MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'international health'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:18:11 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828934&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fearly-treatment-with-antiretroviral-therapy-prevents-hiv-transmission.html A UNC-led research study showed the study, which spans nine countries, involved more than 1,700 couples, in which one partner was HIV-positive and the other was not. Each couple was randomly assigned to one of two study groups. In the first group, the partner with HIV began receiving antiretroviral drugs as soon as they enrolled in the study; in the second group, the infected partner started antiretroviral treatment once their CD4+ count — a key measure of immune system health — fell to between 200 and 250 cells/mm3.  However, data gathered so far clearly revealed the benefits of early treatment, prompting health officials to release the results now. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828934 Sat, 14 May 2011 14:44:07 +0100 4828934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433104&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbuilding-a-hospital-in-haiti%2F2011.02.03 Partners in Health is building a state-of-the-art teaching medical facility in Mirebalais in Haiti’s underserved Central Plateau. My niece Annie helped design the waste and water treatment systems of the project as part of her engineering internship with Northeastern University, and will be joining the Partners in Health group upon graduation. It’s so inspiring to see this wonderful project coming to fruition and to know that she’ll be part of it. You can be part of it, too, by donating, volunteering or, like Annie, working for Partners in Health. Partners in Health was founded by Dr. Paul Farmer and colleagues in 1987 to serve the poor in Haiti. Dr. Farmer’s story is the subject of Tracy Kidder’s new book “Mountains Beyond Mountains: One Doctor’s Quest to Hea... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433104 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:00:30 +0100 4433104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394447&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-worst-health-care-system-in-the-world-is%25e2%2580%25a6%2F2011.01.24 The worst healthcare system in the world is the United States, of course. Oh no, wait — it’s Canada. Actually, it could be Germany. Geez, now I think it might be the UK. You could go on and on like this, but you know what? No matter how good or bad your healthcare system is, there are certain universal truths. Here are four of them that might make you look at global healthcare a little differently: First, healthcare is getting more expensive, all over the world. A new study by the global consultant, Towers Watson (disclosure: Towers Watson is a Best Doctors client) found that the average medical cost trend around the world will be 10.5 percent in 2011. In the advanced economies costs will rise by an average of 9.3 percent. While Americans tend to think of rising medical costs a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394447 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:00:06 +0100 4394447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352712&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-mobile-phones-improve-health-in-developing-countries%2F2011.01.15 The potential of mobile phones to improve health is most acutely visible in developing countries. iMedicalApps covered the recent mHealth Summit, where there were many inspiring demonstrations of how voice and simple text messages can have a profound effect on the health of those countries’ citizens. Jhpiego has successfully worked on these problems for three decades and was recently awarded a $100m grant. James Bon Tempo has extensive experience in this field and we are thrilled that he is sharing his insights with the readers of iMedicalApps. This is a guest post from James BonTempo. ********** Mobile Health In Developing Countries I am a user and an implementer of technology, not an inventor or developer, so my constraints, challenges and requirements are different than those of many... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352712 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:00:40 +0100 4352712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343130&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fobesity-on-the-rise-in-developing-nations%2F2011.01.13 Emerging economies must act immediately to halt rising obesity rates before the epidemic becomes as severe as it is in first-world countries, according to new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD report was published in the Lancet. It characterizes the prevalence of obesity in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Obesity rates were found to vary dramatically across these six countries. In Mexico, a stunning 70 percent of adults were reported to be overweight or obese. Nearly half of all Brazilians, Russians and South Africans fell into these categories. China and India had a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity, but were moving rapidly in the wrong direction, according to the OECD. Developing nations don’t have eno... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343130 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:00:26 +0100 4343130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133710&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Femapping-the-worlds-health%2F2010.11.04 We’ve written before about HealthMap, a project spearheaded by folks from Harvard, Children’s Hospital-Boston, and a few other institutions. At TEDMED 2010 we had a chance to interview John Brownstein, co-founder of the project, about what HealthMap is up to these days: Flashbacks: The Latest on HealthMap, an Online Disease-Mining System HEALTHmap Global Disease Tracker *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133710 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:00:56 +0100 4133710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4121854&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhos-first-social-media-effort-making-hospitals-disaster-safe%2F2010.10.30 I got an email from Mari (M4ID_Mari on Twitter) on behalf of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergencies