Global fight against malaria could be helped by virus that infects mosquitoes!

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found a new virus that infects the world’s most dangerous mosquito. In theory, this means it can be modified to kill the mosquito or prevent it from transmitting malaria . However, the authors cautioned, that could take 5 to 15 years of work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/health/research/26glob.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Water and sanitation crisis still a global health issue

Michele Barry, MD and James M. Hughes, MD underlined in a recent article that " Global health issue have captured the attention of gouvernements, global funds, and foundations ...on diseases such as malaria, TB, and AIDS which kill a fraction of the number of people who die from water-related diseases." .

These two authors called for an urgent focus on dirty water and sanitation in a world where 1,1 billion people still lack access to clean water and 2,6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation.

Link to the article publish in New England Journal of Medicine : http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/8/784

US presidential candidates on Global health

In the run-up to the US presidential election, health care continues to dominate the debate. The Lancet reviewed Obama and McCain'pledges in the area of global-health issues.

Doc: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/0140-6736/PIIS0140673608612167.pdf

Global High food prices put pressure on HIV programmes

Steadily increasing prices could lead to a lack of affordable and nourishing food, endangering the lives of people living with HIV in the developing world.

"As prices continue to rise, people will start to buy cheaper, less nutritious food and may begin to skip meals – in Lesotho we are already seeing people skipping meals because they can't afford food," said Alan Whiteside, an economist with South Africa's University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Link: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79749

Criticism against massive health program in Africa

Criticism is increasing against the many giant programmes to particularly tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, which are said to deplete other African health programmes that may have a much greater effect on public health.

Link: http://www.afrol.com/articles/29927

Progress Slow in Global Fight against Tuberculosis

A new publication by the United Nations health agency finds that the pace of global efforts to control the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic slowed slightly in 2006, as did progress in diagnosing people with the airborne infectious disease that is both preventable and curable.
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Link: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26000&Cr=tuberculosis&Cr1

Maternal Mortality: Little Progress in Africa

Over half a million women die in childbirth annually around the world, according to the World Health Organisation. Nigeria alone accounts for 10 percent of these deaths.
According to the most recent estimates from the World Health Organisation, published in 2007, Nigeria's maternal mortality rate is the second highest in the world, after India: 1,100 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The country is home to two percent of the global population, but 10 percent of all maternal deaths take place here.
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Link : http://allafrica.com/stories/200807310015.html

XVII INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE, MEXICO

The XVII International AIDS Conference will be held in Mexico from August 3 to 8, 2008.

Press release and news concerning this crucial global meeting here: http://www.aids2008.org/start.aspx