Public Health News and Research

RSS

African journalists announce first continent-wide health journalism network

"Journalists from across Africa announced the creation of the first continent-wide professional association of health journalists," South Africa's Health-e reports. "The new organization, the African Health Journalists Association, aims to improve the quality and quantity of reporting on health issues so that people across the continent can make healthy choices for their lives," the news agency writes.

12 Jun 2012

China amends intellectual property laws to allow for issuance of compulsory licenses

"China has overhauled parts of its intellectual property laws to allow its drug makers to make cheap copies of medicines still under patent protection in an initiative likely to unnerve foreign pharmaceutical companies," Reuters reports.

12 Jun 2012

No link between alcohol consumption and disclosure of HIV status in Russians

Disclosure of HIV positive serostatus to sexual partners is considered an important public health goal to prevent new infections. Disclosure can motivate sex partners to make informed choices and change behavior through negotiation of safer sex practices. It might also prompt partner testing and counseling.

12 Jun 2012

Routine screening with echocardiogram can detect more cases of RHD

Routine screening with echocardiogram can detect three times as many cases of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as clinical examinations, offering a novel approach in preventing this common disease, according to a new study in Circulation.

12 Jun 2012

Hepatitis C more prevalent among homeless adults in downtown Los Angeles

Recent government studies show that hepatitis C, which can destroy the liver and necessitate a liver transplant, now kills more American adults than AIDS, and new UCLA research shows just how prevalent the disease is among homeless adults in downtown Los Angeles.

12 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Hoping that 'Gang of Six' will cut fiscal deal; Sen. Alexander links health law and college tuition increases

The public has a famously low opinion of Congress, even though people tend to hold a less disparaging view of their own representatives. The last two years have been especially tough on the institution's reputation, a response to the body's relentless brinkmanship and paralyzing partisanship in the face of a slow economy. So it is with some trepidation that I throw out a little love for a handful of senators still seeking bipartisan agreement on a plan to bring the federal government back to fiscal responsibility.

11 Jun 2012

Restoration of normal glucose regulation may prevent diabetes

People with pre-diabetes are significantly less likely to develop diabetes if their blood glucose levels are normalized in time, according to new research by the Colorado School of Public Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

11 Jun 2012

First study to use simulated driving tests on medical staff returning home after night shift

The drowsiness experienced by medical staff who have been on night duty can make their driving dangerous, French researchers have found.

11 Jun 2012

Piramal to present data on several molecular imaging compounds at SNM annual meeting

Piramal Imaging SA, a subsidiary of Piramal Healthcare Limited, will present data on several compounds from its molecular imaging portfolio at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 59th annual meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., from June 9 - 13.

10 Jun 2012

Project aims to reduce transmission of infectious diseases on aircraft

A new study is expected to provide the first detailed information on how infectious diseases may be transmitted aboard commercial airliners. Sponsored by aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the research will document patterns of passenger movement inside aircraft cabins and inventory the microbes present in cabin air and on surfaces such as tray tables and lavatory fixtures.

8 Jun 2012

Concussion victims have unique spatial patterns of brain abnormalities that change over time

Patients vary widely in their response to concussion, but scientists haven't understood why. Now, using a new technique for analyzing data from brain imaging studies, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center have found that concussion victims have unique spatial patterns of brain abnormalities that change over time

8 Jun 2012

eHealth offers Europe solutions that can help avoid healthcare crisis

Healthcare systems face enormous challenges over the coming years. The increasing demands of an aging population, the rising cost of treatments and medications, and budget shortfalls are all issues that will need to be addressed if Europeans are to continue to enjoy high standards of care. eHealth, enabled by information and communication technologies, offers Europe solutions that can help avoid healthcare crisis.

8 Jun 2012

Researchers determine function of series proteins within the mosquito

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute have, for the first time, determined the function of a series proteins within the mosquito that transduce a signal that enables the mosquito to fight off infection from the parasite that causes malaria in humans.

8 Jun 2012

Focus on health care jobs 'misguided'

News outlets report on a New England Journal of Medicine piece that argues that providing access to affordable health care is more important than protecting health industry jobs.

8 Jun 2012

Study: HIV superinfection may be more common than previously believed

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) superinfection may be as common as initial HIV infection and is not limited to high risk-populations, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

8 Jun 2012

Preterm birth rates over past 20 years only dropped in 3 countries

Nearly 15 million babies were born prematurely in 2010—more than one in ten of all births. Sixty percent of these premature babies were born in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but this is not just a problem of the poorest nations: the USA (517 000 preterm births) and Brazil (279 300) ranked in the top ten countries with the highest number of premature births in 2010. Worse still, over the past 20 years preterm birth rates have decreased in just three countries, according to the first ever national level estimates and time series published in this week’s Lancet.

8 Jun 2012

LUHS opens new renovated Emergency Department

Loyola University Health System (LUHS) unveiled its newly renovated Emergency Department (ED) today. This site has been named the John L. Keeley, MD Emergency Department in honor of the late Dr. John L. Keeley who served as chair of Loyola's Department of Surgery from 1958 to 1969.

8 Jun 2012

Researchers develop Texas Pandemic Flu Toolkit

In 2009, the H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic struck, infecting millions and killing more than 18,000 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Though less severe than initially feared, the pandemic highlighted the potential threat of deadly viruses emerging from animals into humans, and the importance of quick and effective public health intervention.

8 Jun 2012

HIV superinfection may be more frequent among general population of Uganda

HIV superinfection, when a person with HIV could acquire a second, new strain of HIV, may occur as often as initial HIV infection in the general population in Uganda, a study suggests.

8 Jun 2012

Food allergies more prevalent among urban children

Children living in urban centers have a much higher prevalence of food allergies than those living in rural areas, according to a new study, which is the first to map children's food allergies by geographical location in the United States. In particular, kids in big cities are more than twice as likely to have peanut and shellfish allergies compared to rural communities.

8 Jun 2012