and Humanitarian Action team in South East Asia, based in New Delhi about WHO’s first social media-driven effort, aiming to engage 1 million people in the issue of making hospitals safe in disasters. From WHO:  “Floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones – the WHO South-East Asia Region is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. In 1996-2005, such events led to the deaths of more than half a million people in this region. This makes up 58% of the total number of people killed worldwide due to natural disasters. Hospitals are lifelines in the aftermath of a disaster, when large numbers of people are critically injured or vulnerable. It is particularly vital tha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4121854 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:00:06 +0100 4121854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086288&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fgrowth-in-us-life-expectancy-continues-to-fall-behind-that-of-other-countries.html This study provides stark evidence that the U.S. health care system has been failing Americans for years,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. “It is unacceptable that the U.S. obtains so much less than should be expected from its unusually high spending on health care relative to other countries.” Comment: hopefully, as the new Health Care Legislation develops, with an emphasis on enhanced primary care and preventive interventions we will finally have a coordinated health care system that produces as good population outcomes in those found in most other developed countries.  We need place more emphasis on population outcomes than on individual specialty technology. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086288 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:37:53 +0100 4086288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036672&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Feffectiveness-of-condoms-in-thailand-on-ted.html Well worth watching. Why can’t we be as effective in the USA http://www.ted.com/talks/mechai_viravaidya_how_mr_condom_made_thailand_a_better_place.html   (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036672 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:57:33 +0100 4036672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957913&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcervical-cancer-screening-the-jade-goody-effect%2F2010.09.10 The Telegraph reports that the number of screening pap smears performed in the UK has declined after an 8 percent blip upwards in 2009 when publicity surrounding the death of Jade Goody from cervical cancer may have led more women to have this important screening test: NHS laboratories processed 415,497 tests in 2009-2010, about 35,000 fewer than the previous year when 450,522. Miss Goody’s death in March last year prompted a 20 percent increase in the number of Scottish women taking tests. More than 122,000 were processed between April and June last year, the statistics revealed. The irony of course, is that British reality TV star Jade Goody did have pap smears, but chose to ignore her doctor’s recommendations for treatment when her pap smears came back abnormal. Nonetheless, the d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957913 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3957913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899395&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-globes-health-champions%2F2010.08.24 Newsweek published an interesting and interactive infographic showing the rankings of countries based on different parameters such as quality of life, education, and health. Regarding the healthcare system, guess which country is in the first place? Here’s the top 10: 1. Japan 2. Switzerland 3. Sweden 4. Spain 5. Italy 6. Australia 7. Singapore 8. Norway 9. New Zealand 10. The Netherlands *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899395 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:00:19 +0100 3899395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895887&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fparalysis-as-criminal-punishment%2F2010.08.23 CAIRO — A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals in the country whether they could damage a man’s spinal cord as punishment after he was convicted of attacking another man with a cleaver and paralyzing him, the brother of the victim said Thursday. Every time I think my country is screwed up, I read this sort of thing and feel better about it. And kudos to the hospital that (apparently) just said, “No.” SOURCE: “Saudi judge considers paralysis punishment” – World News – Mideast/N. Africa – MSNBC.com *This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895887 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:33:17 +0100 3895887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695593&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fperformance-of-the-us-health-care-system-compared-2010-update.html This report—an update to three earlier editions—includes data from seven countries and incorporates patients' and physicians' survey results on care experiences and ratings on dimensions of care. Compared with six other nations—Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom—the U.S. health care system ranks last or next-to-last on five dimensions of a high performance health system: quality, access, efficiency, equity, and healthy lives. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695593 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:34:14 +0100 3695593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690809&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F184691%2F U.S. in Last Place for Healthcare: Even though Americans spend twice as much on healthcare as people in other developed countries, the care they get is lower quality and less efficient than in other developed nations. (via Reuters) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690809 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:56:37 +0100 3690809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269700&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F02%2Fsingle-dose-of-drug-cures-visceral-leishmaniasis.html From the Kaiser Foundation today we learn that a study has shown that a single infusion of Gilead Sciences' drug AmBisome, known generically as iposomal amphotericin B, cured nearly all patients with visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, a parasitic infection, Reuters reports. Spread by the sand fly and affecting 500,000 people a year, visceral leishmaniasis is found in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, but is concentrated in India, according to the news service.  