Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

Politics and Policies:

• The Obama administration has released rules for health exchanges. The regulations have outlined minimum standards that the states must meet to set up and run these health insurance marketplaces by a deadline of January 1^st 2014 (Source: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/daily-reports/2012/march/13/health-exchange-rule.aspx , http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/obama-health-care-law-blu_n_1339286.html ).
• China has launched US $125 billion program of health-care reform to ensure universal health coverage. Majority of funding will go to public health and primary health care. Low income people will be subsidized to enroll in social health insurance programs (Source: http://www.verticalnews.com/articles/6704766.html ).
• The lower house of the legislature of Wisconsin has passed a bill that would force school staff on classroom sex education indicates a preference for abstinence for abstinence, not contraception (Source: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/11721074-wisconsin-will-teach-sexual-abstinence-in-schools- ).

Programs

• South Africa is on its way to launch mobile health (mhealth) services in May in Johannesburg (Source: http://www.pr.com/press-release/397775 ).
• The government of Ghana has increased the number of health training schools in the Upper West Region to help address the healthcare needs of people (Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/artikel.php?ID=233058  ).

Research

• Researchers in Australia have developed a new technique that identifies and tracks the location of diseased proteins inside cells which can help to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s (Source: http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/australian-researchers-develop-new-protein-tracking-technique-which-could-help-treat-brain-disease/story-fn5fsgyc-1226303483944 ).
• The researchers at Georgetown university discovered the “Greedy” gene that makes you eat more even when you are full (Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2116792/Georgetown-University-Medical-Centre-Scientists-discover-greedy-gene-makes-eat-full.html ).
• The study done by Israel’s Institute of Technology shows that the antioxidants found in the tea called polyphenols destroy a number of compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath , tooth decay and even oral cancer (Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Green-tea-can-beat-bad-breath-cancer/articleshow/12323727.cms  ).
• The researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine have discovered that those people who sleep for less than seven hours at night have a risk of developing heart disease and those sleeping less than five hours have a double risk for this disease (Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Sleep/health-problems-linked-lack-sleep/story?id=15930879 ).
• The researchers with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at the U of C’s Faculty of Medicine have discovered the cause and cure of Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis. They found that the damage or death of neurons within a patients gut is aided by proteins known as “pannexins”. They have also discovered the drugs which can be used to block them to prevent the cell death in gastrointestinal tract (Source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/University+Calgary+scientists+make+breakthrough+Inflammatory+Bowel/6321398/story.html ).
• A study done by in 2008 by the World Health Organization reveals that the maximum number of deaths due to cancer among the women in India are due to cervical cancer (Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/235082/screening-cancer-not-womens-priority.html ).
• According to a recent study, eating white rice might be linked to the development of type 2 diabetes (Source: http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/16/10721069-white-rice-may-increase-your-risk-of-diabetes ).
• A study done in Rice University in Houston indicate that the immigrants who are bilingual are healthier than those who speak just one language (Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/two-languages-are-better-than-one-for-immigrants-health-study-finds/article2371383/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Life&utm_content=2371383  ).
• The researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have generated a mutant version of a protein whose modifies shape renders it more potent than the natural protein while reducing its toxicity. This protein, known as interleukin-2 or IL-2 is a master regulator of the immune system (Source: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-scientists-boost-potency-side-effects.html ).
• Scientists at UCLA Johnson’s Center has uncovered a new mechanism for drug resistance (vemurafenib resistance) in melanoma patients (Source: http://www.esmo.org/no_cache/view-news.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1401&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=585 ).
• The scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF) have suggest that mild dilation of blood vessels in retina may signal cognitive decline in women (Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/03/19/eye-disease-may-signal-cognitive-decline/36191.html  ).
• The researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Magee-Women’s Research Institute have found that gene mutations contribute to fibroid development (Source: http://www.upmc.com/MediaRelations/NewsReleases/2012/Pages/Gene-Mutations-Fibroid-Development.aspx ).
• Researchers at Yale University School of Public Health have created a map which pinpoints areas of eastern United States where people have highest risk of contracting Lyme disease (Source: http://newtownbee.com/News/2012-03-16__12-09-35/New+Map+Pinpoints+Lyme+Disease+Risk+Areas ).

Diseases & Disasters

• Breast cancer on rise among the African women (Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/health/Breast-Cancer-on-the-Rise-among-African-women-Say-Experts–142962875.html ).
• Nigeria is one of three polio-endemic countries in the world. The resistance to polio vaccine has been mostly responsible of this deadly disease out breaks in this country. President Goodluck Jonathan has created a new task force to eradicate this disease by 2015 (Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Polio-Still-a-Problem-in-Parts-of-Nigeria-142660566.html ).

 

 

Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

Politics and Policies

• Texas has passed regulations on barring Planned Parenthood clinics and other “affiliates of abortion providers from participating in the state’s Medicaid program starting March 14 (Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/state-issues/212301-texas-defies-obama-administration-bars-abortion-providers-from-state-medicaid-program ).
• A program created to help insurance-seekers in Texas cut through the complexities of federal health care reforms is shutting down in April (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/texas-to-shut-consumer-health-assistance-program.html?_r=1&ref=policy ).
• Medicare covers Yoga for heart disease (Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/25/health/medicare-covers-yoga-heart-disease/ ).

