Tag: Lupus

IH News Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies:

  • Egypt will carry out vaccination campaign in parts of Cairo after polio virus was found in sewer.
  • The United Kingdom’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has rejected calls to ban the herbal stimulant, khat.
  • Minister of Finance of Kyrgystan has announced a Russian grant of $25 million to be directed to health and education in Kyrgyzstan.

Programs:

  • To support veteran’s mental health in Kent and Medway, National Health Service (NHS) invests £150,000.
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is in a process of stopping its researches involving the chimpanzees.
  • UNESCO has released a booklet that promotes improved links between gender, HIV and education.
  • The First lady opened Sh6 Billion health center– the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in Lukaya, Uganda.
  • Two projects in the health and education fields have been funded by British Gas Tunisia. It will provide health services to 20 thousand locals.
  • A HIV gender assessment tool has been designed by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to assess the cause of women vulnerability to contracting HIV.
  • About N$67,720 donation has been received by the Cancer Association of Nambia (CAN) from Quality Tyres Nambia. This money will be used for the prostate cancer treatment of the people.
  • The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) has called on the international community to contribute nearly $1.4 billion to address to the urgent needs of the children in 45 countries including a need to strengthen the capacity of partners in the field of health and nutrition.
  • The UNICEF, EU and Uzbekistan are together implementing a project to protect health of mother and child.
  • The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Batey Relief Alliance have together launched a food assistance program for people living in extreme poverty in the Dominican Republic.

Research:

  • New researches on bird flu is about to begin.
  • According to a study published in the British Health Journal, women’s views on over diagnosis in breast cancer screening vary. The highest estimates made some women (50%) perceive need for more careful personal decision making about screening. While lower and intermediate estimates had limited impact on attitudes and intentions related to screening.
  • According to a study published in PLoS ONE, scientists in Benin have developed a new technique to detect malaria parasites in mosquito vectors. It could help to estimate malaria transmission intensity in different settings.
  • According to a study published in the Lancet folic acid supplements are unlikely to substantially increase or decrease overall cancer risk.
  • The monitoring data by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) published by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) suggest that number of people facing food insecurity will reduce.
  • According to a meta-analysis published in British Medical Journal, there is no link between consumption of eggs and increased risk of heart disease or stroke.
  • A recently published international study states that the children were most hit by 2009 bird flu. About 47% of those aged between five to 19 developed symptoms as compared to only 11% of people aged 65 or older.
  • A study published in New England Journal of Medicine states that female smokers were 25.7 times more likely to die from lung cancer than those who never smoked.
  • According to a study published in the journal Nutrition Research , a natural extract from the roots of Japanese mushrooms can boost the effectiveness of the flu shot.
  • Micro blogging site Twitter has been used by the researchers and computer scientists of the John Hopkins University to track the cases of influenza across the United States. This system was tested by the researchers at the Baltimore University by comparing these results with the data obtained from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  • After five years of studying the workings of the mutant form of the p53 gene, scientists from the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS) have discovered the workings of this gene that has been hindering treatment response in cancer patients.
  • According to a study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases people who take immunosuppressive drugs to treat lupus do not necessary increase their cancer risk.
  • A study published in Nutrition Journal, a mixture of B vitamins, fish oils and plant sterols show a promise in boosting heart health by improving the lipid profile of young people with high cholesterol.

Diseases & Disasters:

  • A wave of spiritual human killings has been reported in Camroon.
  • Chinese mine pumps chrome (poisonous chemical) into Ngezi river in Zimbabwe.
  • The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a recalled ready-to-eat port product by Houston’s Stallings Head Cheese Co. Inc.
  • Global Virus Network has released a statement on 2012-2013 U.S. Flu epidemic.
  • The World Health Organization said in a joint statement with the Cambodian health ministry that two Cambodians have died from bird flu contracted while preparing infected chicken.
  • According to U.S. health officials a new strain of stomach virus outbreaks has occurred in this flu season.
  • The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Brussels has reported an increasing trend of influenza transmission.
  • The Medical Products Agency of Sweden (MPA) opened an inquiry into vaccinations for H1N1 (Pandemrix) made by GlaxoSmithKline, suspected for provoking narcolepsy.
  • The Michigan departments of Community Health and Agriculture and Rural Development are investigating the causes of Salmonella outbreak.
  • Health authorities in the Brazilian city of Campo Grande are fighting a dengue fever epidemic.
  • French authorities fear drug-resistant tuberculosis from Eastern Europe.

