Tag: Bacteria

IH News Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News
  • May 31 was observed as World anti-tobacco day by the World Health Organization.
  • The Fitness Industry Council Canada has announced June 1 as National Health and Fitness Day.

Politics and Policies:

  • The Republic of Congo has passed a law that prohibits the purchase, consumption and possession of tobacco for minors, pregnant women and mentally ill. The advising and any kind of promotion of tobacco are also prohibited in the country. Smoking is prohibited in public places.
  • According to the World Health Organization On June 10th Ethiopia is launching an emergency mass-vaccination campaign against yellow fever.
  • According to the Ghana’s Minister of Health, the country is committed to ban all forms of tobacco advertisements and promotions.
  • Smoking in presence of children equaled to physical violence in Latvia.
  • Russia’s smoking ban came into effect on Saturday. It involves no smoking in public places and curbing cigarette advertising and sales.

Programs:

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) in Gambia is launching polio campaign to vaccinate 400,000 children under five years.
  • The Ministry of Finance of Lesotho has signed two agreements totaling $17 million with the Global Fund to fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
  • Professionals for Humanity International (PROFOH) have announced its third free medical screening in this year in Nigeria.
  • After the discovery of polio this week, United Nations emergency team rushes to vaccinate 424,000 people living in a refugee camp in Kenya.
  • Zimbabwe is going to conduct its first national tuberculosis prevalence survey with an objective to determine the national prevalence of bacteriologically-confirmed pulmonary TB among people aged 15 and over.
  • Rotary India extends its help to Pakistan in its polio vaccination drive.
  • The World Health Organization is calling on the countries to ban advertising about the tobacco products.

 Research:

  • Improvement of maternal health and reduction in child mortality in some countries was highlighted in a recently released report ‘Accountability for Maternal, newborn and Child Survival ‘.
  • According to the director of the National Institute of Combat of HIV (INLS), the prevalence of HIV in Angola has not changed since 1997.
  • According to the researchers patients who have developed oral cancer due to HPV can have sex with their spouses or long term partners.
  • According to a study done by the researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, rates of diabetes have jumped 15 fold within a decade for the Chinese Canadians.
  • A systemic review confirms that the licensed medicines for smoking cessation are successful in assisting people to quit smoking.
  • Scientists are using new optics-based single virus detecting methods for determining the exact viral load of a sample by counting individual virus sample.
  • New malaria vaccine developed by the team Japanese researchers has cut the infection rates by 72%.
  • A study conducted in over 13 hospitals in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam shows that doubling Tamiflu vaccine dose does not help in severe flu.
  • Results of a study warn development of resistance to drug used in treatment of H7N9 virus.
  • A group of scientists discover how a single gene mutation helps brain cancer cells to survive and drive tumor growth.
  • According to the United Nations scientists, Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant has very low radiation doses and there is no increased risk of cancer on local residents.
  • According to the experts nearly one-sixth of young adults in Sri Lanka are overweight. Lack of nutrition education and food culture of the country are reasons for this problem.
  • A study states that particular combination of bacteria in the human digestive system can identify patients who have or are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
  • A study shows that the Coenzyme Q10 cuts the mortality rate by half in heart failure patients.
  • Report released by EU says that several new health risks are emerging from new chemicals, products and changing lifestyle patterns. It is important to address these issues all together.
  • According to a study fizzy drinks do harm to the teeth as drugs.
  • New vaccine for lung cancer has been developed by the scientists of Argentina and Cuba. It activates the body’s immune system to promote its destruction.

Diseases & Disasters:

  • Tornadoes hit Oklahoma again on 1st June. Death toll rises to 9.
  • A report issued by the Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources state that the ground water of China is poisoned. It did not address the severity and scope of this problem.
  • Death toll from bird flu has risen to 38 in China.
  • According to the reports of the United Nations, there is a suspected outbreak of Ebola fever in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • According to the reports by Ghana Health Service, cholera outbreak hits greater Accra region.
  • The World Health Organization is concerned about the new strain of Coronavirus which has killed 55 of the confirmed cases.
  • A Starbucks in Hong Kong used water from the public restroom to brew coffee.
  • Pakistan is facing a severe measles epidemic. Since the start of 2013 about 239 deaths have been reported.
  • According to the Ministry of Health, Philippines, new cases of HIV infections recorded in the month of April were 388. It was 67 percent higher than those recorded in April 2012.
  • According to the reports Singapore is facing Dengue epidemic. More than 7,700 people are reported to be infected as of May 25.
  • Frozen berry and pomegranate mix has been reported to be linked to hepatitis A outbreak in five states in U.S.

Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies:

  • A partnership between the Government of Benin and the U.S. government was launched to help Benin achieve its objective of eliminating neglected tropical diseases by 2020.
  • U.S. Supreme Court weighs dispute over AIDS funding.
  • HHS announces new digital and mobile health application to help people to stay healthy.

Programs:

  • Nigeria may soon relax the criteria for placing people living with HIV on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in order to increase number of people being treated.
  • Imbuto project has announced its plans to set up a model facility in Bugesera district, Eastern project. It will integrate elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS services through its family package project.
  • The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Gambia have signed an agreement on maternal health improvement program.
  • The Word Bank has approved a $7 million line of credit to improve the delivery of healthcare services in Djibouti.
  • Smile Train and Operation Smile in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Rwanda have announced the launch of Rwanda Smiles to create the first-ever country in Africa.
  • A national strategic plan for HIV, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections has been adopted during South African National AIDS Council meeting in Secunda, Mpumalanga.
  • A two year maternal health project aimed at promoting community involvement in the assessment of the performance of selected health facilities and providers in the delivery of maternal health services was launched in Koforidua.
  • The UN refugee agency has appealed for millions of dollars to help to meet the needs of Malian refugees including healthcare, water and sanitation.
  • Canada funds IOM humanitarian projects involving emergency health, water and sanitation projects in Zimbabwe.
  • A partnership between Samaritan’s Purse Canada, University of Calgary, Canadian International Development Agency is running a healthcare project that is helping people of South Sudan.
  • To save upto 2 million children every year from deaths caused by pneumonia and diarrhea, the World Health Organization and UNICEF has launched a new Global Action Plan.
  • Cuba’s second round of anti-polio vaccination campaign starts on Friday through April 25 to keep this island free of this debilitating disease.

Research:

  • According to the reports from the municipal public health supervisor over 20 HIV/AIDS positive cases have been reported during the first quarter of this year.
  • According to the reports Kogli (Nigeria) has cases of HIV/AIDS rising since last 2 years. This rise has been attributed to lack of availability of funds for the state action committee on HIV/AIDS.
  • Global fund has increased funding (additional $25 million to 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory) for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
  • According to the Kwara State Ministry of Health Coordinator (Nigeria) for HIV/AIDS about 1.8 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS related death in Nigeria.
  • A study states that breast feeding for more than four months lowers mother-to-infant HIV risk through their milk.
  • According to a qualitative research marriages in Malawi are a risk factor for HIV infection in females.
  • Results of a study involving people of Uganda states that food access and diet quality are associated with health-related quality of life.
  • Scientists from the University of Kansas made a discovery that aspirin directly and indirectly suppressed the proliferation of two different breast cancer strains.
  • Statistics from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that China now has nearly 120,000 new cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.
  • According to the scientists DPP-4 inhibitors have cardio-protective effects on type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • A study finds a relation between endometrial cancer at young age and risk for endometrial cancer.
  • A study reports that highly active retroviral therapy (HAART) may help to protect hearts of young patients.
  • Scientists from Indiana School of Medicine links beer with increased levels of dopamine in the brain.
  • The new U-M National Poll on Children’s health about 40% parents give young children cough/cold medicine that they shouldn’t.
  • According to a research letter published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, some visible signs of Lyme disease are easily missed or mistaken.
  • A study indicates that high salt diet and ulcer bacteria together combine to increase the risk of cancer.
  • According to a study lung cancer mortality rates linked to primary care provider density.

Diseases and Disasters:

  • Plaque draws scientist’s attention as potential terrorism weapon.
  • Death count due to bird flu reaches 20 in China.
  • An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck China on Saturday. It is discouraging volunteers in the earthquake zone.
  • Vietnam has announced that special measures have been adopted to prevent the H7N9 avian flu from entering the city.
  • The Department of Health of Minnesota has alerted the doctors to a new strain of influenza  for the patients who have travelled to Asian nation and have flu-like symptoms.
  • According to the scientists, new strain of bird flu virus that has killed 17 people in China has acquired a significant genetic diversity.
  • Honduras reports two deaths from hemorrhagic dengue fever. In addition about 3,000 cases of classic dengue cases have been registered this year.
  • Reports have indicated a presence of a bird flu virus in Norfolk, UK.

IH News Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies:

  • 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.
  • Researchers are working to tackle obstacles to medical aid.
  • 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.

Diseases and Disasters:

  • Chinese Public call for tackling water pollution.
  • 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.