Programs

• A national immunization campaign to eradicate polio was launched on 23^rd February in the Central African Republic (CAR) to reach all children in the country (including those who have limited access to health services) (Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202241273.html ).
• The Department of Health (DH) of Hong Kong has issued a warning on the slimming product (name Sheng Yuan Fang) with undeclared and banned drug ingredients (Source: http://www.moviemazaa.com/node/1068362 ).
• The Philadelphia city Health Department will begin offering free, confidential testing for human immunodeficiency syndrome virus (HIV). The free testing site will be in Tuscarawas County (Source: http://www.timesreporter.com/communities/x1618024551/Phila-to-offer-free-HIV-testing ).

 

Research

• A study published in Australian Journal of Law and Medicine has cited numerous flaws in the Kenya, South Africa and Uganda studies which claimed that male circumcision provides protection against HIV transmission (Source: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-7273-Circumcision%20HIV%20impact%20doubted/news.aspx ).
• A study reveals that Zelboraf, a drug to treat advanced cases of deadly shin cancer melanoma, nearly doubles length of patient’s lives (Source: http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/22/10480484-advanced-melanoma-drug-nearly-doubles-survival-time ).
• According to a study pregnant females who get vaccinated for influenza vaccine have less likely babies with low birth weight (Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/health/Moms-Flu-Vaccination-Boosts-Baby-Birth-Weight-140341143.html ).
• Research demonstrates the use of antibiotics in food production can lead to the development of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Strain (Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-201202221120usnewsusnwr201202210221staphfeb22,0,635726.story ).
• According to a research study, colonoscopy reduces the chances of colon cancer death risk (Source: http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-23/lifestyle/31087870_1_colon-cancer-colonoscopy-growths ).
• A study reveals that a chemical found in the Chilean fruit Avocado has the property to combat multi-resistant bacterial strains (Source: http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/avocado-can-help-combat-multi-resistant-bacterial-strains_1063.html ).
• A study published in journal Stroke has provided evidence that consuming more citrus fruits as a part of the daily fruit and vegetable intake reduces the risk of ischemic (blood clot related) stroke (Source: http://health.einnews.com/picture/9053 ).
• According to a recent study Hepatitis C kills more Americans than by the HIV/AIDS infection. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Infection (the CDC) data, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in 2007 more than 15,000 people died of Hepatitis C infection as compared to 12,734 deaths due to HIV-related causes (Source: http://health.einnews.com/picture/9056 ).

Diseases and Disasters

• E.coli outbreaks in Michigan linked to consumption of raw sprouts (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/25/e-coli-outbreak-linked-to_n_1300994.html ).
• About forty people died across Nigeria from the outbreak of Lassa fever in last four weeks (Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202220127.html ).
•  The health authorities in the Republic of Congo have warned the spread of Cholera in the northern district of Likouala (Source: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/congo-cholera-continues-spreading ).
• A 16^th case of the measles has been confirmed in central Indiana. According to health officials, visitors to a popular Carmel county club may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. The outbreak has been traced to a family who was infected during a trip overseas (Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/30537578/detail.html ).
• According to Shaoguan city government (China), about 64 children have been diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels (Source: http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/02/24/2724s683087.htm ).
• Four babies were identified as carrying Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus  (MRSA) in the neonatal ward of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) of Hong Kong (Source: http://7thspace.com/headlines/406545/queen_elizabeth_hospital_mrsa_cases_and_update_on_vre.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%207thspace%20%287thSpace%20Interactive%29 ).
• A Haiti aid group warns on cholera surge during the rainy season (Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/haiti-aid-group-warns-of-cholera-surge-on-eve-of-rainy-season/2012/02/24/gIQAg7bvXR_story.html ).

Global Health Weekly Nwes Round-Up

Politics and Policies:

• Dutch government has announced that it will ban the mild narcotic drug khat (Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16508238 ).
• The Ministry of Health of Malaysia is monitoring orange imported from Brazil (Source: http://www.nst.com.my/latest/health-ministry-monitoring-orange-juice-from-brazil-1.32264 ).

Programs

• European Commission (EU) has given support of 52 million euros to      Ghana to reduce maternal mortality and achieve the MDG 5 targets (Source: http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/general-news/10232-eu-gives-additional-funds-for-maternal-health ).
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has temporarily      suspended aid to more than one million people in central and southern      Somalia (Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/ICRC-Suspends-Food-Aid-to-11-Million-Somalis-137172743.html ).
• India marks major milestone in global fight to eradicate polio. The      World Health Organization has warned India to prevent such virus from      being re-imported. (Sources: http://www.care2.com/causes/india-marks-major-milestone-in-global-fight-to-eradicate-polio.html, http://www.vancouversun.com/news/canada-in-afghanistan/India+needs+cautious+about+polio+milestone/5993029/story.html  ).

