Yassen Tcholakov Profile picture
Public Health Doc, Head of Infectious Diseases in Nunavik Passionate about epi, global health, & planetary health Assistant Prof @mcgillu Past JDN Chair @medwma
Jul 2 16 tweets 3 min read
1/🚨 Oh, I'm going to jump on this wagon as well: I've got a good/awful story to share here. I travel quite a lot and use Airbnbs probably more often than hotels, but I think no more... Hotel >>> @Airbnb 📷 #AirbnbFail #CustomerService Image 2/ I've used Airbnb since 2015 and stayed at dozens: the majority have been good, sometimes even great. Occasionally small problems that have been easy and quick to resolve. But this episode has led me to completely lose trust in @Airbnb. #AirbnbFail
Feb 3 9 tweets 3 min read
🌍✨ Thread 1/8
We (the WHO Youth Council) are thrilled to announce the launch of a social media campaign to collect stories about the #COVID pandemic from #youth.
Want to share? Tag your post with : #AreWeReady #PandemicAccord


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2/8 COVID-19 has impacted us all, but together, we have stories of resilience and hope. As we approach the World Health Assembly in May 2024 #WHA77, it's time to share our experiences and envision a future with better pandemic preparedness. 🌐🕊️ #AreWeReady #PandemicAccord
Aug 9, 2023 13 tweets 2 min read
1/ Read my piece on #CBDR in the #Pandemic reform negotiations shared with @FilesGeneva here:

#INB #WGIHR #PPR #globalhealth

Here's a quick summary for twitter #thread: https://t.co/0fuFO1iFgRgenevahealthfiles.substack.com/p/common-but-d…
Image 2/🌍 Origins of #CBDR: Rooted in the 1992 Earth Summit, CBDR emphasizes differentiated responsibilities based on historical pollution & present capabilities. The Paris Agreement reflects this, focusing on future obligations over past 'guilt'.
Jul 29, 2023 9 tweets 2 min read
1/🧵 As a #PublicHealth doctor working in the northern parts of Canada, it's deeply unsettling to read about the potential risks of ancient pathogens released from melting permafrost not in a #scifi novel but in a @PLOS article! #EpiTwitter #IDtwitter 🧊🦠
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/a… 2/🧵 A study published in @PLOSCompBiol titled "Time-travelling pathogens and their risk to ecological communities" explores this very issue. The findings are both fascinating and alarming.
#PermafrostPathogens
Here's also a lay summary: theconversation.com/ancient-pathog…
Jul 22, 2023 14 tweets 3 min read
1/ I have been following @who negociations in #globalhealth for years (my first #WHA in 2013).
I've followed many issues related to the work of the orgs I was involved in (@IFMSA @medwma).
The current process around #pandemic reforms is one of the most complex I've seen: short🧵 Image 2/ The process is currently multi-pronged
-The #INB is driving negotiations for a new #PandemicTreaty @who.
-The #IHR review process (#WGIHR) is working on targeted amendments to the existing regulations @who.
-The #UNHLM on #PPR is fostering high-level discussions #pandemic @UN
Jul 18, 2023 6 tweets 2 min read
1/ 🧵 New data from @WHO & @UNICEF shows a bounce back in global #immunization after the COVID-caused dip. However, coverage still falls short of pre-#COVID19 levels, particularly in low-income countries. A mix of progress and concern.
#VaccinesWork https://t.co/t8SGGWjEuK
Image 2/ This indicates the urgent need for continued catch-up, recovery and system strengthening efforts. Furthermore, @DrTedros reminds us that global averages don't tell the full story and mask persistent inequities. #GlobalHealth #VaccinesWork
Jul 15, 2023 7 tweets 2 min read
1/ Concerning news from UK about low Measles vaccination rates putting London at risk of outbreaks.

