Who are the BIRD Group?
The British Ivermectin Recommendation Development Group (BIRD) is a truly grassroots initiative bringing together clinicians, health researchers and patient representatives from all around the world to advocate for the use of ivermectin against covid-19.
Our Story
The seed was planted late in December, when Dr. Tess Lawrie watched Dr. Pierre Kory of the Front-Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) testify before the US Senate on the potential of ivermectin for prevention and treatment of covid-19. She looked into the data and decided to conduct a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the data for herself. She was struck by the seeming efficacy of the drug in reducing mortality and morbidity, and, as a doctor, considered it her duty to inform the UK health authorities about this potential breakthrough treatment.
She wrote to the authorities, and when no one replied, she made a video appeal directly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Early in January, Dr. Tess Lawrie and a small team from the Evidence-Based Medicine Consultancy in Bath, came together to plan the first meeting of the British Ivermectin Recommendation Development Group, inviting health professionals and patient representatives to share with them the evidence from her rapid systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19. On Wednesday, the 13th of January, 2021, Dr. Lawrie presented the evidence to 20 experts and stakeholders from the USA, Belgium, South Africa and the UK, including 13 clinicians and medical researchers, and seven public/consumer/media representatives. The consensus that emerged from this initial meeting was that the evidence that ivermectin prevents morbidity and mortality from Covid-19 was so compelling, that further placebo-controlled clinical trials of ivermectin (versus no ivermectin) for treatment of covid-19 would be unethical.
The next BIRD group meeting, held a month later, was attended by over 60 experts from around the world who evaluated the updated evidence on ivermectin for covid-19 and subsequently made a recommendation document for the implementation of ivermectin for covid-19, using the standard procedures for guideline development as described in the World Health Organization Handbook for Guideline Development. The attendees of this second meeting make up the core of the BIRD group, and have continued to actively engage with its aims in a number of ways.
The BIRD document was widely disseminated to government health authorities and agencies in the UK and a number of other countries.
In over two days in May, BIRD organized and hosted the first International Ivermectin for Covid Conference, featuring talks and discussions from 12 world-class medical researchers, frontline medics and data analysts. The event, hastily assembled in just 10 days by the BIRD group, was unwavering in its mission; to share the most up-to-date evidence on ivermectin for prevention and treatment of Covid-19, and to overcome regulatory obstacles that currently prevent GPs from prescribing it to save and improve lives.
In the meantime, Dr. Lawrie has worked tirelessly to get the message about ivermectin out: she has given countless interviews, testified in court on behalf of organisations advocating for the authorization of ivermectin, and made presentations to government and medical professional groups all around the world.
READ the Recommendation Document >>
See our supporters below.
Key Supporters of BIRD
The following Health and other professionals support Bird’s objective in seeking approval for ivermectin for covid-19.
Dr. Tess Lawrie
MBBCh, PhD
Tess is the Director of E-BMC Ltd, and EbMCsquared, a community interest research company. Tess is committed to improving the quality of healthcare through rigorous research. Her range of research expertise, based on research experience in both developing and developed countries, uniquely positions her to evaluate and design research for a variety of healthcare settings. Tess is a frequent member of technical teams responsible for developing international guidelines. Her peer-reviewed publications have received in excess of 3000 citations and her ResearchGate score is among the top 5% of ResearchGate members.
Dr. Fahmida Shaik
Research Clinician Department of Dermatology Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine University of KwaZulu Natal South Africa
” As clinicians and scientists in South Africa, it is imperative that we seek therapeutic options for COVID-19 that are beneficial, easily available, cost effective and have proven safety profiles. There is also the urgency presented by the epidemic, as well as the threat of emerging variants with higher transmission rates. After extensively reviewing currently available data; the benefit, minimal side effects and modes of action support ivermectin as a strong therapeutic candidate for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19. In pandemic circumstances, where morbidity and mortality are overwhelming, and there is evidence that ivermectin has benefit, how can we justify dismissing the evidence in favour of its use? “
Prof. Colleen Aldous
Professor for Health Sciences Research in the College of Health Sciences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“The body of evidence showing the efficacy of ivermectin in preventing and treating covid-19 is such that an alpha error in judgement should be made globally where vaccines are still inaccessible to many, and people are dying of the disease.”
Dr. Jill Rasmussen
Dr. Jill Rasmussen has a special interest in mental health dementia and learning disability. She combines work in the NHS with her independent consultancy psi-napse.
“I support the BIRD campaign because I am interested in the broad manifestations of disorders particularly effects on the central nervous system.”
Prof. Olufemi Emmanuel Babalola
Dr. G. Karl Snæbjörnsson
Dr. G. Karl Snæbjörnsson, is a General practitioner empowering people with information and rights to make their own best choice.