Research

• Gene      responsible for Atopic Dermatitis identified. The researchers found an      association between ORAI1 Genetic Polymorphisms and the susceptibility of      this disease in Japanese and Taiwanese populations (Source: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029387;jsessionid=5147EF5A0C05A18FB235EFD5B5B40274      ).
• Four      genomic areas associated with the increase risk for exudative age-related      macular degeneration (AMD) in Japanese individuals identified by a      research team led by Michiaki Kubo at RIKEN Center for Genomic Medicine in      Yokohama (Japan) (Source: http://esciencenews.com/sources/physorg/2012/01/13/keeping.eye.japanese.genome      ).
• Researchers      reveal the benefits for aspirin therapy for those suffering from a heart      disease or stroke but not for those who may have symptoms and not any history      of these diseases (Source: http://topnews.net.nz/content/220872-aspirin-therapy-heart-disease-stroke-prevention-not-everyone      ).
• A study      reveals that remission of cancer may be linked to chemotherapy drugs used      for its treatment (Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-13/health/30623236_1_cancer-relapse-cancer-cells-dna-damage      ).
• Signs of      changes in brain in people who are dependent online are similar to people      who are addicted to alcohol and cocaine (Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/9009125/Internet-addiction-affects-the-brain-like-a-drink-or-drug-problem.html      ).
• A blood      test for the detection of mad cow disease (Source: http://topnews.net.nz/content/220887-blood-test-could-help-diagnose-deadly-mad-cow-disease      ).
• A possible      link between germ-fighting preservatives in cosmetics and breast cancer      found (Source: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/healthcare/studies/story/2012-01-13/Does-deodorant-ingredient-affect-breast-cancer-risk/52528952/1      ).
• Rare but      recurrent mutation in gene linked to prostate cancer (Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/17/genetic-testing-for-prostate-cancer/      ).
• An      Australian report says women over diagnosed with cancer due to mammograms (Source:      http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/16/women-over-diagnosed-with-breast-cancer-researchers-say/      ).
• Researchers      from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City      identified measures to reduce global warming by 2050 and improve human      health and agriculture (Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/01/shindell-20120113.html      ).

Diseases & Disasters

• About 70% milk samples picked up by a government agency in New Delhi failed to confirm to standards. About 48% milk in Chandigarh is adulterated (Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-10/india/30611460_1_samples-milk-powder-central-food-laboratory, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-11/chandigarh/30615932_1_milk-powder-milk-samples-pure-milk  ).
• A massive epidemic of incurable form of tuberculosis which cannot be cured with any combination of the World Health Organization recommended drug has emerged in India (Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/india-struck-by-budding-strain-of-incurable-tuberculosis/article2300929/?from=sec431 ).

 

Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

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)

On December 10, 2011, Human Rights Day was observed . (Source: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/2011/index.shtml)

Politics and Policies

• President Obama approved the decision to limit the morning after pill. His administration overruled the decision to make this pill available over the counter for the girls aged 17 years or younger.  (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/us/obama-backs-aides-stance-on-morning-after-pill.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=policy&adxnnlx=1323604933-CM1yLsRFtM9NYMVPd6JSJA)
• Payroll tax package released by the Republicans would delay for the next two years , 27.4% payment cut for the doctors who accept / are paid via the Medicare plan. (Source: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/198389-house-gop-introduces-payroll-tax-package?page=2#comments  and http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-kbpjjkZz4s9rbfbxxs2LOwTH-w?docId=46892985f4614d5399a9c6540c119fa0)

Programs

• At the 16^th 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)
• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new vaccine “MenAfriVac” for the elimination of a deadly group A meningitis strain. It will be introduced by Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad who are in “Meningitis belt.” (Source: http://www.afriquejet.com/meningitis-vaccine-nigeria-cameroon-chad-to-use-new-meningitis-vaccine-2011121029299.html)
• The United Nations (UN) sanctioned $6 million fund to alleviate the sufferings of people from food shortages in Niger. (Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40645&Cr=+niger+&Cr1=)
• The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced funding of $14.5 million for school based clinics. (Source: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2011/December/09/hhs-school-grants.aspx)
• A five day campaign against polio has been launched by Congolese Minister of Health and Population. (Source: http://www.afriquejet.com/campaign-polio-congo-2011120929262.html)

Research

• Satellite images used to track diseases by the Princeton researchers. (Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57340232-247/princeton-researchers-use-satellite-images-to-track-disease/)
• Research by University of California, San Diego shows a link between high starch diet and the recurrence of breast cancer. (Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2072000/White-bread-pasta-rich-diet-increases-risk-breast-cancer-returning.html)
• An inherited mutated gene from father can lead to the development of cancer of breast in women. (Source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2011/12/10/dads-genes-can-speed-cancer.html)
• Abortion not related to risk of development of mental illness. (Source: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/womenshealth/story/2011-12-09/Study-Abortion-doesnt-raise-mental-illness-risk/51762674/1)
• A research study published in Journal of Sexual Medicine states that women may be able to smell men with sexually transmitted disease (STIs). (Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/men-stds-give-unpleasant-smell-women-study-found-gonorrhea-infected-men-putrid-article-1.989292)
• Gene therapy is the new treatment of patients with various hematological disorders. It involves replacing the defective gene with the intact version. (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/health/research/hemophilia-b-gene-therapy-breakthrough.html)
• The MRI scans used to understand the brain damage caused by Cerebral Malaria by a researcher of Michigan State University. (Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111209/MSU-researcher-uses-MRI-to-unlock-how-cerebral-malaria-damages-brain.aspx)

Diseases and Disasters

• An earthquake of intensity 5.8 had hit Ryukyu Islands of Japan on Sunday December 11, 2011 at 10:22:44 AM. (Source: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000753q.php#details)
• Fire at the Advanced Medical Research Institute hospital in Kolkata, India lead to the death of 92 people. (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/world/india-hospital-fire-kolkata-west-bengal.html)
• The United Nation (UN) issued a child malnutrition warning for Africa’s Sahel region. (Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40687&Cr=sahel&Cr1=)
• First West Nile Virus case confirmed in the Palm Beach County, Florida. Public asked to take precautions. (Source: http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=4364)
• Brazil develops a new formula for the pediatric patients for Chagas disease treatment. (Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111209/New-pediatric-formula-for-Chagas-disease-treatment-developed-in-Brazil.aspx)
• In its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced a new regimen for latent tuberculosis infection. It is an effective treatment which involves just one-third time of the current therapy. (Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111209/Shorter-effective-treatment-for-latent-TB-infection.aspx)

These headlines were compiled by Vani Nanda, MPH Candidate at West Chester University PA.