Comment: We tend to forget that there are many vector borne diseases outside trh US that need treating and preventing.. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269700 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:59:07 +0100 3269700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063334&cid=t_107511_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fbellagio-follow-up-in-health-affairs.html There's been a lot of work done in the field of global e-health since the Rockefeller Foundation's series of conferences in Bellagio, Italy, in June and July 2008. I had the distinct honor of attending for the third of four weeks, which focused on electronic health records and on mobile healthcare, two subjects that even more up my alley now then they were a year and a half ago.I've had intermittent contact with some of the participants in those conferences since then, most recently at the AMIA annual symposium last month, and I've tried to report on progress from those meetings toward applying information technology to addressing health issues in developing countries. A wider audience will get a chance to read more about some of the projects in an upcoming issue of Health Affairs.From wha... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063334 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0100 3063334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981099&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F11%2Fho-finds-hivaids-leading-cause-of-death-among-women-worldwide.html The World Health Organization has discovered that the "AIDS virus is the leading cause of death and disease among women between the ages of 15 and 44." Indeed, "women enjoy a biological advantage because they tend to live six to eight years longer than men," WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan pointed out. "But in many parts of the world they suffer serious disadvantages because of poverty [and] poorer access to healthcare:. The 91-page report by the organization "lays out the hurdles women face in getting the healthcare they need at various stages of life."  The report said that "accidental injuries take a toll on girls and younger women," while "chronic diseases account for almost half of the deaths among older women." Dr. Chan noted, however, that the "obstacles that stand in the way of be... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981099 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:43:19 +0100 2981099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934698&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F10%2Fus-patients-five-times-more-likely-to-spend-last-days-in-icu-than-patients-in-england.html Patients who die in the hospital in the United States are almost five times as likely to have spent part of their last hospital stay in the ICU than patients in England. What's more, over the age of 85, ICU usage among terminal patients is eight times higher in the US than in England, according to new research that compared the two countries' use of intensive care services during final hospitalizations. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934698 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:42:52 +0100 2934698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809658&cid=t_107511_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fsenator-edward-kennedy-the-lactivist%2F As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health Subcommittee, Senator Edward Kennedy played a crucial role in the 1978 Senate hearing on the marketing of f*ormula in developing countries. In his opening speech, Senator Kennedy asked: Whose responsibility is it to control the advertising, marketing and promotional activities which may create a market in spite of public health considerations? In the hearing itself, Senator Kennedy put a Nestlé executive through a very pointed line of questioning on the company’s social responsibility in countries where poverty and the lack of a sanitary water supply make f*ormula-feeding particularly dangerous. Watch this fascinating clip: Patti Rundall, Policy Director for Baby Milk Action and Co-coordinator of the WABA Advocacy Task Force, highlighted Kenned... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809658 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:13:35 +0100 2809658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630147&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F07%2Fadolescent-womens-contraceptive-use-is-less-consistent-than-that-of-adult-women-with-a-much-higher-f.html A new study of women’s contraceptive use around the world finds that sexually active 15-19-year-olds are more likely than their 20-49-year-old counterparts to use contraceptives inconsistently and, on average, experience a 25% higher rate of contraceptive failure. The study’s authors, Ann K. Blanc of EngenderHealth et al., believe that compared with adult women, adolescent women face more obstacles to consistent contraceptive use—including feeling embarrassed about seeking out contraceptives, not being able to afford them and not knowing how to use them correctly—and may be more likely to abandon a method and try another if they experience side effects, which often leads to gaps in contraceptive use. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630147 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:10:40 +0100 2630147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2606198&cid=t_107511_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FYau8vNYZSbc%2Fhightlights-of-international-conference.html This week, more than 3,000 leading scientists convened to report and discuss the latest advances in research on treatments, risk factors, diagnosis and causes for the health epidemic of the 21st century – Alzheimer's disease – at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna, Austria.