Somalia signs its new Healthcare Plan. It has moved away from the emergency-level health provision towards more mainstream national health systems.
Kenya’s President elect promises much needed free primary healthcare for the citizens and raising the financing from 6-15%
Five memorandums of understandings has been signed by Egypt with South Sudan in the healthcare, livestock and agriculture sectors.
Tanzania and Japan sign Sh802 million project grant. It will help Tanzania in various sectors including health, education and water supply.
Kansas, United States, doctors may be required to tell patients that abortion causes breast cancer.
Programs:
The World Bank will help Cameroon to build safety net system aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerability. Households will get training to improve their health.
Solar power in Africa helps people to grow nutritional vegetables and improve their basic needs including health.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) calls for more reproductive health resources.
UNAIDS and other health organizations support new TB and HIV initiative in Africa. It will include a package worth more than US$120 million to be used to expedite this process.
South Sudan through its community health workers detect and treat tuberculosis. This strategy is helping to fight tuberculosis draws communities themselves to detect and treat cases of tuberculosis.
UC San Francisco receives $2 million from billionaire Li K-shing for transforming its medical care by integrating data from the human genome and disease research with information from patient’s records and environmental data.
Research:
According to a study about 570 United Kingdom children start smoking every day. This has made the UK government to consider whether to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine physiotherapy results are as good as knee surgery.
According to a study, as part of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV virus, antiretroviral therapy has to be initiated before the last trimester of pregnancy to achieve an undetectable RNA plasma viral load before delivery.
A report of United Nation states that about four and a half billion people have access to toilet (as compared to six billion people who have access to mobile phones) of the world’s seven billion people.
According to the World Health Organization and Global Fund Africa and Europe has not yet reached the millennium tuberculosis goal. They say that strains of tuberculosis with resistance to multiple drugs could spread widely.
According to a report by the UNICEF, about 66 million Nigerians are without portable water. It is the leading cause of diseases and deaths especially among under five aged children.
Doctors have discovered a women’s mysterious bone condition due to drinking a pitcher of tea every day for past 17 years.
Reports indicate that only 28% of Ugandans have access to hand-washing facilities. Statistics from the Uganda Demographic and Household Survey show that 190,000 Ugandan children die every year due to diarrhea.
A report publish by the World Health organization (WHO), among South-East Asia Region, Indonesia has achieved an amazing 90% success rate for TB treatment.
Scientists from the John Hopkins University have developed a new innovative method known as Predicting Infectious Disease Scalable Model (PRISM) extracts relationships between clinical, meteorological, climatic and socio-political data in Peru and the Philippines.
According to a study flu sufferers can spread the virus by sneezing, while talking, breathing by at least 6 feet.
A new method to treat blinding cornea diseases in children is now available in Singapore.
According to a study breast cancer radiation therapy increases a women’s risk of suffering a heart attack or other heart problems.
A study indicates an increase in the number of parents who won’t vaccinate daughters against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
A study shows that parents seem to be increasingly worried about the vaccine’s safety.
Low-GI protein blends have been designed to be eaten about 30 minutes before meals to reduce satiety is being marketed by a Swedish form Indevex. It increases release of incretin hormone which can provoke insulin release before blood glucose levels due to meal consumption.
A research done by Lund University in Sweden shows that we can modify the function of genes through epigenetic changes that can take place over the course of time.
United States tuberculosis rates reach all-time low but resistance of bacteria is a continuous threat.
Researchers have indicated that menstrual blood cells can be used to treat heart failure patients.
Researchers say that females with ovarian cancer too often get insufficient treatment.
Reports indicate that about 40 patients have lost their lives in drug trials in Maharashtra, India.
According to a report released by the CDC, from early December, 2012 to mid-February 2013, the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to ground beef had sickened a total of 22 people.
Natives of United States call for increased HIV testing per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.
The government of Australia is preparing to soon offer a 20-minute HIV test in Melbourne. It has yet to decide which clinics will offer the test.
The National Population Commission has announced that China has planned to improve county-level family planning services.
Regulations have been issued by the government of Indonesia to bear graphic photographic warnings on the cigarette packets.
The United Nations has allowed Bolivia to return to the United Nations main anti-narcotics treaty and has given its approval on chewing the coca leaf.
Twelve nations have signed a new United Nations treaty which aims to counter the illegal tobacco trade.
New York City (U.S.) hospitals will adopt new guidelines that will forbid emergency room doctors to give out more than three days’ worth opioid painkillers to the patients.
Programs:
Pfizer Inc. has included its pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to expand its pediatric immunization program in Tanzania.
UNICEF calls for cessation of child recruitment in the Central African Republic. More than 300,000 children have been affected by the violence which has led to their limited access to education and health facilities.
US$176 million announced by IMF and World Bank for debt relief for the Union of the Comoros. It will help the country to fight poverty and improve health and education facilities.
European Union gives EUR 16million support to Ghana. This money will support the implementation of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Accelerated Framework and Country Action Plan developed to combat maternal mortality.
$25 million has been awarded by Abt Associates for a three-year malaria prevention project in Kenya.
The FCC has launched $400 million heath care development fund with an aim to create and expand telemedicine networks.
Research:
According to a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry there is a relationship between mental health and spirituality.
According to the Journal of Infectious Diseases, nosocomial transmission responsible for XDR-TB outbreak in South Africa.