All Kinds of Belated News (Week of September 18-24)

SECTION NEWS

The Fall 2011 Newsletter has been posted!  Be sure to check out recent announcements, section updates, links to recent blog entries, and lots of fellowship opportunities!

The Advocacy/Policy Committee would like to invite you to participate in our first Advocacy Day, led in partnership with the Global Health Council. The day, scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd, 2011, immediately following the annual meeting in Washington, D.C., will be an opportunity for us to voice support for a continued focus on international health to our elected officials. With the intense Congressional pressure to cut the budget, our voices can make a real difference. As a participant during this exciting day, you will be provided with training materials on effective advocacy techniques to ensure your message is clearly heard. Even if you do not have advocacy experience, you need not hesitate to sign up because you will be teamed with others. Please consider joining your fellow International Health Section members on Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 on Capitol Hill to advocate for a healthy globe. Interested parties should register here. Please note that registration will close on October 14th. Any questions should be directed to Peter Freeman, Advocacy/Policy Committee Chair, at pffreeman@gmail.com or 773.318.4842.

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The G+ Vaccines Challenge has been launched!  G+, a new online community launched by Gerson Lehrman Group, has partnered with IndieGoGo and StartUp Health to solicit early stage ideas for tackling problems and inefficiencies in vaccine delivery  in-the-field, distribution and development. Finalists will have the unique opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of investment, NGO and corporate and life sciences professionals with the influence to advance those ideas towards realization.  You can find more information about the challenge here.

APHA NEWS

Dr. Benjamin is currently on a teaching sabbatical at Hunter College in NYC. Alan Baker (former Chief of Staff at APHA) returned to serve as Acting Executive
Director in the interim.

UN HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON NCDs

• The UN held its first-ever meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.  Global health journalist Tom Paulson provided some great coverage of the event on the Humanosphere blog.
• World leaders unanimously adopted the NCD Summit Outcome Document at the General Assembly in New York.
• On the sidelines of the General Assembly meeting in New York, the United States and WHO signed a memorandum of understanding to help developing countries boost capacity to meet the International Health Regulations.
• The cost for the developing world to address NCDs, based on the WHO’s recommendation to increase budgets by 4%, will be $11.4 billion.

POLITICS AND POLICY

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates appears poised to endorse the adoption of a controversial financial transactions tax (FTT) to be used as a new source of development aid for poor countries.

PROGRAMS

• The multibillion dollar Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria must do a better job managing its grants to partner countries, according to an independent review panel.  A seven member panel investigating the Global Fund has recommended that it place greater emphasis on results and improve risk management.  In the Center for Global Development blog, William Savedoff is concerned that the new report suggesting changes for the Global Fund will move it away from innovating.
• USAID has announced that it will be giving a $200 million grant to the Public Health Institute to support its global health fellows program.
• Private and public actors have lined up to support Every Woman Every Child and its goal of preventing 33 million unwanted pregnancies.

RESEARCH

Researchers at the 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago announced that they were able to reduce the level of HIV in infected people through cell-based therapy.

DISEASES AND DISASTERS

• The privacy curtains that separate care spaces in hospitals and clinics are frequently contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria, according to a U.S. study.
• If today’s momentum and progress against malaria can be sustained, deaths from this infectious disease could be reduced to near-zero, and cases of infection cut by 75 per cent in the next decade, says a recent report by the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership.
• Depression may go hand in hand with a number of other physical health problems, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Now the latest evidence suggests that depression may also increase the risk of stroke.
• Polio has spread to China for the first time since 1999 after being imported from Pakistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed.

TOTALLY UNRELATED TO ANYTHING: Melinda Gates is now on Twitter!

Global Health News, Week of August 28-September 3

Global Fund round 11 is now open for proposals.

GREAT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

A seven-part webinar series, called the “Outstanding Presentations Workshop,” began this Wednesday and is available for free to all who register. Each one-hour seminar will be streamed live over the next few weeks on Wednesday and will be recorded for later viewing.  Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to improve your presentations and spare your audiences death by PowerPoint. More information is available here, and the schedule can be accessed here.

POLITICS AND POLICY

• In Uganda, the landmark legal case of Jennifer Anguko, a mother who died while she was in labor for 12 hours in a government hospital, will begin in early September.
• Critics of the World Health Organization say it needs to redefine and reposition itself within the increasingly complex and convoluted field of global health. These experts suggest that the world will not suffer if the WHO cuts certain programs while narrowing its focus.
• In the United States, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are promoting the use of IUDs as the “most effective form of reversible contraception available and safe for most women.”
• The Global Fund may cut its contributions to China by half.
• USAID Admin Dr. Raj Shah announced that $23 million in new aid will be directed towards the Horn of Africa crisis.
• Anonymity is no longer a right of people seeking HIV/AIDS tests in China, and the change has lead to a significant drop in the number of tests being performed.
• The Asian Development Bank has called for Asia-Pacific countries to collaborate on combating HIV/AIDS at the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific.
• Tension between the United States and Pakistan will not prevent USAID from continuing to support health, energy and education systems says the USAID Pakistan Chief.
• The epidemics of diabetes, heart disease and cancers that have stricken the populaces of wealthy countries are spreading to the developing world, yet the United Nations lacks an agreement, let alone an overall goal, on how to limit the preventable illnesses and deaths arising from these so-called non-communicable diseases. The British Medical Journal reports many developed countries, including the U.S. and Canada, are resisting specific targets for reduction in fats, sugars and salt in processed foods.