“The cost of caring for people who have Alzheimer's, and those who will get it, will bankrupt the healthcare system and devastate Medicare and Medicaid,” said William Thies, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at the Alzheimer's Association. “Fortunately, the field is progressing and we may soon see changes in the landscape of Alzheimer's diagnosis, care, treatment, and prevention. How fast we get there depends completely on investment in... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2606198 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:07:06 +0100 2606198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389809&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F05%2Fdna_barcoding_of_mosquito_spec.html Researchers are pioneering the use of DNA "barcodes" to map menacing mosquito species in West Africa that spread lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis. The ability to precisely identify mosquito species is a promising advance in the battle against LF, an often disfiguring disease that today threatens 1 billion people across roughly 80 countries.[ JRS Biodiversity Foundation (2009, May 4). DNA Barcoding Of Mosquito Species Deployed In Bid To End Elephantiasis. ScienceDaily.] (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389809 Tue, 05 May 2009 17:18:23 +0100 2389809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104368&cid=t_107511_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fanother-view-on-reformfrom-oz.html I just read another report on healthcare reform. It pointed out some things you probably already know:Healthcare represents a huge and rapidly expanding portion of the economy, and spending continues to outpace inflation. Healthcare is not as safe as it can and should be. Many of the adverse events that result in injury or death are the result of systemic failure rather than human error. Either way, many are entirely preventable.Information technology likely will be a major force for healthcare transformation and improvement.IT can help empower consumers to make better choices about their own care.The report makes a key point by quoting former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, who said in 2004: "The most remarkable feature of about 21st-century medicine is that we hold it together with 19th-ce... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104368 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:34:00 +0100 2104368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065005&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2008%2F12%2Fus_health_care_system_earns_po.html A report published on line in the Journal. "Health Affairs" compares the US and 7 other developed countries, focusing on chronic diseases the article noted that outcome in the US was worse than in any of the other countries studied. Karen Davis, PhD, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said the data were collected before the US economy went into a tailspin last fall. "In a downturn, more people will be unemployed and more will lose their medical insurance," she said. "With the election of the new president and Congress, we have a window of opportunity to change directions and move on a path to a high-performance health system." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065005 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:15:58 +0100 2065005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1194663&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2008%2F02%2Fantimalaria_efforts_yield_new.html The findings from Rwanda and Ethiopia are the first to show a greater than 50 percent reduction in malaria mortality nationwide in "high burden" countries. Malaria is responsible for 2 percent of all deaths worldwide and 9 percent of deaths in Africa. Each year, about 1.1 million deaths -- almost all in children -- are directly attributable to the disease, and at least a million more occur from complications such as severe anemia. In Africa, where most cases occur, malaria costs $12 billion a year in medical expenses and lost productivity. Two key items in the current "tool kit" are bed nets treated with insecticide that lasts as much as five years, and treatment with at least two drugs, one of them artemisinin, a compound derived from a Chinese herbal medicine. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Pub... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194663 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:34:44 +0100 1194663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064854&cid=t_107511_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1557 Can anyone help Hank help a Swedish woman get health insurance in Florida? (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064854 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:51:19 +0100 1064854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=946861&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F10%2Ftime_for_new_ideas_and_fresh_f.html Editorials in several journals today: Global health is too important to be left to global health experts. That is why a new initiative announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Cape Town on Oct 9 is welcome. The initiative, a 5-year US$100 million grant programme called Grand Challenges Explorations, will provide hundreds of small start-up grants to researchers who come forward with promising new ideas to tackle key problems in global health. The initiative is modelled on the investment strategies favoured by venture capitalists. Initial grants will be about $100 000 but more funds will become available if projects show progress. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=946861 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:56:12 +0100 946861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867173&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F09%2Feffective_action_could_elimina.html The renewed worldwide commitment to the reduction of maternal and child mortality, if translated into effective action, could help to provide the systemic changes needed for longterm elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus. These are the conclusions of authors of a Seminar published early Online and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet. Dr Jos Vandelaer, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland, and colleagues, say: "Although easily prevented by maternal immunisation with tetanus toxoid vaccine, and aseptic obstetric and postnatal umbilical-cord care practices, maternal and neonatal tetanus persist as public-health problems in 48 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867173 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:17:37 +0100 867173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=803389&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F08%2Fwho_releases_new_guidance_on_i.html The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued new global guidance for the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect people from malaria. For the first time, WHO recommends that insecticidal nets be long-lasting, and distributed either free or highly subsidized and used by all community members. The long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are designed to be effective without re-treatment for the life of the net. At around US$ 5 per net, LLINs are a simple and cost-effective intervention against malaria. “This data from Kenya ends the debate about how to deliver long-lasting insecticidal (or just mosquito nets) nets,” said Arata Kochi, head of the WHO’s Global Malaria Programme. Malaria, which is preventable and treatable, still kills more than one million people each year,... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=803389 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:48:33 +0100 803389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=689855&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Fbreakthrough_for_global_public.html Another genetic breakthrough is detailed in the journal Science, this week, The complete geneome of of Ae. aegypti. With this information a step forward in prevention of malaria, a medical goal for well over 50 years, may take a step forward. [Science 22 June 2007: Vol. 316. no. 5832, pp. 1703 - 1704] (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=689855 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:12:22 +0100 689855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=672347&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Fimpact_of_environmental_factor.html From the WHO today new data show that 13 million deaths worldwide could be prevented every year by making environments healthier. In some countries, more than one third of the disease burden could be prevented through environmental improvements. In 23 countries worldwide, more than 10% of deaths are due to just two environmental risk factors: unsafe water, including poor sanitation and hygiene; and indoor air pollution due to solid fuel use for cooking. Around the world, children under five are the main victims and make up 74% of deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and lower respiratory infections. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=672347 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:25:41 +0100 672347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=672348&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Fus_low_in_primary_care_physici.html While policy makers talk about lack of primary care in the U.S. an international comparison showed patient-physician time in the US is about half the average of New Zealand and one-third of Australia. Such a severe shortfall impacts preventive care and management of chronic conditions in the US and could explain why the US does not achieve health outcomes that correspond to its higher level of investment in health care,” said study lead author Andrew Bindman, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco. Published on-line in the BMJ this week. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=672348 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:15:14 +0100 672348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=672350&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Fwe_can_learn_from_history_some.html From Brown University the first study in the developing world of directly observed antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected children shows this form of treatment is an inexpensive, effective way to ensure that children take life-saving medications. Researchers at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, together with Maryknoll, the international Catholic charity, conducted the study. Results are published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health. A good example of transferring lessons learned in the U.S. to the international arena (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=672350 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:19:22 +0100 672350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=672355&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Fimproved_meningitis_vaccine_fo.html MVP, a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Seattle-based nonprofit, PATH, is collaborating with a vaccine producer, Serum Institute of India Limited (SIIL), to produce the new vaccine against serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus). The preliminary results of their study, a Phase 2 vaccine trial, reveal that the vaccine could eventually slash the incidence of epidemics in the “meningitis belt,” as 21 affected nations of sub-Saharan Africa are collectively known. The vaccine is expected to block infection by the serogroup A meningococcus, and therefore extend protection to the entire population, including the unvaccinated, a phenomenon know as “herd immunity.” (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=672355 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:33:43 +0100 672355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=672358&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Finstitute_for_global_health_ev.html Another major initiative of the Gates Foundation The Health Metrics and Evaluation Institute will be sited at the University of Washington in Seattle with a US$105 million core grant from the Gates Foundation over 10 years. The new institute fills a critical gap. The enormous political and financial attention now being paid to global health has not been matched by improved sources of information on the performance of health systems and new health programmes. This shortfall in knowledge is hampering efforts to create a favourable environment for investments in health. Worst of all, the evidence gap is harming work to improve the health of the most vulnerable populations in the world. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=672358 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:33:07 +0100 672358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=649295&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F06%2Fg8s_promises_to_africa.html When meeting 2 years ago in Gleneagles, Scotland, the G8 leaders predicted that if their plan for Africa were implemented it would make it possible to deliver free basic health care and primary education for all and to provide near-universal access to treatment to people with HIV/AIDS by 2010 and to double the size of Africa's economy and trade by 2015. An editorial in the Lancet this week [Volume 369, Issue 9576, 2 June 2007-8 June 2007, Page 1833] states that Oxfam has calculated that over the past 2 years, 21 million children have died as a result of poverty, the equivalent of every child under 5 years in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK combined. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=649295 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:06:03 +0100 649295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644352&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F05%2Fstop_tb_partnership_delivers_t.html The WHO's 'Stop TB Partnership' announced today that its drug supply arm, the Global Drug Facility, has provided anti-TB drug treatments for 10 million people to 78 countries in the past six years. "This is an important milestone, because getting anti-TB drugs to people who need them and making sure they complete their treatment is the only way to break the back of the epidemic. It is also the best weapon we have for preventing a potentially massive new epidemic of drug-resistant TB", said Dr Marcos Espinal, Executive Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership. "Together with countries and partners we are moving steadily towards our target of treating 50 million TB patients between 2006 and 2015." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644352 Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:47 +0100 644352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644353&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F05%2Fonly_100_smokefree_environment.html On World Tobacco Day the WHO emphasizes the need for countries to make all indoor public places and workplaces 100% smoke-free with the release of its new policy recommendations on protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. "The evidence is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke," said the WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. "Many countries have already taken action. I urge all countries that have not yet done so to take this immediate and important step to protect the health of all by passing laws requiring all indoor workplaces and public places to be 100% smoke-free." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644353 Wed, 30 May 2007 15:35:09 +0100 644353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644354&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F05%2Fxdrtb_in_the_us.html Unsurprisingly XDR-TB has finally made its way into the US by means of an air flight. The infected individual had travelled through Europe recently. The main issue is that he spent a number of hours in an evironment where the cabin air was recirculated. The CDC and other health authorities are tracking down potential contacts for follow-up. While indivdual risk may be low, a lot depends on the state of health of other passengers in the plane. We have seen TB spread on ships where crew were exposed to recirculated air, although often for days or weeks, not just a few hours. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644354 Wed, 30 May 2007 15:19:40 +0100 644354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610484&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F05%2Focular_syhpilis.html When I was at medical school more than 50 years ago I was told to expect the end of syphilis with the advent of Penicillin. Now from New South Wales in Australia we learn of a doubling of Syphilis between 2002 and 2005. Ocular syphliis which used to be rare is becoming more commonplace, particularly in the Gay Community, where prevention of STDS occurs rarely, Reported at http://www.promedmail.org (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610484 Wed, 16 May 2007 00:34:28 +0100 610484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610485&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F05%2Fcomparative_performance_of_ame.html This report, which includes information from primary care physicians about their medical practices and views of their countries' health systems (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610485 Tue, 15 May 2007 17:59:49 +0100 610485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=504249&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F03%2Ffailure_to_recognize_coexisten.html An Ediorial in the Lancet This week [V.369, Issue 9566, 24 March, Page 965] states that comorbidity with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS affects around 11 million people and killed nearly 200 000 in 2005. Yet, less than 0·5% of HIV-positive people were screened for tuberculosis that year. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=504249 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:01:39 +0100 504249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=504260&cid=t_107511_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2007%2F03%2Freturn_of_the_population_growt.html In "Science" today is an article on potential population overgrowth in Niger [Science 315, 1501 (2007); Martha Campbell, et al.] which should cause all of us in public health to think about the unintended consequences of interfering in disease without looking at the population effects of such interference. If we wipe out a disease so that the resulting population overgrowth results in deaths from famine, did we do well? (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=504260 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:56:55 +0100 504260