.bsky.social
Thanks to @contagionlive.bsky.social for the 2 part interview on our piece “Pathogens don’t respect Politicians” published in @thelancet.bsky.social.

We must be ready for the fallout from this attack on #GlobalHealth 😥🦠🤕

@pippa-matt.bsky.social @robbrierley.bsky.social @treatmentactiongroup.org
February 16, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
matthewhodson.bsky.social
For the past 21 years the U.S. through PEPFAR has: 
👉 Enabled 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free
👉 Provided 20 million people with lifesaving HIV treatment
👉 Supported 7 million orphans and vulnerable children.
Ending this support will end lives.
#SaveHIVFunding
www.unaids.org/en/topic/PEP...
If PEPFAR were permanently halted UNAIDS estimates that there would be approximately 6.3 million more AIDS related deaths 3.4 million AIDS orphans 8.7 million new HIV adult infections
February 8, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Lou-Downs
suwang88.bsky.social
👇Our just published letter on the sudden sabotage of disease control & public health from the current US administration.

“The current catastrophic threat to global health must be stopped.”

@lancetgastrohep.bsky.social
@pippa-matt.bsky.social @treatmentactiongroup.org @worldhepalliance.bsky.social
lancetgastrohep.bsky.social The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology @lancetgastrohep.bsky.social · Feb 6
New Correspondence - Wang et al - Pathogens don’t respect politicians: US federal disruption poses a new threat to global public health

https://buff.ly/4hsVANG

#MedSky #IDSky #GastroSky #HepSky @pippa-matt.bsky.social
@suwang88.bsky.social
February 6, 2025 at 11:54 PM
lou-downs.bsky.social
Pathogens don't respect politicians: US federal disruption poses a new threat to global public health - The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Pathogens don't respect politicians: US federal disruption poses a new threat to global public health
We are facing a new threat to global health.
www.thelancet.com
February 7, 2025 at 2:59 AM
lou-downs.bsky.social
The costs of living with chronic #HBV infection must be considered in any elimination plan. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan.... We need affordable, accessible diagnostics and treatment as a matter of priority @pippa-matt.bsky.social @thelancet.bsky.social
Elimination of hepatitis B requires recognition of catastrophic costs for patients and their families
In addition to goals of reducing tuberculosis incidence by 80% and tuberculosis deaths by 90% worldwide by 2030, the WHO End TB Strategy aims to eliminate catastrophic costs—defined as out-of-pocket expenses that exceed 20% of annual household income—for households affected by tuberculosis by 2030.1 In this Comment, we consider this concept for people living with hepatitis B.
www.thelancet.com
December 29, 2024 at 10:21 AM