PROGRAMS

• Overall, more newborn children are surviving, but slower progress in cutting death rates among babies in the first weeks of life is putting the global goal of reducing child deaths by two-thirds in jeopardy.
• One expert says as the question of aid effectiveness has moved to the centre of development debates. If donors want to make their aid more effective, then they need to engage strategically with the private sector.
• In the Washington Post, Michael Gerson makes the “pro-life” case for increased support for contraception and family planning worldwide.
• UNICEF and international NGOs are working to raise awareness and encourage West African communities to invest in the construction of more pit latrines. Pit latrines, say advocates, can drastically reduce the spread of diarrhea, cholera and worms.

RESEARCH

• A study published in Lancet finds that the workers who took part in the efforts to rescue people from the World Trade Center on 9/11 are at a high risk of suffering physical and mental illness.
• A study by the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation in Uganda and Zambia found high rates of syphilis and HIV co-infection among pregnant women, but showed that “integrating rapid syphilis screening and HIV testing for pregnant women was feasible, cost-effective, and helped to prevent transmission of syphilis and HIV from mother-to-child.”
• A genetically engineered virus may be the key to combating cancer, says a group of scientists.
• Believed to only help children under four, researchers have determined that the rotavirus vaccine also reduces deaths in children between the age of five and fourteen.
• Researchers who have tracked Haitian cell phone SIM cards relative to the cholera outbreak are optimistic that their findings will lead to future use of the same technology for other outbreaks.
• Scientists may have found a critical weakness in Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria. Researchers say the discovery provides a promising target for new malaria therapies.
• Engineers at Michigan State University are developing a low-cost mobile phone application that can detect certain types of cancer.
• Danish scientists say mosquito populations are dropping in many parts of Africa, even in parts where there are no human efforts such as insecticide spraying or bed net distributions underway.
• A study published in the British Medical Journal reports a 24% reduction in deaths in children who received vitamin A.
• A new approach to malaria vaccines grows the parasite inside mosquitoes and extracts vaccine components from the salivary gland.

DISEASES AND DISASTERS

• A study published in Nature says that the last three waves of cholera can all be traced back to the Bay of Bengal.
• Despite a massive humanitarian effort after the 2010 earthquake, females in Haiti remain neglected, rights activists say, lacking access to care as they give birth to babies in squalid conditions, often as a result of sex in trade for food or other necessities.
• UN FAO warns that the bird flu is on the rise in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.
• Reports from the Libyan capital Tripoli say a humanitarian crisis appears to be emerging following the ouster of long-time ruler Muammar Qaddafi. There is a shortage of medicine, fuel, food, water, and power supplies, and growing piles of uncollected garbage.
• Polio has been reported in China and Kenya.

Thanks to Tom Murphy and Mark Leon Goldberg, Tom Paulson, Isobel Hoskins, and UN Wire.

Global Health News Last Week

SECTION NEWS

The following announcement, from Eric Williams, calls for any IH section members interested in assisting efforts to address federal global health and HIV/AIDS funding.  Please see the text of the announcement below.  Eric can be contacted by e-mail at ericwms@gmail.com.

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to request assistance in a “grasstops” effort to address federal global health and HIV/AIDS funding. As you are likely well aware, there have been serious threats and concerns regarding global health funding over the last several years. There is a real need to mobilize influential members of our community in an effort to ensure that Congress does not backtrack on our global health commitments.

I am doing some consulting work with amfar and they want to identify experts, donors, high-profile individuals and/or organizations in select states who can reach out to key Senate leadership. We need these individuals/organizations to show and voice their support for continued and sustained commitments for global health.

States of focus include Nevada (Sen. Harry Reid), Iowa (Sen. Tom Harkin), and Washington (Sen. Patty Murray). We believe these senators are in key positions to influence appropriations decisions and sure up support for global health.

The aim of this effort is to:

1. identify grasstop individuals/organizations and
2. plan, coordinate, and carry out outreach efforts to Senate leadership in a variety of ways, including state-level meetings, Hill visits, op-eds, sign-on letters, and so forth.

If you are interested or able to provide assistance in helping to identify and/or reach out to the above stakeholders, I would be very interested in speaking. If there is strong support for this I would be happy to facilitate a conference call to discuss in full.

---

August 19 was World Humanitarian Day.

POLITICS AND POLICY

• The CDC has made updates to its flu vaccination recommendations aimed at children and people with egg allergies.
• The United Nations has released a list of 248 organizations from 48 nations that are accredited to attend the UN High Level Meeting (HLM) on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during September 19-20, 2011.  Meanwhile, as has been widely reported (including here and here), negotiations have stalled over an “outcomes document” that is to be approved at the meeting.
• The World Health Organization is calling for a ban on a common blood test for TB, saying the test is unreliable.
• Twenty-two children in Kancheepuram, Indiawho were not allowed to go to school because they are HIV positive have been ordered to return to school after a court ruled in favor of the students.
• International funding for HIV fell by 10 percent in 2010 from the previous year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS; activists worry that a continued reduction will undermine progress in global HIV prevention and treatment efforts.

