AstraZeneca vaccine: Dr Green shares what's in Oxford jab
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From Charles Darwin and Issac Newton, to Stephen Hawking and Alan Turing, Britain has produced some of the world’s brightest minds. And the UK’s contributions to the world of science and medicine cannot be understated in the face of the coronavirus pandemic either. Thanks to the tireless work of researchers at the University of Oxford, the UK has helped produce the AstraZeneca vaccine, aiding the global fight against COVID-19.
It does not come as a surprise, therefore, to see Britons name science and medicine the nation’s greatest strengths.
According to a YouGov poll of 1,635 people, 54 percent of those surveyed voted for science and medicine above art and culture (six percent), sport and leisure (five percent) and engineering (11 percent).
And of those surveyed, some 80 percent agreed the UK needs to invest in global disease prevention as a security issue.
A similar number of people (77 percent) believed the UK should invest more into preventing malaria.
The data was published by the Malaria No More UK charity, which is campaigning for more research into the mosquito-carried disease.
The group has recently published its Best of British – How British-Backed Science Can Accelerate The End of Malaria report, which advocates for more funding and innovation.
And according to the charity, the survey’s findings suggest Britons have an appetite for solving problems like malaria around the globe.
Gareth Jenkins, Director of Advocacy, said: “British-led science is playing such a critical role in the fight against COVID-19.
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“These polling results show the British public want to see the country build on this momentum to end those diseases that have been around for centuries – like malaria – once and for all.”
British-led science is playing such a critical role in the fight against COVID-19. These polling results show the British public want to see the country build on this momentum to end those diseases that have been around for centuries – like malaria – once and for all.
The YouGov survey was carried out between September 15 and 16 this year.
Professor Azra Ghani, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London, said: “Britain has a proud heritage in helping to tackle one of the world’s oldest diseases through its scientific contributions.
“Now more than ever we need to maintain our investment in this global fight to create a safer world for us all, and work with partners so that right solutions reach those who need them the most.”
Malaria No More UK believes the infectious disease can be tackled through a myriad of traditional and cutting-edge techniques.
These include vaccine development, insecticides and DNA splicing to make mosquitoes harmless.
In its report, the charity warned nearly half of the world’s population is at risk from malaria.
The disease, which can be fatal if untreated, is transmitted through parasites carried by infected mosquitoes.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were an estimated 229 million cases of the disease in 2019 alone.
That is nearly as much as the total number of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began in late 2019.
The disease is most prevalent across sub-Saharan Africa.
The report reads: “The UK is uniquely positioned to play a leading role, with British-backed scientists and institutions at the cutting edge of developing many of the solutions needed to navigate emerging threats, supported by vital UK government funding.”
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