Tag: Immune system

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:

  • Swaziland has launched a new national framework to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keep their mothers alive.
  • According to a report Pakistani politicians have pledged for health and education of their people.
  • A Texas Senate bill would revise the state’s end-of-life procedure.
  • Bloomberg’s campaign might close off the remaining means of access to cheap cigarettes and little cigars which make it easier for teenagers to experiment with smoking and progress to smoking regularly.

Programs:

  • World Bank has approved a concessionary loan of US $200 million to Sri Lanka to further enhance the quality of the health sector service.
  • §  Britain is going to launch a £179 million five-year healthcare program in the Democratic Republic of Congo which aims to reach about six million people.
  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to clamp down on the sale of non-iodized salt.
  • UNICEF has increased its support from four to ten districts in the Upper East region in Ghana to implement a 5 year child survival program known as the Essential Newborn Care (ENC).
  • A regional health agency has been launched in Kigali, Rwanda, East Africa aiming to facilitate and improve regional health sectors.
  • US AIDS agencies have begun their five-year effort with Malawi’s government to improve health care services for HIV/AIDS virus infected people.
  • Irish aids program helping African people suffering from HIV/ AIDS.
  • Niger’s first lady commits to stopping new HIV infections in children.

Research:

  • According to a study done by the scientists at Queen’s University, the risk of getting head and neck cancer can be reduced by 22% by taking a weekly or even monthly dose of over-the counter aspirin.
  • A study shows that climate change can worsen the public health threat of diarrheal disease in Botswana.
  • According to a global health study HIV/ AIDS and tuberculosis are two top killers among the people of Russia.
  • A study on a disease- konzo- indicate that its physical effects on body is accompanied by impairment of children’s memory, problem solving capability and their cognitive functions.
  • Scientists in United Kingdom have been successful in making a vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease. Since it is not made from live virus, its production will require no special containment.
  • United Nations analyst says that Tanzania might achieve millennium goal on maternal health.
  • Kenya Aids Research Coordinating Mechanism chairperson has called for teamwork in HIV/Aids research.
  • According to a study early detection of bowl cancer can help to prevent cancer. They say that those who participated in the screening program were the people who were the most easiest to treat.
  • A study says that a ‘new diagnostic test may be safe and easy screening method that could improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer through early detection’.
  • Study shows that obesity makes a person to exercise less.
  • According to a study elderly people who have many social interactions may live longer than those who are more socially isolated.
  • According to a NIH study pregnant women who experienced financial, emotional or other personal stress in the year before their delivery had an increased chance of having stillbirth.
  • A study by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention many mothers in U.S. start infants on solid foods earlier than experts recommend.
  • A study done by the scientists at Boston School of Public Health finds a link between childhood abuse and fibroids.
  • Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine say that improving levels of vitamin D in the blood via supplementation could help to fight disease by affecting gene expression and boosting the immune system.
  • Italian scientists say that people who suffer from migraines are more likely to have brain abnormalities at birth and some develop them over the course of time.

Diseases and Disasters:

  • According to the reports about two people have died due to infection of a new strain of Avian flu in China.
  • UNICEF warns that 2 million children in Central African Republic are without basic supplies.
  • United Nations has been forced to delay desperately-needed food-aid to nearly 300,000 people in Guinea Bissau as it has so far received no donations to support its operation.
  • According to the United Nations reports about 240,000 Pakistani children have missed their UN sponsored polio vaccinations due to the security concerns in the country’s tribal regions.
  • According to the reports, skin lightening is popular among the females in Senegal despite of health concerns over the product.
  • Reports show that the public health centers in Tanzania do not have enough medicine and hospital supplies.
  • Clusters of vancomycin resistant enterococci cases in Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC), in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong have been reported.
  •  Visitors urged to stay away from Beaumount Hospital Dublin due to flu outbreak, according to the reports.
  • The health officials of Australia have become alarmed after the report of first death from XDR-TB- drug resistant tuberculosis.
  • According to the reports, more than 7,000 people might have been exposed to HIV and or hepatitis in Oklahoma dentist’s office.