PROGRAMS

• A study from Senegal published in the Lancet at the beginning of this month raises doubts over Gates’ plant to beat malaria, blaming mosquitoes’ growing resistance to insecticide and decreased immunity to malaria among the local population.
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have announced a strategic partnership to ensure continued progress in the fight against polio, including an innovative financing agreement to support polio-eradication efforts in Pakistan.
• USAID announced the expansion of its Indoor Residual Spraying program. The $189 million, there-year contract awarded by USAID to Abt. Associates will cover the implementation of IRS activities in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• WHO has released Psychological First Aid: Guide for Fieldworkers, a guide intended to provide field workers the tools to provide psycho-social support to themselves and those affected by a disaster or humanitarian crisis.
• The first comprehensive etiology study of childhood pneumonia in 3 decades has been launched. Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) will be a collaboration between sites in Africa, Asia and the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

RESEARCH

• USAID has announced a partnership with the Infectious Disease Research Institute that will provide support for the research of a malaria vaccine at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
• UNDNJ researchers have discovered a link between TB and parasitic worms which act to thwart the body’s natural defenses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• A Canadian study has found that a pregnant woman suffering from depression can lead to brain changes in their children.
• Researchers have identified 17 new antibodies with broad activity against HIV; some of which are 10 times more potent than previously discovered antibodies.
• The recent news about hiding vegetables by puréeing them and then adding them to recipes may make meals healthier, but if children don’t know they are eating vegetables, they won’t know to seek out those foods and eat them in future, says Isobel Hoskins on the CABI Global Health blog.
• Microcalorimeters may be the key to achieving TB diagnosis in a quicker and cheaper manner, say researchers in a recently published article in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.
• According to a recent UN study, 9 million lives can be saved over the next 10 years if average global salt consumption levels dropped by 15%.

DISEASES AND DISASTERS

• The WHO Says Libya is facing a medical supply crisis.
• The United Nations food agency called on Thursday for long-term aid for farmers in the Horn of Africa, saying constant crises in the region should shame the world.
• A report by the National Institute of Malaria research in Delhi has found that climate change will enable malaria to move to new areas.
• New research finds that radiation from the nuclear plant accident in Japanin March reached Californiawithin days, showing how quickly air pollution can travel, but scientists say the radiation will not hurt people.
• According to an article published in Science, 19 August, cases of Chagas disease are rising outside Latin America, because large numbers of people who are already infected are migrating fromLatin America.
• Len Rubenstein comments on the attacks on healthcare personnel inBahrain and the recent progress made to protect healthcare workers in conflict zones.

INFOGRAPHICS AND OTHER INTERESTING VISUALS

• Sarah Arnquist at the Global Health Hub has put together an open source timeline of global health milestones from the past century.
• The GAVI Alliance has released this infographic on the importance of childhood vaccines.
• This infographic on maternal mortality from Maternal Health Taskforce has caught the attention of Jen Quraishi at Mother Jones for the choice of data used to fill it out. She argues that comparing total maternal deaths rather than per capita rates makes it hard to assess nations side by side.

Thanks to Tom Murphy and Mark Leon Goldberg, Larry Johnson (filling in for Tom Paulson), Isobel Hoskins, and Jeff Meer.

Global Health News Last Week

POLITICS AND POLICY

Human Rights Watch has urged the Bahraini authorities to halt what it said was a “systematic campaign” to intimidate doctors and other medical staff suspected of sympathising with recent anti-government protests.

PROGRAMS

• The GlobalPost has been doing an excellent series of stories examining President Barack Obama’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) is focusing on in Guatemala. Slow in its implementation and hampered by little new money, GHI was supposed to be an example of Obama’s new, innovative commitment to global health.
• The King of Swaziland has called for all of the men in the South African nation to get circumcised in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
• Results from a pilot program in Philippines have shown that deaths from rabies can be dramatically reduced when taking a community driven bottom up approach.
• A child in Khartoum, Sudan is the first to receive a rotavirus vaccine, kicking off a campaign to vaccinate children in 40 low and middle-income countries.

RESEARCH

• A recent report from UNAIDS cites data from a recently released South African study that shows the effectiveness of male circumcision reducing HIV prevalence in men.
• A campaign to encourage African men to get circumcised to prevent infection by HIV gained a powerful boost on Wednesday by three new studies unveiled at an international AIDS forum in Rome.
• A new study has found that women in conflict areas want to utilize
  contraceptives, but only 4 to 16 percent are able to gain access.
• At the International AIDS Society, one of the big stories is a CDC study showing the drug Truvada prevented HIV transmissions in more than 60 percent of heterosexuals. The study’s author Dr. Michael Thigpen discusses how much Truvada costs, why HIV is so pervasive among women in Botswana, and how much people must take the drug for it to be effective.
• Researchers have discovered that chloroquine, often used to treat malaria, may be effective in treating other autoimmune diseases.
• An antiviral drug to combat HIV/AIDS synthesised by genetically modified plants is being tested on a small number of women in the UK to establish its safety, reports the Guardian.
• A recent study has shown that stress experienced by a pregnant mother can have a negative impact on the development of the child in the womb.
• Researchers presenting at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogens, Treatment, and Prevention in Rome, say that they have inched closer to a vaccine by leveraging a genetically altered version of SIV.

DISEASES AND DISASTERS

• The World Health Organization is sounding the alarm on hospital safety and infections acquired while patients are in a health care facility, saying that a hospital  stay is riskier than air travel.
• Researchers have determined that Hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually, after performing a 5 year study on HIV positive MSM.
• Famine in parts of southern Somalia has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly children, the UN said Wednesday in an official declaration of what aid officials describe as the worst humanitarian crisis in the troubled country in two decades.
• A new study warns that Pakistan “risks becoming the last global outpost of [polio], this vicious disease.” The disease has also resurfaced in four other countries.
• Even in developing countries where child mortality is falling, the poorest under-fives are at high risk of dying from entirely preventable diseases because they do not receive basic immunization and have no treatment for diarrhea.
• Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, says new studies indicate a parasitic infection, schistosomiasis, may be one of the most important — and least recognized — co-infections increasing the risk of HIV transmission.
• An All Africa editorial examines how the price of drugs leads to deaths that could be otherwise averted.