Global Health Weekly News Round-up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies:

  • U.S. Court rules controversial stem cell research as legal.
  • U.S. Court ruled that cigarette companies do not need to show graphic warning images.
  • The Food and Drug Administration U.S. (FDA) Department of Health is enforcing stricter inspection of food imported from Japan since March 14 last year in response to the radiation leak incident at Fukushima nuclear power plant.
  • UK government wants hospitals to expand overseas.
  • UK government will spend £2m to tackle cholera epidemic in Sierra Leone.

Programs:

  • Nigeria receives U.S. $225million from Global Fund to prevent and treat malaria.
  • Bill Gates has launched a search of a new toilet suited for developing countries- to avoid deaths and diseases due to poor living conditions.
  • Vietnam puts locally-made medical waste incinerator into operation. It has a capacity of 30-50 kilos of medical waste per hour.
  • Planned Parenthood launches new initiative in U.S. to fight breast cancer. It will use $3 million donations for its breast health initiative- screenings and education.

 Research:

  • Researchers at National Institutes of Health have identified rare immune disease in Asian people like HIV. This disease has been named as adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome.
  • Scientists have created a drug using eggs of a pig parasite to treat chronic debilitating conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
  • Researchers from the Stanford University have collaborated to synthesize and study grid-like array of short pieces of a disease-associated protein on silicon chips to identify patients with a particularly severe form of autoimmune disease lupus.
  • According to a study blood type of a person can determine his/ chances of getting a disease.
  • Scientists say that the children born to older men are at a greater risk of genetic disorders.
  • According to a study thiabendazole a common antifungal drug decreases tumor growth and also a potential medicine in cancer therapy.
  • In a new study scientists said that a three year old can easily find whether you are whining or upset.
  • In a recent research scientists did some laboratory tests which showed that within five hours of application of extracts from a plant known as virgin’s mantle (medicinal tea) growth of cancer cells was arrested and they died within 24 hours.
  • According to some scientists chemicals in lipsticks, toothpastes and face washes might cause heart and muscle problems.
  • Researchers at University of Pennsylvania are using nanofibers to develop biomaterials.
  • Scientists have learned to harness power from bacteria eating virus.
  • According to a research aging heart cells can be rejuvenated by modified stem cell therapy.
  • According to a team of Israeli scientists smoking can prevent progress of degenerative disease (- Parkinson’s).
  • A national study done in Australia is attempting new ways for the treatment of melanoma. It will map all common gene mutations.
  • Researchers in Melbourne find key to rare diseases which cause birth defects like DiGeorge syndrome.
  • According to the scientists ovarian cancer patients should improve their lifestyle to improve their survival rates and quality of life.
  • Researchers have found that stones in gall bladder in teens are due their overweight problem.
  • In a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), the villagers of Amazon have antibodies to rabies which suggests that disease may not be 100% fatal.

Diseases & Disasters:

  •  Cholera epidemic spreads through coastal slums of West Africa. Contagious disease has killed hundreds of people.
  • Refinery explosion in Venezuela on Saturday killed 24 people and injured many.
  • Tropical Storm Isaac hits Haiti, killing 3 people. South Florida on alert.
  • Ebola outbreak in Congo related to contact with infected individuals and consumption of bushmeat.
  • Record spike in West Nile virus cases in U.S.
  • Rs. 1 billion uncertified medicine scam unearthed in Sindh. These uncertified medicines were not certified by the central or potential drug laboratories they were potential danger to lives of people.
  • Uncollected garbage on the streets of Metro Manila has concerned agencies as a potential source of outbreak of diseases.
  • Swine flu cases have been confirmed in Lucknow, India.
  • Floods in India and Pakistan have killed dozens of people.
  • Japan nuclear plant leakage caused mutation in butterflies though no such reports for humans.