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Viewpoints: GOP's hope to end deficits in 10 years will mean 'dramatic cuts' in entitlements; Mass. health overhaul brings need for more taxes

Ryan has a daunting new assignment that may make that message even more difficult to sell. He's been charged by House Speaker John A. Boehner with drawing up a new budget that will erase the federal deficit within 10 years (the first Ryan budget, written in 2011, needed 30 years) solely through spending cuts

25 Jan 2013

Farmworkers more likely to develop illnesses because of inadequate food facilities in camps

Farmworkers are at potential risk from food and waterborne illnesses because of the condition of cooking and eating facilities available to them, according to a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

18 Jan 2013

Lancet commentary cautiously optimistic about public health system in Haiti

In this Lancet commentary, John Vertefeuille, Scott Dowell, Jean Domercant and Jordan Tappero of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examine the state of the public health system in Haiti three years after a 7.0 earthquake struck the country, writing, "Haiti is starting to show that its health services have expanded far beyond those in place before the earthquake occurred."

17 Jan 2013

Haiti cholera: less than 50% vaccination needed to halt spread

Researchers have used a mathematical model to show that a surprisingly low level of vaccination coverage would stem the spread of cholera in Haiti that has followed the 2010 earthquake.

14 Jan 2013

True solution to cholera is improving access to safe water, sanitation

"Even when it is not covered in the news or noticed by the public, cholera occurs regularly in the developing world, and the annual number of cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) has increased over the past few years to more than half a million cases and 7,816 related deaths reported from all regions in 2011," Ronald Waldman of George Washington University, Eric Mintz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Heather Papowitz of the U.N. Children's Fund write in a New England Journal of Medicine perspective piece.

11 Jan 2013

Cholera could be contained in Haiti by vaccinating less than half the population

Cholera could be contained in Haiti by vaccinating less than half the population, University of Florida researchers suggest in a paper to be published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

11 Jan 2013

H. pylori may protect against stroke and some cancers

A new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers reveals that an especially virulent strain of the gut bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) isn't implicated in the overall death rate of the U.S. population, and may even protect against stroke and some cancers.

10 Jan 2013

New research shows rise in number of HIV infections in Russia, Al Jazeera reports

"New research has revealed an alarming spike in the number of HIV infections in Russia, with 200 people being diagnosed with the condition every day," Al Jazeera reports.

7 Jan 2013

3 years after devastating earthquake, Haiti remains in fragile state

"On the eve of the third anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January 2010, the country remains in a fragile state," a New York Times editorial states.

3 Jan 2013

WaterAid report urges integration of menstrual hygiene issues into aid policies

"Menstrual hygiene issues should be integrated into programs and policies across sectors, including water, sanitation and hygiene, reproductive health, emergency management, and education, notes a new report" by WaterAid, IRIN reports.

20 Dec 2012

WASH improvements necessary to fight NTDs, and vice versa

"We know that in addition to drugs to treat and control [neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)], improvements to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) can help prevent re-infection and contribute to lasting health, education and economic improvements," Anupama Tantri, a senior program officer with the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, writes in the group's "End the Neglect" blog.

19 Dec 2012

'Repackaging' of U.N. cholera initiative detracts attention from epidemic's origin

"Those following the two-year-old saga of the United Nations and cholera in Haiti were startled by" the U.N.'s announcement last week of a $2.2 billion initiative to help eliminate cholera in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

19 Dec 2012

Increased life expectancy not benefitting everybody equally: U of T

Global lifespans have risen dramatically in the past 40 years, but the increased life expectancy is not benefitting everybody equally, say University of Toronto researchers. In particular, adult males from low- and middle-income countries are losing ground.

17 Dec 2012

Scientists discover how Yersinia pestis avoids setting off immune system's early infection-alarm

The plague-causing bacteria Yersinia pestis evades detection and establishes a stronghold without setting off the body's early alarms.

14 Dec 2012

African development activist wins 2013 University of Oklahoma International Water Prize

The University of Oklahoma Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) Center has named development activist Ada Oko-Williams as the recipient of the 2013 University of Oklahoma International Water Prize. Oko-Williams, associate director at Water and Sanitation for Africa, was nominated and selected for her advocacy and collaborative community approach for clean water, sanitation and hygiene in Africa.

13 Dec 2012

U.N. launches $2.2B appeal for new initiative to eliminate cholera in Haiti, Dominican Republic

"The United Nations on Tuesday announced a new initiative to help eliminate cholera in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the two nations that make up the Caribbean island of Hispaniola," the U.N. News Centre reports.

13 Dec 2012

Bringing malnutrition into the political spotlight

"Most people think malnutrition is all about not having enough food or enough of the right kind of food to eat," but while "this is a big part of the story ... there are many other links in the chain," Lawrence Haddad, director of the Institute of Development Studies, writes in a BBC Magazine opinion piece.

1 Dec 2012

Broad range of human activities affects spread of vector-borne zoonotic diseases, experts say

West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and plague are examples of "vector-borne zoonotic diseases," caused by pathogens that naturally infect wildlife and are transmitted to humans by vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks.

30 Nov 2012

Haiti, Dominican Republic to seek $2.2B over 10 years for cholera elimination plan

"Haiti and the Dominican Republic will require $2.2 billion over the next 10 years for an ambitious plan to eliminate cholera, an official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] said Wednesday," the Associated Press/NewsOK reports.