Tag: smoking

WHO Video: Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (World No Tobacco Day 2013)

by ihsection, posted in Information and Social Media

Here is another short anti-tobacco video (PSA?) from the WHO marking World No Tobacco Day this year. Like last year’s video, it portrays Big Tobacco as the sinister bad guy who controls us all without us knowing it. I know these videos are meant to appeal to a wide audience, and send a strong and simple message, but I wish that the anti-tobacco videos would feature more actual information and statistics, rather than just showing us that Big Tobacco is some big, bad puppeteer.


Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.

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:

  • 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.

IH News Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies:

  • The European Union has provided more than Euros 250 million for the multi-annual cooperation program in Angola. This project focuses on rural development of the country by providing / improving various facilities including health, education, water and sanitation etc.
  • The government of United States has signed an agreement to fund $31,075,000 to Benin to help the country in the areas of health and gender equality.
  • Smoking faces ban in Mental hospitals in U.S.
  • Genetic changes to food may get uniform labeling in the United States.

Programs:

  • The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has committed US$12.6 million to the government of Liberia for its fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS.
  • A five-year partnership program has been signed between the Government of Liberia and Chevron-Liberia limited in collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas (US) to provide pediatric health services to the children of Liberia.
  • SOS Childrens Villages and Johnson & Johnson has announced nursing and mid-wifery scholarship program to provide family-based care for the orphaned and abandoned children in Ethiopia.
  • The University of The Gambia (UTG) has launched a Global Environmental and Occupational center (GO Health) in Collaboration College of Public Health, University of Iowa, US in Faraba Banta, Kombo East. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is funding the projects. The center will conduct research and training to improve health of the people in the West- African sub-region and beyond.
  • The United Nations Mission in Liberia Ghana Battalion 16 has donated items worth $1000 to 37 military hospitals to improve health care delivery.
  • The GAVI Alliance has announced a campaign to offer vaccination against cancer caused by human papilloma virus in girls in eight developing nations of the world.
  • Project Concern International has launched a program with MedAwareness which will focus on reducing HIV among Malawi soldiers and their partners through sustained behavior change.
  • The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have launched an appeal for Mozambique flood victims.
  • Reach Out To Asia (Rota) is launching its educational and community initiatives in Tunisia with the aim of promoting healthy lifestyles among the families.
  • The Ministry of Health of Uganda has launched a four year nationwide initiative to provide affordable screening and treatment of cervical cancer for Ugandan women.
  • The US Agency for International Development (USAID) with Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) has launched “Health for Life” to strengthen the Government of Nepal’s capacity to plan, manage and deliver high quality and equitable family planning, maternal, newborn and child health services.

Research:

  • Findings of a study titled Global Mercury Hotspots indicate that Cameroon’s fishes have extremely high concentrations of mercury.
  • A study shows that the rise of treatment-resistant strains of tuberculosis in the third world countries might be due to the increase in sale of fake or substandard drugs of tuberculosis in those parts of the world.
  • A study drug shows positive results for the treatment of recurrent low grade carcinoma of ovaries.
  • According to the fourth annual edition of IHME financing series on the theme:Financing Global Health 2012: The End of the Golden Age” the Global Health funding is coming to an end.
  • According to the results of a recent study revaccinating persons with HIV-1 infection who do not respond to the HBV vaccine schedule may help the people.
  • Researchers have found new ways of interventions for the people suffering from HIV who inject drugs. They will target these groups with needle and syringe programs, medically assisted therapy and HIV counseling and testing.
  • A study states that people who drink black tea are less likely to develop type2 diabetes. The study also showed that high tea consumption was related to lower levels of obesity.
  • According to IRIN, Uganda’s childhood immunization program is facing challenges due to inadequate funding, shortage of staff and poor adherence to vaccination schedules.
  • A study done by a group of American researchers have shown a possibility of the virus causing whooping cough develop resistance to the vaccines.
  • According to a study there is link between smoking marijuana and higher risk of stroke among the young adults.
  • Data released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that one of every three adults with mental illness smokes, compared with one in five adults without mental illness.
  • Reports from a study done by Harvard School of Public health show that men who view more than 20 hours of TV have a 44% lower sperm count as compared to those who watch almost no television.
  • According to APA’s annual report, Americans aged between 18- 34 years have a higher level of stress as compared to the parents and grandparents generation.

