Hygiene News and Research

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DRC facing cholera, measles outbreaks, U.N. says

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded more than 3,000 cases and 192 deaths from cholera since March, according to a U.N. report on the outbreak, VOA News reports.

16 Jul 2011

CAHO to receive $6.3M from Ontario Government for ARTIC Program

The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) is delighted to learn that the Ontario Government will invest $6.3 million into the CAHO Adopting Research to Improve Care (ARTIC) Program - a program aimed at moving research evidence from the bench to the bedside to drive quality and improve patient care.

15 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: N.Y. health exchange stalemate; Dick Cheney's heart; vaccine debate refuses to die

Just in case you hadn't noticed, no one has elected Grover Norquist to anything. Still, he looms as a major obstacle to Congress reaching a deficit-reduction agreement needed to raise the federal debt ceiling. … what's revealing about Norquist's passionate advocacy against taxes is that it virtually ignores the main causes of bigger government: Social Security and Medicare.

12 Jul 2011

Cardiology study looks at sodium and potassium in diet

A new study suggests that in addition to cutting the amount of sodium in their diets to improve heart health, Americans should also increase consumption of a key mineral found in many fruits and vegetables, potassium.

11 Jul 2011

'The Aging Myth' achieves top rank in New York Times Best Seller List

In only its first week of bookstore sales, "The Aging Myth," by Joseph Chang, Ph.D., has already reached #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List for its frank look at aging and a scientific approach to understanding how to combat aging at the genetic level.

11 Jul 2011

HyGreen's hand hygiene system to be showcased at AHA summit

HyGreen, Inc. announces that it will showcase its hand hygiene system, HyGreen, at the 19th Annual American Hospital Association Leadership Summit held July 17-19, 2011 in San Diego, CA.

11 Jul 2011

Belly button full of bugs: Study

Researchers have found nearly 1,400 strains of bacteria in the human navel. The North Carolina State University's ‘Belly Button Biodiversity Study’ found 662 unrecognized strains - which could be unique new species.

10 Jul 2011

Circumcision subjected to vote this November in San Francisco

The debate over whether routine circumcision of baby boys being either hygienic, safe or brutal and medically unnecessary continues in San Francisco. This November, residents will vote if the procedure shall be continued.

10 Jul 2011

Mass administration of common anti-parasitic is possible new tool in fight against malaria

Ivermectin - an inexpensive, common medication already being used in Africa to treat roundworms that cause river blindness and parasites that cause elephantitis - could also be used to kill mosquitoes carrying malaria parasites, potentially "provid[ing] another useful weapon in the armory against a disease that kills around 800,000 a year, most of them small children and pregnant women," the Guardian's "Global Health Blog" reports (Boseley, 7/6).

8 Jul 2011

USAID's Nairobi-based DART to expedite additional U.S. humanitarian aid to the Horn of Africa

In the wake of the worst drought in the Horn of Africa since the 1950s, more than 10 million people—primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia—are in need of emergency assistance. In response to this urgent need, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is standing up a Nairobi-based Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to help expedite additional U.S. Government humanitarian aid to the Horn.

8 Jul 2011

Heartworm medication Ivermectin prevents malaria transmission in Africa

A cheap, common heartworm medication that is already being used to fight other parasites in Africa could also dramatically interrupt transmission of malaria, potentially providing an inexpensive tool to fight a disease that kills almost 800,000 people each year, according to a new study published in the July edition of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

7 Jul 2011

Global research initiative to improve health care for people with MNS disorders

Mental health experts are calling for a greater world focus on improving access to care and treatment for mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders, as well as increasing discoveries in research that will enable this goal to be met.

7 Jul 2011

Patients with ESBL-producing bacteria need better health care

Fear and confusion surrounding the diagnosis is often the result of suffering of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Accurate information is crucial for these patients in order for them to handle their situation, yet that is the area where health care is lacking.

5 Jul 2011

New GHI research examines conflicts between donor and recipient countries

In the early 2000s, the international aid community started to fund health programs through Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) which provide aid and support for tackling infectious diseases, and for implementing immunization programs against childhood diseases. However priorities set by GHIs and by governments are not always the same.

4 Jul 2011

Global health funding should not create 'winners' and 'losers'

Andrew Harmer, a research fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in this globalhealthpolicy.net blog post lays out the global health "winners" and "losers" in terms of funding.

2 Jul 2011

Early infection with H. pylori protects against allergy-induced asthma

Infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma, immunologists from the University of Zurich have demonstrated in an animal model together with allergy specialists from the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

2 Jul 2011

Liverpool scientists receive medical innovation award for dental device

A team of scientists from the University of Liverpool has won an award for developing a device that can identify early tooth decay and plaque before it is visible to the human eye.

1 Jul 2011

Tranexamic acid effective for patients with head injury

New research has suggested that tranexamic acid has the potential to prevent people dying from head injuries.

1 Jul 2011

Text messages help smokers quit: Study

A behavioral study has found that motivational text messages sent to smokers' mobile phones can double their chances of giving up tobacco. The “txt2stop” trial at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by the Medical Research Council tested the effects of inspirational text messages designed to encourage quitting on almost 3,000 smokers. Participants were twice as likely to banish their habit as another group sent texts unrelated to smoking.

30 Jun 2011

Mobile phone text messages help smokers to beat addiction

Mobile phones could hold the key to people giving up smoking after a programme involving sending motivational and supportive text messages to smokers doubled quit rates at six months.

30 Jun 2011