IFRC Video: What’s in 1%? (Polio Eradication)

Global Health News Last Week (plus interest in a new working group!)

Attention IH Section Members: Dr. Kaja Abbas, MPH student at the University of Rochester, is gauging interest in forming a working group focused on using system science to improve global health, similar to the intitiaves being promoted by NIH. Her interests are in conducting system science research on global health policy by modeling population and disease dynamics and economic evaluation of public health interventions and systems, with a focus on HIV and TB. Dr. Malcolm Bryant, our section chair, has encouraged the expansion of our section’s activities in areas of technical expertise, and Dr. Abbas is enthusiastic about a working group within the section that promotes system science methodologies for global health solutions. She welcomes your thoughts and suggestions at kaja [dot] abbas [at] gmail [dot] com.

Global Health Delivery online’s HIV prevention community is hosting a “virtual expert panel” March 7-11 to continue the dialogue around PrEP as a novel approach to prevention. Panelists from Uganda, South Africa and the United States will lead the online discussion, highlighting various barriers and opportunities to implementing PrEP in clinical settings; how to encourage long-term adherence; and what additional research questions need to be answered. Panelists include (1) Douglas Krakower, MD, a fellow in Infectious Diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, (2)Andrew Mujugira, MBChB, MSc, the East Africa regional medical director for the Partners PrEP study, and (3) Vivek Naranbhai, PhD, who was involved in CAPRISA microbicide gel study. All GHDonline members can participate in this online discussion. You can sign up here if you are not currently a member.

POLICY

• Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people in the Eastern Province of Zambia has urged his subjects to get circumcised in order to reduce the chances of spreading HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in his land.
• Britain is threatening to pull out of the Food and Agriculture Organization due to “patchy” performance.
• Due to uncertainty in past estimates, the Indian government has formed a 16-member expert group to determine the annual death rate caused by malaria in the country each year.
• The breakdown of the air conditioning in the plenary hall of the Philippines’ House of Representatives stalled the heated debate of a controversial reproductive health bill. The bill is vehemently opposed by the Catholic Church and pro-life groups and has caused a stir in the largely Catholic country.
• A massive demonstration rally was held in New Delhi to protest a free trade agreement between India and Europe, which many fear may threaten the production of low-cost generic drugs, particularly HIV medicines.

RESEARCH

• US researchers believe that half of men in the general population may be infected with human papillomavirus or HPV, the human wart virus that causes cervical and other cancers, strengthening the case for vaccinating boys against HPV.
• A recent study published in the WHO bulletin argues for the need to implement gender-specific tobacco control activites to curb the growing tobacco epidemic.
• The World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, announced the launch of the Global Health Data Charter, a project designed to improve global health by leveraging the collection and management of data.
• A new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation found that the poorest in Thailand have significantly more difficulty accessing diabetes care than the general population.
• A research trial found that a microbicide gel with the ARV tenofovir, initially designed for vaginal use, may also be effective in stopping HIV transmission during anal sex.
• A report released by UNICEF, “The State of the World’s Children 2011,” highlighted India’s poor child and maternal health conditions.

PROGRAMS

• Dr. Bruce Aylward, head of the WHO’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative, discusses why it is so difficult to eradicate polio. Meanwhile, former US President Jimmy Carter is leading his own campaign to make guinea worm the second disease (after smallpox) to be eradicated.
• Amanda Glassman writes about Bangladesh’s success story in drastically lowering its maternal mortality rate.
• The International HIV/AIDS Alliance is expanding its project (which is funded by the UK’s Department for International Development) to reduce HIV-related maternal mortality in South Sudan.
• Prompted by Burma’s (Myanmar’s) transition to “civilian rule” after last November’s elections, the Global Fund has returned and is providing grants for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB programs.

DISEASES

• The WHO has declared Nepal polio-free after no infections were reported during a six-month period, while a new outbreak is spiking in the DRC.
• The massive flow of refugees fleeing violence in Libya has created a humanitarian crisis, as organizations struggle to provide for the basic needs of nearly 175,000 people who have crossed the border into Tunisia, Egypt, and Niger.
• After losing 4,500 lives to the cholera epidemic that raged through Haiti after the January 2009 earthquake, doctors in Port-au-Prince say they are bringing the disease under control. Unfortunately, health experts fear that the rainy season will cause a fresh outbreak in Nigeria.

Global Health News Last Week

The PSI Healthy Lives Blog has begun running a daily global health news summary called “The Healthy Dose,” written by Mark Leon Goldberg and Tom Murphy (who also blogs about development at A View from the Cave).

STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS: The Global Health Corps is currently accepting applications for its Global Health Fellows Program, which comes highly recommended by just about everyone I have heard mention it.

February 6 was International No Tolerance Day to Female Genital Mutilation.

The Vatican will host an international conference in May on preventing AIDS and caring for those afflicted with it amid continued confusion over its position concerning condoms as a way to prevent HIV transmission.

The Global Fund announced the launch of new anti-corruption measures after intense scrutiny from donors following stories on fraud investigations by The Associated Press. Meanwhile, debate and public controversy over the AP’s presentation of the story rages on.

