Monday , July 4 2022

WHO honors Henrietta Lax, the woman whose cells serve cell science



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The head of the World Health Organization honors the late Henrietta Laux, an American woman whose cancer cells have been eradicated providing the basis for vast scientific breakthroughs, including research on the Corona virus

“What happened to Henrietta was wrong,” said Tedros, who handed her 87-year-old son, Lawrence Locks, to the director general’s award to Henrietta Lax during a special ceremony at the WHO and Geneva headquarters, as did her other Yen. Many offspring were on the lookout.

Tetros noted that the weakness was at a time when racial discrimination was legal in the United States and was widespread, though not legal in most countries now.

“Henrietta Lex was exploited. She is one of many women of color whose bodies have been misused by science, “she said. “He relied on the health system so that he could receive treatment. But the system took something from it without their knowledge or consent.

“The medical technologies that have come out of this injustice have been used to keep up with injustice,” said Tedros Woldick, adding that they were not evenly distributed across the globe.

HeLa Cell Line – A name derived from the first and last names of Henrietta Lacks – a scientific breakthrough. Tetros said the cells were “fundamental” in the development of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, which can eradicate cancer that took its life.

Until last year, WHO said that less than 25% of the world’s low-income countries and less than 30% of low-middle-income countries had access to the HPV vaccine through national immunization programs, up from 85% higher. Compared to the revenue. the country.

Many people have benefited from these boxes. Luck has been. Science has advanced. The Nobel Prize has been won, and most importantly, many lives have been saved, ”said Tedros. “There is no doubt that Henrietta would be happy that her trouble saved Saen. But before that does not justify.

WHO said that more than 50 million metric tons (55 million tonnes) of HeLa cells have been distributed worldwide and more than 75,000 studies have been used in the study.

Last week, Lex State sued an American biotechnology company, accusing it of selling cells that doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital had taken from him as part of a “racial injustice medical system” without their knowledge or consent.

Tedros said. “We are standing with vulnerable patients and communities all over the world who are not consulted, engaged, or empowered in their own care.

“We believe that in medicine and science, black lives are important,” he told Vic. “Henrietta Lax’s life is important – and still important today. It is also an opportunity to recognize those women of color who have made incredible, but often unpredictable, contributions to the medical sciences.

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