Hygiene News and Research

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News outlets examine sanitation in Ethiopia, Liberia

The Daily Monitor examines efforts underway to improve sanitation and promote hygiene in Ethiopia. According to the country's Ministry of Health, "sanitation coverage of Ethiopia has made progressive achievement reaching 54.8% in the current year from 11.5% in 2003," the newspaper reports.

24 Nov 2009

News outlets examine conditions of refugees in Yemen, malnutrition, cholera risks

Reuters reports that as a new camp capable of hosting 10,000 to 12,000 refugees in Yemen will open in a few weeks, "[m]alnutrition and the risk of a cholera outbreak are threatening lives at Yemen's main camp [Masrak] for people fleeing fighting in the north." According to Thomas Davin, regional UNICEF chief, "Hygiene is terrible, really, really terrible."

24 Nov 2009

U.S. Court rules in Merck's favor in Flemings case involving FOSAMAX

Merck said today that U.S. District Court Judge John F. Keenan granted summary judgment in Merck's favor in Flemings v. Merck. Flemings is the second of three cases involving FOSAMAX (alendronate sodium) designated by the federal MDL court as a bellwether trial case.

24 Nov 2009

ASP's French affiliate acquires Gloster Europe

Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), a leading global infection prevention solution provider, announced today the acquisition by its French affiliate, Apsis S.A.S., of Gloster Europe, a privately held developer of innovative disinfection processes and technologies to prevent healthcare-acquired infections. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

23 Nov 2009

OEPA reports substantial reduction of river blindness in six endemic countries

A regional initiative launched in the 1990s to eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) in the Americas has substantially reduced the prevalence of the disease in recent years, as evidenced by a 31% decrease in the number of individuals requiring mass drug administration in six endemic countries. Results were reported today at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

23 Nov 2009

ASTMH symposium illustrates the need to generate new medicines for infectious diseases

An urgent need for new medicines to treat neglected infectious diseases in the developing world has prompted a growing number of collaborations among academic researchers, non-profit product development partnerships (PDPs), and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

23 Nov 2009

Bacteria help in preventing inflammation after skin injury

On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury.

22 Nov 2009

Climate change to have a profound impact on global public health

An emerging body of evidence suggests that the changing global climate is already affecting infectious disease transmission patterns. As noted today in a symposium at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), such changes are expected to have a profound impact on global public health.

21 Nov 2009

News outlets examine malaria drug resistance, hope for malaria eradication in Africa

Experts at an American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meeting this week said that resistance to the best available drug to treat malaria "is more widespread in Southeast Asia than previously reported," Science News/Wired Science reports. Researchers have been monitoring drug resistance along the Thailand-Cambodia border where patients taking artemisinin combination therapy - the most potent treatment for malaria - have been clearing the parasite from their bodies more slowly.

20 Nov 2009

Discus Dental launches its newly redesigned Zoom Chairside Whitening Kit

Discus Dental®, LLC today announced the release of its newly redesigned Zoom® Chairside Whitening Kit, improving overall procedure ease of use and safety by reducing the total number of steps in the Zoom procedure.

20 Nov 2009

LAIV and TIV vaccines appear to offer protection against A/H1N1 virus

Immunization with either live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV, also known as FluMist®), or trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV), appears to offer a protection (~ 45%) against the novel A/H1N1 virus, the cause of the present influenza pandemic. However, the benefit was largely attributed to the youngest age group. The finding emerges from an evaluation of medical encounters and seasonal influenza immunization of U.S. military service members.

20 Nov 2009

"EurSafety Health-net" launched to fight hospital acquired MRSA infection

On November 19, 2009, the kick-off meeting for the Euregio-project "EurSafety Health-net" has taken place. EurSafety Health-net is the follow-up of EUREGIO MRSA-net, that, according to the Robert Koch Institute, gained some sort of model character all over the nation when talking about prevention of hospital acquired MRSA infection. Besides the protection against infection, the main goal of this new project is to strengthen the patients' safety on both sides of the border.

20 Nov 2009

Antimalarial drug resistance endangers malarial control measures

Evidence of resistance to the antimalarial drug artemisinin and its derivatives threatens efforts to control malaria in Southeast Asia, and experts fear artemisinin resistance may spread from the Thailand-Cambodia border to affect other malaria endemic countries. Evidence to such effect was presented today at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

20 Nov 2009

ScinoPharm receives Potent Compound Safety Certification from SafeBridge Consultants

ScinoPharm, a leading global supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), announced that its Tainan facility has received the Potent Compound Safety Certification from SafeBridge(R) Consultants, Inc.

20 Nov 2009

For World Toilet Day, news outlets examine poor sanitation conditions around world

In light of World Toilet Day Thursday, several news outlets examine the impact of poor sanitation on health.

19 Nov 2009

ScinoPharm Taiwan receives the SafeBridge Potent Compound Safety Certification

SAFEBRIDGE® CONSULTANTS, INC., headquartered in Mountain View, California, has announced that ScinoPharm Taiwan Limited in Tainan, Taiwan has met the criteria established under the SafeBridge program for “Potent Compound Safety Certification” and has been deemed competent and proficient in the safe handling of potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”).

19 Nov 2009

Outdoor smoking areas: A new health hazard

Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.

19 Nov 2009

Malaria experts urge Congress to increase funding for malaria programs

While efforts to control and eliminate malaria have made great strides during the past five years, the looming specter of drug resistance heightens the importance of continued research and development for new tools to assure continued success, according to malaria scientists and public health experts appearing today on Capitol Hill.

19 Nov 2009

Xeomin receives approval for post-stroke spasticity of upper limb in European countries

Today, Merz Pharmaceuticals announced Xeomin®, the first botulinum toxin type A free from complexing proteins has been granted an extension of indication for post-stroke spasticity of the upper limb presenting with flexed wrist and clenched fist in adults in various European countries.

19 Nov 2009

TIME Magazine journalist honored with ASTMH Communications Award

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) today honored TIME Magazine Foreign Correspondent Vivienne Walt with its Communications Award during the opening ceremony of its 58th annual meeting.

19 Nov 2009