#VaccinesWorktheguardian.com/society/2023/j… 2/ Looking at this, I can't but reflect on our own coverage rates here in Canada (91,6%) and in Québec (93,2%).
ref: canada.ca/en/public-heal…
Jul 14, 2023 8 tweets 2 min read
1/ Grand intérêt des médias, dans les derniers jours, sur la situation de la #tuberculose au #Nunavik.
@LP_LaPresse


@NunatsiaqNews
https://t.co/HoGbOUq3Yg

@CBCNews
https://t.co/MRbbey1X6P

Un résumé de la situation ici:
#thread https://t.co/7b6qu9ltS5lapresse.ca/actualites/san…
nunatsiaq.com/stories/articl…
cbc.ca/news/canada/no…
Image 2/ De multiples éclosions de #tuberculose affectent présentement le #Nunavik, mettant sous pression un système de santé déjà fragilisé. Le problème de la tuberculose n'est cependant pas nouveau et date de plusieurs décénies.
nrbhss.ca/fr/mettons-fin…
Jul 9, 2023 6 tweets 3 min read
1/ "Prudent risk management requires consideration of bad-to-worst-case scenarios": this type of risk evaluation is core to #publichealth. Yet when we talk about #climatechange we often shy away from discussing those scenarios despite their growing likelihood.🌍🔥
#globalhealth https://t.co/JLxQWOBrpe
2/  This week, the world experienced likely the hottest week on record.  We must face this reality, and while weather and climate are not the same, this is also true on longer time-scales.
https://t.co/eIPe6Vq3qoclimatereanalyzer.org/clim/t2_daily/




Jul 7, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
1/ Outbreaks of #Tuberculosis in Nunavik, highlight the health inequities faced by Indigenous communities. Challenges in access to health services and a lack of housing are among the key outbreaks drivers. #HealthEquity #SDoH #EndTB

@CBCNews @CBCIndigenous https://t.co/096KBvr1c0cbc.ca/news/canada/no…
@CBCNews @CBCIndigenous @CAlorut @McGillGHP @McGill_TB @TheUnion_TBLH @StopTB @paimadhu @robyn_s_lee @mbehr_mcgill 2/ #Tuberculosis / #TB, is a contagious and severe infection primarily of the lungs. Symptoms are: persistent cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, sweats. It's currable and rapidly detecting the disease and treating individuals can avoid further disease spread. #epidemiology
Jun 29, 2023 11 tweets 3 min read
1/ 🧵 As a public health specialist working in an endemic region, I want to emphasize the urgent need for novel #Tuberculosis (#TB) vaccines. Despite the existence of the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, TB remains a major global health threat. #EndTB #PublicHealth 2/ The BCG vaccine, while effective in infants and young children, does not protect adolescents and adults who account for the majority of TB transmission. This is a gap we need to address urgently. #VaccinesWork #GlobalHealth #EndTB
Jun 26, 2023 11 tweets 2 min read
Thread 1/10:
Great article in the @NEJM by @LawrenceGostin and @ggronvall on the Origins of #COVID19 #pandemic

#globalhealth #epidemiologynejm.org/doi/full/10.10… @NEJM @LawrenceGostin @ggronvall 2/10: The two major hypotheses are a natural zoonotic spillover, most likely at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, and a laboratory leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). #COVID19 #globalhealth
Aug 4, 2022 9 tweets 12 min read
Very interesting piece by @shoffmania and colleagues: pnas.org/doi/full/10.10…
Incredibly interesting methods of assessing the impact of international treaties which can have important impacts on #globalhealth.
1/8 @shoffmania @MathieuJPP @SuzyRVK @lathika_srithar @ggigigii @sophiercampbell @GuyattGH @RoojinHabibi @lavisjn @ranjananagi @jarottingen In short: treaties ain't great mechanisms; and if they work, it's mostly because they are trade-related or otherwise have strong related enforcement mechanisms (also smaller treaties work better than bigger ones).
2/8
Oct 3, 2021 5 tweets 3 min read
Finally go to reading the great "Guide to a Pandemic Treaty" by @GHC_IHEID, @haiknikogosian and @IlonaKickbusch.
Serves as a nice one-click FAQ on the topic.
Recommended read to anyone in #globalhealth!
graduateinstitute.ch/sites/internet…

Nevertheless, a few questions remain:
1/ The world is still struggling with responding to the ongoing pandemic, most importantly (for public health + moral reasons) the extreme inequity in vaccine distribution.
What is the opportunity cost of treaty negotiations vs addressing immediately pressing issues?
2/