Diseases & Disasters:

  • A strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked southwestern Columbia on Saturday February 9th.
  • Britain is facing one of its biggest out breaks of measles. Reports indicate that the victims of this outbreak are either teenagers who are not vaccinated or who did not get full course.
  • Reports indicate death of more than 94 people in India due to Swine Flu since January this year. Most of the cases have been reported from the state of Rajasthan.
  • Housing crisis and human waste issues threatens health in Zimbabwe. Thousands of cases of waterborne disease, typhoid have been reported since last few months.
  • About 88 people have been reported dead because of the deadly hepatitis E outbreak in South Sudan.
  • Health experts in Bangladesh have reported fresh outbreaks of Nipah virus. About ten people have died since last week.

IH News Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

by Vaani, posted in News

Politics and Policies

  • The Obama administration on Tuesday defined the “essential health benefits” that must be offered to most Americans and by allowing employers to offer bigger financial rewards to employees who quit smoking or adopt healthy behaviors.

Programs

  • In the 62nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa session in Luanda, Angola, the World Health Organization (WHO) has presented its updated health promotion strategy for Africa.
  • The first unrefrigerated vaccine, MenAfriVac vaccine against meningitis has been approved in Africa.
  • According to the International Status Report released in the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC), health warnings in cigarette packets in India only cover 40% of the front face of the packet.

Research

  • According to the researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services the Obama health care reform could provide more than a million women in the U.S. with access to potentially lifesaving tests for breast and cervical cancer.
  • Scientists are working on small pox vaccine to treat the deadly liver cancer.
  • According to the reports released by the United Nations (UN), deaths from HIV/ AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa have dropped down by 32% in the last seven years.
  • A study reveals that malnourished, stunted growth children are growing into obese adults in Africa.
  • According to a study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, increase in suicide in the United States between 2000 and 2010 is attributable to increase in hanging/ suffocation that too has increased among the people aged between 45- 59 years.
  • A study links between unemployment and heart attack risk.
  • A study indicates link between a child having a happy teenage and his/ her chances of having a wealthier adulthood.
  • According to a study published in the journal Nature, compounds inhibiting protein synthesis or by utilizing the gene therapy targeting neuroligins in rats, scientists at the McGill University and the University of Montreal have created new hope for treatment / understanding of autism spectrum disorders.
  • According to a study published in the journal Radiology concussions may cause brain disruption.
  • Researchers in Australia are very close to treating a hereditary disease, dilated cardiomyopathy.
  • Experts say that the lifestyle of people of Mexico has led to having a diabetes disaster in that country.
  • According to the researchers malaria vaccine is only 30% effective in infants in preventing them getting this deadly disease.
  • According to the researcher’s key to feeling younger is to keep smart phones, watching reality television shows and beating younger relatives at games.
  • Scientists in Canada have linked “Happy gene” to “Fat gene”.
  • According to a study, up to 20% under the 65s liver disease death has risen in England due to high levels of drinking and obesity.
  • Scientists have found a link between the drug used to treat Psoriasis inflammation and reduction in dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.
  • According to the scientists at London, smoking rots the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning.
  • A study reveals that one in every ten children in California, U.S. is uninsured. This is higher than the national average.
  • A group of Indian and U.S. scientists in their study have predicted hidden epidemic of neurological disability for people of India.

Diseases and Disasters

  • According to the Germany’s national health institute, a patient from Qatar has been confirmed being infected with a new type of coronavirus. He has severe respiratory problems.
  • Dengue cases on rise in India.
  • Second death has been reported due to Corona virus.
  • Large amount of spores of Lichen forming Trechelomonas algae responsible for the red rain in some parts of Sri Lanka.
  • About 1000 students of a school in Sri Lanka have been hospitalized following some allergic reaction.