The discovery of a new type of mosquito, a subgroup of Anopheles gambiae (the species which transmits malaria), is causing concern among scientists because it appears to be very susceptible to the malaria parasite.

Bill Gates is becoming frantic in his pursuit to eradicate polio. In addition to making it the cornerstone of his 2011 annual letter, he held a webcast event last week, campaigned for funds at Davos, and is needling governments to donate funds for a “final push.” He is also beginning to irk some, who say he is distorting other priorities.

Webcast: Polio Eradication and the Power of Vaccines (with Bill Gates)

Please tune in for a special webcast featuring Bill Gates, ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Oshinsky, and a panel of experts on:

Polio Eradication and the Power of Vaccines

Monday, January 31, 9:30 a.m. ET at www.gatesfoundation.org

To launch Bill Gates’ 3rd annual letter, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites you to join a conversation about the extraordinary progress in the fight to eradicate polio and the enormous lifesaving potential of vaccines.

Thanks to a global childhood immunization effort, polio has been reduced by 99% and we are on the cusp of eradicating only the second disease in history. This presents a powerful case for the value of vaccines.

Unique Perspectives
Bill Gates will join global leaders to discuss what the past can teach us about protecting children around the world from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The event will be moderated by ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer, and speakers include:

Dr. David Oshinsky, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, “Polio: An American Story”
Professor Helen Rees, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa; and Chair, WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization
Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President, Sabin Vaccine Institute

Panelists will discuss why now is the time to rid the world of polio and ensure all children have access to lifesaving vaccines. No child deserves to face the threat of preventable disease, whether it’s polio, measles, or pneumonia.

To watch the live webcast, please visit www.gatesfoundation.org on Monday, January 31 at 9:30 a.m. ET. It will also be available on demand following the event.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Learn more at www.gatesfoundation.org.

Global Health News Last Week

December 9 was Anti-Corruption Day.
December 10 was Human Rights Day.

A recently published research study reveals that aspirin can prevent cancer – to very little acclaim.

There is a new rapid diagnostic test for TB, though some argue that it may not be the best idea for developing countries.

There is a polio outbreak in the Congo, and cholera rages on in Haiti and the Dominican Repubic.

Global Health News This Week

November 22 was Public Health Thank-You Day, and November 25 marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

UNAIDS released a report that said that we are finally making significant progress against the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. In related news, an international trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that daily prophylaxis can prevent HIV infection in MSM.

The Bread for the World Institute released its 2011 Hunger Report, which says that global hunger is increasing as the global food crisis gets worse.

A study published in the Lancet found that the malaria death toll in India may be as much as 13 times higher than WHO estimates.

Another study published in the journal Vaccine estimated that global polio eradication could save the world $50 billion.

The strain responsible for the cholera outbreak in Haiti has been identified as one originating from southeast Asia, which has led many Haitians to blame the Nepalese UN peacekeepers and has sparked riots against the UN.

Pushing for Polio Eradication: Does a Vertical Approach Make Sense in a Horizontal World?

The global polio eradication effort suffered an unexpected setback this year.  An outbreak began in February in Tajikistan, which had not seen a case of polio in 19 years, and 452 cases have been confirmed as of August 5.¹  From there, it has migrated to Russia, where it has infected seven individuals.^1,2  Russia’s last confirmed case of polio was in 1996.  This outbreak is a discouraging reality check for a two-decade eradication effort that hovers on the edge of success but cannot quite seem to reach it.

Image taken from the 2009 Annual Letter from Bill Gates. Available at: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/annual-letter/Pages/2009-polio-eradication.aspx

After the successful eradication of smallpox in 1979, global health organizations have pushed a similar “vertical” approach to eradicate other disease.³  The polio eradication campaign, which began in 1988, has been aggressively carried out with a similar mindset and has been largely successful.  Incidence has been reduced by over 99%, with less than 1,000 cases reported in the year 2000 compared to 350,000 in 1988.  In Africa, ten of the 15 previously polio countries re-infected in 2009 successfully halted their outbreaks.⁴  It is currently only endemic in Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.^2,4  For the last ten years, however, the initiative has “hovered on the verge of victory” without being able to reach it.⁵  There were 1,604 cases in 2009, and 576 cases have been confirmed globally so far this year.²  The effort has cost approximated $8.2 to date.³ 

The long-standing fight against polio has raised an interesting discussion about this and similar approaches to public health: are singularly-focused health efforts such as disease eradication the best way to work toward health improvement?  Large scale donors, such as the Gates Foundation and Rotary, typically prefer these “vertical” strategies because the benefits seem clearer and more immediate; “horizontal” strategies, on the other hand, such as strengthening health systems, training workers, and increasing supplies, have less well-defined goals, and long-term change is much more difficult to measure.³  The ongoing struggle for polio eradication has re-energized this debate.  Global health stakeholders responded in June with a new Strategic Plan, which builds on findings from a recent independent evaluation of the eradication effort and proposes a combined approach of  area-specific strategies to target remaining reservoirs of polio and targeting health system weaknesses.⁴  This plan will hopefully inspire organizations working in the effort to make the final push toward wiping out polio for good.  When the plan was unveiled in Geneva, however, Dr. Margaret Chan of WHO called on the international funding community “stand tall for polio eradication,” reminding us that the effort can still falter in the face of economic crisis if funding lapses.  It will be interesting to see how much longer smallpox will stand alone on the list of eradicated diseases.