A study identifies the chances of infection (co-infection) with another disease when a person is infected with a disease.
A study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics, climate can be the reason for a neurological condition, hydrocephalus in children in Uganda.
Number of new annual cases of HIV/AIDS cases in India has dropped by 57 percent in the last decade.
A study published in J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry links loneliness with higher chances of dementia or memory loss.
Researchers have identified role in obesity and diabetes. They have found that blocking the expression of gene TRIP-B2r in mice protects them against obesity and insulin resistance.
A report published by Natural News states that children who are vaccinated according to the CDC recommended schedule are five times more likely to develop diseases as compared those who are not.
According to the findings of a report, among all rich countries, people of U.S. live unhealthy and shorter lives.
Diseases and Disasters:
The Flu has surpassed an ‘epidemic’ threshold in the United States. It is widespread in all except the three states of US.
According to The New Times survey, there is a severe drug shortage in Kigali hospitals (in Rwanda).
The World Health Organization (WHO) yellow fever has killed about 171 people in Darfur (Sudan).
Top U.N. Aid officials warn food crisis in two isolated southern states of Sudan. People of South Kordofan and Blue Nile have been feared dying of malnutrition and disease.
According to the officials, about 80 people have died in Bangladesh due to cold-related diseases like respiratory problems, pneumonia and cough.
People in Beijing have been warned of extremely hazardous air quality. The density of PM2.5 particulates has reached 700 micrograms per cubic meter in many parts of city.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health has warned the public of possible outbreak of Leptospirosis (rat fever) in flood affected areas.
According to the health authorities, Barbados has recorded an increase in dengue cases since the last year.
Paraguay has confirmed reports of outbreaks of dengue in the north and east of the country. It has declared a national epidemics alert.
The United Nations and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPD) agency have partnered together to advance sustainable responses to HIV/ AIDS, health and development across the continent (Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41655&Cr=HIV/AIDS&Cr1=).
According to a team at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) , an antidepressant together with a drug derived from Vitamin A can be used to treat an adult form of leukemia- acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120312003050.htm ).
A study shows that those patients, who had surgery to remove a gastrointestinal stromal tumor and have a high risk of cancer recurrence, have improved survival rates when they undergo treatment with anticancer drugs (Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_123476.html ).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials plan to investigate whether inhalable caffeine sold in lipstick-sized canisters is safe for consumers and if its manufacturer was right to brand it as dietary supplement (Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP773d0f156fa74d008ded67c088784eb2.html ).
An international panel of health and flu experts assembled by the United Nations health agency have agreed for the full public press release of research showing how to create lethal mutant flu virus (Source: http://chronicle.com/article/UN-Panel-Pushes-for/130870/ ).
A study done by San Francisco VA Medical Center shows that tenofovir (anti HIV drug) used as a single pill combined with other drugs increases the risk of kidney infection in patients suffering from this deadly HIV infection (Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2012/02/18/MNAS1N8SHA.DTL ).
Scientists at Kings College London and the National Diabetes Center (Sri Lanka) have found evidence of a high number of risk factors for type 2 diabetes among the young urban population of Sri Lanka. It has provided with evidence that the region is rapidly becoming a hotspot in the growing international diabetes epidemic (Source: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-diabetes-factors-young-sri-lankans.html ).
According to the report released by Save the Children Tanzania, Tackling Child Malnutrition, four out of ten children under the age of five years have stunted growth. About 17 % are severely stunted and nearly 130 children die in this country every day from malnutrition (Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202170198.html ).
Vietnam is grappling with a new strain of bird flu virus that has outsmarted vaccines that was used to protect poultry flocks. Recent human deaths in Asia and Egypt indicate that the H5N1 virus is still alive (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/bird-flu-asia_n_1284038.html ).
From December 4 to 10, the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) celebrated National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). It was an effort to spread the message of the importance of continuing flu vaccination through the holiday season and beyond. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FightTheFlu/?s_cid=fb1293)
At the 16th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and STIs, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced “Rapid Advice” document that presents a guidance on the diagnosis, prevention and management of cryptococcal disease in HIV-infected adults, adolescents and children, with a focus on settings with limited health systems capacity and resources, and a high burden of the disease. It will be officially launched in March 2012. (Source: http://www.panapress.com/WHO-gives-guidelines-on-cryptococcus-disease—15-809357-29-lang2-index.html)
Note: I apologize for the hiatus in the news round-up; I went to a major conference for work in April and was very busy with preparations and then wrap-up afterwards.
USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah this week announced the agency has transformed its Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade (EGAT) Women in Development Office into a new Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
A new report by USAID calls for changes to the nutritional content of the food aid that the U.S. provides to the world’s poor, particularly for children under two and pregnant women.
Scientists have isolated the tuberculosis enzyme that destroys lung tissue, MMP-1. The discovery could speed up the search for treatments, as current regimens do not prevent the lung damage caused by TB infection.
Results from a recent study indicate that advances in antiretroviral therapy over the last 15 years have considerably improved outcomes for children with HIV who are entering adolescence and young adulthood.
DISEASES AND DISASTERS
Aging populations on Japan’s northeast coast are struggling to recover from last month’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, and health officials are concerned about increased incidence of pneumonia, influenza, respiratory illenss, and blood clots in the legs of older individuals.
The first WHO Global Status Report on Non-communicable Diseases found that these diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide.
