Poverty News and Research

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European Commission rolls out new food security policies; Agricultural Research Conference concludes

The European Commission (EC) recently announced that it has adopted two new policy frameworks "to help developing countries address food security in emergency and long-term situations" and has called upon member nations to implement similar policies, IRIN reports.

3 Apr 2010

NewsHour examines research of HIV positive patients who can suppress the virus

PBS' NewsHour examines how a team of U.S. researchers is heading up a study in Lima, Peru, of patients living with HIV whose immune systems are able to suppress the virus.

3 Apr 2010

Media report on Haiti rebuilding effort after donor conference

The next big challenge is figuring out how to apply the raised funds to fix not just Haiti's earthquake damage, but also the years of poverty and corruption that have plagued the nation

3 Apr 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

"Achieving the [Millennium Development Goal] MDG 4 target of reducing newborn and child mortality will require concerted efforts to scale up evidence-based interventions, especially community-based preventive and therapeutic strategies in primary care," according to a Lancet comment that reflects on the challenges associated with developing "the appropriate mix of strategies" to improve maternal health.

3 Apr 2010

Scientists identify potential new method for treating sleeping sickness

Scientists have identified a potential new approach to treat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, which afflicts "tens of thousands of people in sub-Saharan Africa" annually, IRIN reports. By targeting an enzyme the sleeping sickness parasite needs in order to survive, researchers say they can kill it without causing harm to the patient (4/1).

2 Apr 2010

2010 Internal Medicine conference at Toronto Convention Center

More than 5,000 internists (adult medicine specialists), subspecialists, medical students, and allied health professionals will meet in Toronto, Canada, for Internal Medicine 2010, the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Physicians (ACP), April 22 - 24 (Thursday - Saturday), at the Toronto Convention Center.

2 Apr 2010

News outlets report on developments from Agricultural Research Conference

Nature News examines potential funding reforms for the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), which are under discussion at a the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) in Montpellier, France. The CGIAR "supports thousands of scientists working on agriculture and food security in developing countries," according to Nature News.

2 Apr 2010

States examine how they may be impacted by reform, Medicaid expansion

Kaiser Health News: "Starting today, states can choose to take the first steps toward the massive expansion of insurance coverage that is the health overhaul's chief goal. And for some states, that move could have the benefit of reviving funding for state-run programs that insure low-income adults. As of April 1, states can apply for federal funding to expand their Medicaid programs to cover low-income people earning up to 133 percent of the poverty level, or $14,404 for an individual and $29,326.50 for a family of four.

2 Apr 2010

U.N. releases report on poverty in Afghanistan

A new U.N. report (.pdf) finds that "the majority of Afghans live in dire poverty, despite an estimated $35 billion in aid being poured into the country between 2002 to 2009," the Associated Press reports (3/30).

1 Apr 2010

Major breakthrough may help develop low toxicity drugs for sleeping sickness

Scientists from the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee - working together with partners at the University of York and the Structural Genomics Consortium in Toronto - have made a major breakthrough in identifying new treatments for a fatal disease which infects tens of thousands of Africans each year.

1 Apr 2010

Haiti's recovery: CARE calls for substantial, sustained commitment from international community

At this week's International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti (March 31, 2010), CARE will urge the international community to ensure all Haitians have a chance to rebuild their country anew. Women and girls, in particular, will be at the heart of CARE's policy recommendations to address Haiti's recovery, reconstruction and long-term development needs as donor countries, international organizations and other partners gather to pledge resources and commit to long-term efforts in Haiti following the devastating January earthquake.

31 Mar 2010

Opinions: Haiti relief and recovery; Tuberculosis control

Ahead of a U.N. donors conference focusing on Haiti tomorrow, several editorials and opinion pieces address the country's needs for relief and recovery.

31 Mar 2010

GSK offers free vaccines for low income adults without insurance coverage

GlaxoSmithKline today announced the launch of the GSK Vaccines Access Program, which will provide the company's adult vaccines free of charge to eligible, low income individuals who do not have insurance coverage for vaccines. The program will cover the company's FDA-approved vaccines for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis for eligible persons ages 19 and older.

29 Mar 2010

LeapFrog Investments surges past $100M target capitalization ahead of schedule

LeapFrog Investments, the world's first microinsurance fund, announced today that it has surged past its $100 million target capitalization, months ahead of schedule. The fund invests in high-growth, high-impact insurance and financial services companies in countries including India, the Philippines, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana.

29 Mar 2010

Africa not on track to halve poverty by 2015, Economic Commission for Africa head says

U.N. Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh said the global economic downturn will keep Africa from meeting the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015, Reuters reports.

27 Mar 2010

Oral Health America announces support for dental care benefits in health care reform bill

The health care reform bill passed by Congress, and now signed into law by President Obama, includes many provisions that will improve the nation's oral health. Most significantly, the bill does guarantee oral health coverage for children and allows for resources to extend oral disease prevention measures in every state. Over time, the bill's provisions can help to increase access to care for all ages.

27 Mar 2010

Passage of health care reform signals the beginning of new era for nurse-led health care

When health care reform was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, it signaled the beginning of a new era for nurse-led health care. H.R. 3590 will capitalize on the ability of nurse practitioners to provide high-quality primary and preventive care by defining "nurse-managed health clinic" in the Public Health Service Act and creating a new $50 million grant program to support innovative safety net providers.

26 Mar 2010

Ontario nurses welcome 1.5% increase in hospital funding

Ontario nurses welcome the 1.5 per cent increase in hospital funding outlined in the Ontario budget, and say this means government and employers must now fast track the promised 9,000 additional nurses to ensure patients receive the quality care they need and deserve.

26 Mar 2010

World TB Day coverage: Lesotho, Armenia, drug resistance, HIV coinfection

"To mark World [Tuberculosis] Day on Wednesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres [MSF] drew attention to Lesotho, which has the world's third-highest prevalence of HIV ... and the fourth-highest prevalence of tuberculosis," the Associated Press reports

26 Mar 2010

Body lice and head lice have same origin

Body lice, which cause highly lethal epidemics (trench fever, typhus and relapsing fever Borrelia), originate from head lice. This has recently been shown by a team from the Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Unit (CNRS/IRD/Université de la Méditerranée), in collaboration with researchers from the Universities of Florida and Illinois (US).

26 Mar 2010