 

IH News Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies:

  • Burundi is introducing the second dose of measles vaccine in its vaccination campaign in order to strengthen its efforts to fight preventable diseases.
  • China has stated that it will assist Cameroon in its fight against malaria as well as to strengthen health policies.
  • Angola parliament approves main lines of 2013 budget bill. A third of it will be spent on education, health, social welfare and housing.
  • African government’s will implement a health scorecard to reduce child deaths. This monitoring system publicly collects and reports health data.
  • Ghana is planning to establish its Health Insurance Learning Center to provide expertise and training on health insurance to many countries and institutions across the world.
  • China plans emergency measures to control Beijing air pollution. The rules will formalize previous ad-hoc measures including shutting down factories, cutting back on burning coal and taking certain vehicle classes off the roads on days when pollution hits unacceptable levels.
  • Negotiations on the Minamata Convention on Mercury (in Switzerland) among the delegates of 140 United Nations member states state that mercury added products like batteries, switches, thermometers etc. may not be manufactured, imported or exported no later than 2020. Mercury-added dental amalgams are also to be phased out. But certain mercury-added products are to be exempted from ban- like products for military and civil protection, products used in religious practices and some vaccines (with thimerosal) etc.
  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new type of flu vaccine which is made with a process that does not require the virus to be grown in chicken eggs. This will make it available weeks earlier in the event of a pandemic.

Programs:

  • In order to prevent, strengthen, and mobilize the society on HIV/AIDS risks, a project “Proactive” was presented in Angola by the Population Services International (PSI). It will target prostitutes, lorry drivers and gays.
  • In collaboration with UNAIDS, Tango organized a two-day workshop on combating stigma and discrimination in HIV/AIDS for Civil Society Organizations.
  • To provide treatment to the needy heart patients mainly children and elderly, the Emirates Heart Group has launched humanitarian missions in Sudan, Egypt and Bosnia.
  • Guinea worm eradication program is coming to its completion. The reports show that the cases of the parasitic disease were reduced by nearly half in 2012.
  • For increasing awareness on road traffic safety the Riders for Health-the Gambia (RFH) and the British High Commission have established a Training-cum Resource Center in Gambia.

Research:

  • According to a study done by the researchers of UK, US and Germany, eating with seven servings a day is linked to peak mental well-being.
  • A study states that the HIV infection rate has declined among the pregnant females in the Republic of Congo from 3.4 percent in 2009 to 2.8 percent in 2012.
  • According to the World Health Organization, the cases of measles have fallen by 75 percent since 2000 but the rate of vaccination is still quite low to progress towards its complete eradication.
  • A study states that the HIV infection rate has declined among the pregnant females in the Republic of Congo from 3.4 percent in 2009 to 2.8 percent in 2012.
  • A report states that the Somali women living in Minnesota for 20 years or more have their cultural traditions about pregnancy and birth. They continue to resist cesarean sections, prenatal care and family planning.
  • A study published in PloS One states that South Africa pays a high cost to treat both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive tuberculosis. It states that drug resistant tuberculosis in South Africa consumed about 32% of the total estimated 2011 national TB budget of $218 million.
  • A simple radiographic scoring system has been suggested as it is found to reliably rule out active pulmonary tuberculosis in smear negative HIV – uninfected patients. It will potentially reduce the need for further testing in high burden settings.
  • A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that a 48-week course of antiretroviral medication taken in early stages of HIV infection slows the damage to immune system and delays the need for long term treatment.
  • According to a study bats are reservoirs for Ebola virus in Bangladesh.
  • Studies have shown that the cactus fruit could treat diabetes, help to lower cholesterol and have high levels of vitamin C.
  • A study published in Plos One states that majority of the high risk population in a setting in rural China have been diagnosed with a Cardiovascular Disease related disease. Majority of them did not take any cardiovascular disease drugs and very few of them took some drugs to prevent the diseases.
  • A study done in University of Gothenburg, Sweden, states that amputations among people with diabetes can be reduced by 50%. They stated that simple interventions like shoe inserts, podiatry, regular check-ups and other simple interventions can help to reduce it.
  • A new infection caused by ticks similar to Lyme disease has been found in 18 people in southern New England and upstate New York. According to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this sickness could be infecting more than 4,300 Americans a year with flu-like symptoms and relapsing fevers.
  • According to a study vitamin D3 supplements are as effective as influenza vaccine. The study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that those school children who took vitamin D3 supplements were 64 % less likely to contract seasonal influenza A viral infection.

Diseases and Disasters:

  • A recently introduced five-in-one vaccine against diphtheria, pneumonia, tetanus, hepatitis B and Hib meningitis have raised health concerns among the doctors in India.
  • The Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) of the Center for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health Hong Kong, has confirmed a case of New Delhi metallo-β – lacatamase-1 (NDM-1) Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a 26 year old female.
  • The Department of Health (Hong Kong) has released a warning on a oral product named ‘Chashoot’. They say that it may contain undeclared Western drug ingredients that are dangerous to health.