Polio News and Research

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Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

sanofi pasteur congratulates Canadian Public Health Association for 100 years of leadership and service

As a longstanding partner in Canada's public health system, sanofi pasteur congratulates the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) for their 100 years of leadership and service to our country's public health.

11 Jun 2010

2010 Independence Expo to promote active living and independence for aged and disabled Americans

United Spinal Association presents the 2010 Independence Expo – Long Island, the region's premier lifestyle-enhancing Expo designed to promote active living and independence for all people with disabilities and aging Americans.

10 Jun 2010

Medicare bidding program will lead to 'suicide bidding', says Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers

Providers of home medical equipment and services across Pennsylvania are proposing a fiscally responsible alternative to the mislabeled "competitive" bidding scheme currently under way in Medicare that will actually discourage competition, reduce access to care for many of Pennsylvania's more than two million Medicare beneficiaries, and put hundreds of Pennsylvania's homecare providers out of business.

8 Jun 2010

Hebrew Union College honors Dr. Dean Lorich with 2010 Roger E. Joseph Prize for humanitarian efforts

Dr. Dean Lorich was honored with the 2010 Roger E. Joseph Prize by Hebrew Union College for his humanitarian efforts in treating victims of the recent Haiti earthquake and in Landstuhl, Germany treating soldiers injured in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The award recognizes individuals making lasting contributions to the causes of human rights.

29 May 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet Infectious Diseases Leading Edge article examines the history of the global efforts to control polio and the challenges associated with targets to globally eradicate the disease. "The eradication of polio seems imminent, but with so few cases, there is a temptation to think an acceptable level of infection has been achieved. Not so.

29 May 2010

Previous recommendations on H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand: SAGE

Previous recommendations on who should be vaccinated with the H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand according to the World WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, the principal advisory group to WHO for development of policy related to vaccines and immunization.

28 May 2010

WHA endorses interim targets to eradicate measles as WHO warns disease on the rise

"Measles is making a rapid comeback in African, Asian and even some European countries despite being easily avoided through vaccination, the World Health Organization said Friday as countries pledged to sharply cut infections and deaths worldwide by 2015," the Associated Press reports (Jordans, 5/22). On the final day of the 63rd Annual World Health Assembly, the assembly endorsed a series of interim targets towards the global eradication of measles, VOA News reports.

25 May 2010

Health leaders discuss polio, alcohol, childhood obesity at WHA

From the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, the Associated Press reports on what some "describe as a new strategy to get rid of" polio that focuses on developing solutions to "problems in each country, provides more WHO monitoring, like more teleconferences, and holds governments more accountable." The plans also provide "[n]ew [polio] outbreak response plans," according to the AP.

24 May 2010

WHA addresses counterfeit medicines

Discussions about combatting counterfeit medicines continued at the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Wednesday, Agence France-Press reports

21 May 2010

3rd Annual Disability Leadership and Policy Summit to commemorate 20th Anniversary of the ADA

United Spinal Association will host its 3rd Annual Disability Leadership and Policy Summit commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on June 2nd at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

20 May 2010

Grifols reaches agreement with Pharmalink to acquire PPS drug development project

Today, Grifols SA announced that it has reached an agreement with the Swedish company Pharmalink AB to acquire various forms of intellectual property associated with the treatment of post-polio syndrome. The acquisition is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks and will include documentation, know-how, and Swedish regulatory approvals under the trade name Xepol.

20 May 2010

Vaccinations recommended for adults

Yearly vaccinations aren't just for kids any more. You probably heard a lot about a seasonal or H1N1 flu shot last fall, but you should know that a battery of other adult vaccinations might also become part of your health care routine. Pneumonia and shingles vaccines are preventive-care essentials for older adults, and meningitis and tetanus shots are now college rites of passage. Even the vaccines of childhood—measles, mumps and rubella, and whooping cough—are recommended for adults who missed out in their younger years.

19 May 2010

WHO Director-General pushes for sustained commitment to MDGs at World Health Assembly

During her opening address to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called for increased global efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports. Chan also set-up several global health challenges to be addressed during the five-day meeting, according to the news service.

19 May 2010

Five-day World Health Assembly meeting kicks off in Geneva

The annual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA) convened on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/Monsters and Critics.com reports. According to the news service, influenza vaccines, the fight against tuberculosis, intellectual property and reducing counterfeit drugs will be discussed (4/17).

18 May 2010

United Spinal Association and ICS co-sponsor first annual conference to empower women with disabilities

United Spinal Association and Independence Care System (ICS), are co-sponsoring the first annual conference to improve the lives, health, and well-being of women with disabilities.

15 May 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

As the 193 WHO member states gather at next week's World Health Assembly (WHA) "a draft global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel will be on the agenda. Negotiation and adoption of a WHO code of practice is an unprecedented opportunity to advance global consensus to address the critical challenges of migration of health workers and its effect on health systems worldwide," the authors of a Lancet Comment write.

15 May 2010

Opinions: Abortion in Canada's G8 initiative; Security of Afghan women; U.S. global development strategy; Mother's Day; U.S. food security initiative; Polio eradication

National Post columnist Jonathan Kay examines the ongoing debate over whether Canada's G8 child and maternal health initiative should include abortions, which according to a 2006 Oxford University Press-World Bank report, are "one small chunk of a bigger puzzle. A much larger problem, in terms of the number of female lives affected, is the decidedly less headline-grabbing subject of hemorrhages - which include antepartun hemorrhages … and primary postpartum hemorrhages.

12 May 2010

Prescription drug may have new use in boosting effectiveness of vaccines for bacterial, viral diseases

A prescription drug already approved to treat genital warts and skin cancer may have a new use in boosting the effectiveness of future vaccines for bacterial and viral diseases, such as hepatitis C and HIV (the AIDS virus). These findings appear in ACS' Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.

6 May 2010

Study: Parvovirus therapy offers complete regression of malignant brain tumors

Particular parvoviruses normally infect rodents, but they are also infectious for human cells. However, they do not cause any disease symptoms in humans. Most importantly, these viruses have an astonishing property: They kill infected tumors cells without causing any damage to healthy tissue.

5 May 2010

Scientist to receive 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology

The scientist who reprogrammed adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells has been chosen to receive the 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology.

3 May 2010

Polio News and Research

Further Reading

sanofi pasteur congratulates Canadian Public Health Association for 100 years of leadership and service

2010 Independence Expo to promote active living and independence for aged and disabled Americans

Medicare bidding program will lead to 'suicide bidding', says Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers

Hebrew Union College honors Dr. Dean Lorich with 2010 Roger E. Joseph Prize for humanitarian efforts

Recent releases in Global Health

Previous recommendations on H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand: SAGE

WHA endorses interim targets to eradicate measles as WHO warns disease on the rise

Health leaders discuss polio, alcohol, childhood obesity at WHA

WHA addresses counterfeit medicines

3rd Annual Disability Leadership and Policy Summit to commemorate 20th Anniversary of the ADA

Grifols reaches agreement with Pharmalink to acquire PPS drug development project

Vaccinations recommended for adults

WHO Director-General pushes for sustained commitment to MDGs at World Health Assembly

Five-day World Health Assembly meeting kicks off in Geneva

United Spinal Association and ICS co-sponsor first annual conference to empower women with disabilities

Recent releases in Global Health

Opinions: Abortion in Canada's G8 initiative; Security of Afghan women; U.S. global development strategy; Mother's Day; U.S. food security initiative; Polio eradication

Prescription drug may have new use in boosting effectiveness of vaccines for bacterial, viral diseases

Study: Parvovirus therapy offers complete regression of malignant brain tumors

Scientist to receive 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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