Mexican Society of Public Health (SMSP) signs MoU with StratifiCare to study effectiveness of Dengue prognostic test in Mexico

The Mexican Society of Public Health (Sociedad Mexicana de Salud Pública; SMSP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with StratifiCare, one of the world's most innovative in vitro diagnostic test development companies for personalized medicine. This is on the sidelines of SMSP's LXXIII Annual Public Health Meeting as SMSP celebrates its 75^th anniversary, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's official visit to Mexico at the invitation of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The signing ceremony was attended by key dignitaries that included SMSP President Dr. Miguel Betancourt Cravioto, SMSP Executive Director Lic. Sahil Quiñonez Velazquez, officials from Enterprise Singapore, and StratifiCare Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Anthony Chua.

Photos taken on stage during (Left - Dr Miguel Betancourt, SMSP President and Right - Dr Anthony Chua, StratifiCare CEO) and after the MoU signing ceremony. 

Under the MoU, the effectiveness of the world's first Dengue prognostic test developed by StratifiCare, will be studied in Mexican communities most affected by Dengue outbreaks. This will assist Mexican hospitals to reduce Dengue mortality rates by identifying patients predispositioned for severe Dengue in advance, and prioritising them for life-saving treatment. The eventual objective is to drive better Dengue patient management and care across the country.

"We are very happy to develop this project together with StratifiCare, Singapore. One of our main objectives as the Mexican Society of Public Health is to influence and impact the health of the Mexican population through health promotion strategies, disease control, advocacy for social and health problems of vulnerable groups, as well as promoting professional development and scientific knowledge of health through the development of forums and events among different health professionals. We look forward to this partnership that we have started today with this agreement, which represents the beginning of a further collaboration that will benefit the Public Health in our country," said Dr. Miguel Betancourt, President of SMSP.

Dr Anthony Chua, Chief Executive Officer of StratifiCare said, "Our partnership with SMSP further strengthens collaborative efforts to provide a Dengue prognostic test to the people of Mexico. Dengue remains one of the significant causes of lack of work productivity and death, with many patients not having access to a hospital bed when required, and those unnecessarily hospitalized bearing the financial and emotional burden of more than one month's salary out of pocket. At StratifiCare, we are continually building on our commitment to support Dengue patients and their families to move towards proactive healthcare, as well as providing the tools to support healthcare professionals through our shared knowledge and know-how. We will continue to work with SMSP to deliver StratifiDen™ – the world's first Dengue prognostic test, so that patients at risk of severe Dengue receive life saving treatment as a priority, and we reduce the financial and emotional burden of unnecessary hospitalization by up to 67% and 7.2 days."

"Enterprise Singapore supported StratifiCare in their first venture into Mexico, by familiarising them with the Mexican business landscape and connecting them to relevant Mexican partners, including SMSP. This milestone collaboration between StratifiCare and SMSP demonstrates that Singapore companies with innovative solutions that address real-world issues are able to capture new opportunities in emerging economies such as Mexico. Singapore companies with relevant offerings and attributes are encouraged to venture into Latin America, a region with business opportunities that are yet untapped. Enterprise Singapore, with offices in Mexico and Brazil, is prepared to work closely with our Singapore companies to help them secure a first mover advantage in these markets," said Mr Khor Aik Lam, Regional Group Director (Latin America), Enterprise Singapore.

United Nations health officials released the latest Dengue fever numbers for the Americas recently and the total cases now stand at 2,962,732, including 1,357 deaths. Mexico has seen a dramatic increase in Dengue this year. In fact, the number of cases has approximately tripled compared to 2018. To date, Mexico has seen 288,502 cases i.e. a new Dengue infection approximately every minute, while she reported 85,596 for the whole of last year. The local Dengue outbreak situation intensifies during the months of July to September every year.

According to data obtained from the Mexican Secretary of Health, the number of Dengue-related deaths has increased by 80%, totalling at 135, compared to 75 for the whole of last year. The southwestern state of Jalisco reported the most Dengue fatalities (25). Jalisco is known officially as the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Jalisco became a Mexican state in 1823, with over 8.2 million residents in 2018.

Approximately 400 million people across 128 countries are infected with Dengue annually. Five hundred thousand of them will develop severe disease, resulting in 20,000-25,000 Dengue-related fatalities. Dengue hemorrhagic fever was first recognized in the 1950s during Dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand, says the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The life cycle of the Dengue virus involves Aedes aegypti as the primary mosquito vector, and humans as the main host and reservoir. The virus then circulates in the blood of the infected person for 2-7 days, and is transferred to uninfected mosquitoes during blood meals. Less common human-to-human transmission routes include breast-feeding and more recently, sexual intercourse.

Dengue belongs to the virus family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus, and comprises of 4 distinct serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4). Distinct genotypes have been identified within each serotype, highlighting extensive genetic variability of across Dengue serotypes. Among them, the "Asian" genotypes of DEN-2 and DEN-3 are most frequently associated with severe disease accompanying secondary dengue infections. Recovery from infection by one Dengue serotype provides lifelong immunity against that particular serotype.

StratifiDen is slated to be a significant addition to the comprehensive suite of solutions in the fight against Dengue worldwide – the disease highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top 10 threats to global health.

About Sociedad Mexicana de Salud Pública A.C.

Sociedad Mexicana de Salud Pública (SMSP) is a non-profit civil organization, which aims to influence the health of the Mexican population through health promotion strategies, disease control, advocacy for social and health problems of vulnerable groups, as well as promoting professional development and scientific knowledge of health.

About Dengue Expert Group (DEG)

DEG is conformed by Dr. I. Yvonne Amaya-Larios, Dr. Ruth A. Martínez-Vega, Dr. Guillermo Ruíz-Palacios, and Dr. José Ramos-Casañeda. The DEG has studied dengue and other emerging infectious diseases in Mexico for almost 30 years, and published around 50 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. The aim of the DEG is to generate information to contribute to decision-making for prevention and clinical management of Dengue.

About StratifiCare Inc.

StratifiCare is a medical technology company founded with the vision of empowering personalized medicine for tomorrow. The team has more than 100 years of combined experience in virology and medical technology innovation. Through the development of innovative, technologically advanced in vitro diagnostic solutions, the company aims to transform the way patients are managed through personalized care and create value for all.

About Enterprise Singapore

Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. It works with committed companies to build capabilities, innovate and internationalise. It also support the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups, and build trust in Singapore's products and services through quality and standards.

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