Prof. Morimasa Yagisawa
Visiting Professor, Infection Control Research Center Kitasato University Omura Satoshi Memorial Institute
Dr. Anisa Mosam
MB ChB, FC Derm(SA), MMed, PhD
Associate Professor Department of Dermatology, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine , University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Dr. Michael McConville
Vocationally trained in general practice at the University of Manchester in 1987/88 by the wonderful NHS. Now works in the Republic of Ireland.
Dr. Jose Luis Abreu
Dr. Jose Luis Abreu is a research professor at The State University of Nuevo Leon and the President of Spenta University Mexico, in Monterrey, Mexico.
Dr. Shashikanth Manikappa
Specialist Anaesthetist I Cardiac Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Melbourne Australia
I have been using Ivermectin since May 2020 with excellent outcomes. It is safe, effective and can be used for both prophylaxis and treatment.
Key Supporters of BIRD
The Recommendation Document was endorsed by the following:
Umberto Meduri, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Memphis VA Medical Center (123) 1030 Jefferson Avenue, Suite room #CW444 Memphis TN 38104 United States of America
Fred Wagshul, MD Pulmonologist & Med. Dir., Lung Center of America, Clinical Instructor, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America FLCCC.net
Colleen Aldous, PhD Professor of Medical Research College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, 719 Umbilo Rd, SCM laboratory, Main Building Durban 4001, South Africa
Fahmida Shaik, MD, MBChB (Natal), MClinPharm (UKZN) Research Clinician, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
Dr Aurence Nkosinathi Mdladla, MD, Associate Professor Chief of ICU, Sefako Makgatho University, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital Pathology Building, Office no. N358 Molotlegi Street, Ga-Rankua Zone 1, Ga-Rankua, 0208, South Africa
Anisa Mosam, MD PhD, Associate Professor in Dermatology Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Kwazulu Natal,, Rm 327 3rd Floor, Main Building Medical School, 719 Umbilo Rd,, Durban South Africa
Soo Downe, Professor of Midwifery Studies UCLan, Preston PR1 2HE, United Kingdom [email protected],
Dr Lucy Kerr, MD, Sonimage Director, President of Kerr Institute – São Paulo, Brazil, Avenida Brigadeiro Luiz Antônio, 2504 – 2º andar, Jardim Paulista, 01402-000 São Paulo, Brazil
The members of the BIRD Recommendation Development Panel included:
Prof. Jose Luis Abreu Quinter (Mexico)
Dr. Gustavo Aguirre-Chang (Peru)
Prof. Olufemi Babalola (Nigeria)
Prof. Ira Bernstein (Canada)
Mr. Mark Bradley (UK)
Dr. Tau Braun (USA)
Prof. Hector Eduardo Carvallo (Argentina)
Dr. David Chesler (USA)
Ms. Emma-May Chitty (UK)
Dr. Christine Clark (UK)
Mr. Ian Clayton (UK)
Mr. Roger Felber (UK)
Mr. Kenneth Finlayson (UK)
Dr. Edmund Fordham (UK)
Dr. Yasmin George (UK)
Dr. Marie Gerval (UK)
Dr. Martin Gill (South Africa)
Mrs. Jane Green (UK)
Dr. Rebecca Hall (UK)
Mrs. Sally Harrison (UK)
Dr. Jennifer Hibberd (Canada)
Dr. Vicky Hildreth (UK)
Dr. Wendy Hoy (Australia)
Dr. Christopher Hughes (UK)
Ms. Juliet Johnson (UK)
Dr. Rosemond Jones (UK)
Dr. Denise Kelly (Ireland)
Prof. Pierre Kory (USA)
Dr. Allan Landrito (The Phillipines)
Dr. Michael McConville (Ireland)
Dr. Abbi Lulsegged (UK)
Dr. Shashikanth Manikappa (Australia)
Mr. Gavin McKinley (UK)
Mr. Gez Medinger (UK)
Dr. Eunice Minford (UK)
Prof. Biswa Mohan Padhy (India)
Mr. Antoine Guérin de Montgareuil (France)
Dr. Arabella Onslow (UK)
Ms. Jessica Peers (UK)
Ms. Agnes Pinnel (Hungary)
Ms. Linda Rae (UK)
Prof. Linda Rapson (Canada)
Dr. Jill Rasmussen (UK)
Ms. Margarita Reygan (UK)
Dr. Jon Rogers (UK)
Mr. Jon Spiteri (UK)
Emeritus Prof. Geoffrey Taylor (Australia)
Dr. Robert Taylor (UK)
Ms. Seema Taylor (UK)
Prof. Hannah Vowles (UK)
Dr. Deborah Waller (UK)
Dr. Marc Wathelet (Belgium)
Dr. Robert Watkins (UK)
Prof. Morimasa Yagisawa (Japan)
Mr. David Rose (UK)
Dr. Michael Yeadon (UK)
