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Alticor and Metagenics enters into joint venture agreement

Alticor and Metagenics today announced that they have entered into a joint venture agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Alticor will obtain a substantial ownership interest in Metagenics, and the current Metagenics shareholders will continue to retain a significant interest in the company. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Metagenics shareholders and antitrust clearance.

12 Aug 2009

H3N2 influenza unlikely to spread between humans

Seeing animals up close is an integral part of experiencing the state and county fairs that take place around the country each summer and fall. And with good hygiene, Kansas State University veterinary experts say fair visitors shouldn't worry about contracting diseases from animals.

11 Aug 2009

Clinton signs new $10 million agreement on HIV/AIDS with Angola, says U.S. 'stands ready' to work with South Africa on HIV/AIDS

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed a new agreement with Angola aimed at controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS, the Associated Press reports. "The Obama administration will more than double funding for Angola to combat the disease, from $7 million to $17 million," the news service writes (Lee, 8/10).

10 Aug 2009

Global Fund awards Zimbabwe $37.9 million to fight diseases

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Friday awarded Zimbabwe $37.9 million to help fight the three diseases, "and in an unusual move handed the money directly to the new unity government," the Associated Press reports.

10 Aug 2009

Hillary Clinton to meet with South African leaders

After arriving in South Africa on Thursday as part of her 11-day African tour, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has "encouraged South Africa to take a leadership role on the political crisis in neighboring Zimbabwe," Bloomberg reports.

7 Aug 2009

Community insurance co-ops, medical homes offer models for reform

Communities with nonprofit health insurance co-ops or a system of patients having "medical homes' could be useful models in a national health care overhaul.

7 Aug 2009

Automated network could predict disease outbreaks that originate in animals

The AP/San Francisco Chronicle examines Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers' efforts to create an automated network to monitor animals in an effort to predict disease outbreaks because two out of every three human diseases "originated in animals."

6 Aug 2009

Lawmakers face angry constituents in town hall meetings

NPR: "Many of the events this week appear to have been organized by conservative groups. A new Web site is called 'Operation Embarrass Your Congressman.' A widely circulated memo tells right-wing protesters how to treat their representative: 'Make him uneasy... stand up and shout out, and sit right back down... rattle him.'" The man who wrote the memo belongs to the conservative group Tea Party Patriots.

6 Aug 2009

In Kenya, Clinton calls on African leaders to promote good governance, women's rights

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday in Kenya "re-affirmed the new U.S. administration's commitment towards expanding its partnership with African countries, expressing optimism in the continent's long-term potential for growth and development," VOA News reports.

5 Aug 2009

Scientists discover original source of malignant malaria

Researchers have identified what they believe is the original source of malignant malaria: a parasite found in chimpanzees in equatorial Africa.

3 Aug 2009

After-school programs are an important contributor to children's physical activity

Children's after-school activities often consist of sedentary behavior such as watching television, but after-school programs that offer physical activity and healthy snacks could be the best place for children's health.

3 Aug 2009

Nigeria, UNICEF launch first national child health week

UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman, who visited Nigeria to launch the country's first ever National Child Health Week, said an unacceptably high number of children in the country are dying from preventable diseases, and she called on Nigerian government officials to provide integrated healthcare, Xinhua reports (8/3).

3 Aug 2009

Hillary Clinton embarks on African tour

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads this week on a seven-nation tour of Africa aiming to prove U.S. commitment to the continent after the administration's early focus elsewhere," AFP/ABS-CBN News reports.

3 Aug 2009

Race/ethnicity, income and education associated with sugar consumption

The intake of added sugars in the United States is excessive, estimated by the US Department of Agriculture in 1999-2002 as 17% of calories a day. Consuming foods with added sugars displaces nutrient-dense foods in the diet.

2 Aug 2009

New hope for the global iron deficiency problem

According to the World Health Organization, approximately two billion people suffer from iron deficiency. They tire easily, experience problems in metabolizing harmful substances in their bodies and eventually suffer from anemia.

21 Jul 2009

Clinton says U.S. will work with India to address health challenges, hunger

The U.S. will work to address the health challenges facing India among other countries and will aim to improve maternal and child health care services through comprehensive dialogue, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday after visiting a Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) trade outlet in Mumbai, India, PTI/Yahoo! News reports.

20 Jul 2009

Daily Trust/allAfrica.com, GlobalPost examine agricultural production, food insecurity in Nigeria, Iraq

The Daily Trust/allAfrica.com examines food security in Nigeria. Despite its agricultural potential, the "food crisis" in Nigeria "poses a big question as to what is responsible for the insecurity in food production, preservation and storage," according to the newspaper. A government committee recently toured the country in an effort to address some of the problems involved with agricultural production and food insecurity.

16 Jul 2009

Obama addresses Ghana's parliament, reiterates U.S. global health initiative

During his visit to Ghana over the weekend, President Obama praised the country for its achievements while calling on African leaders to take responsibility for the future of the continent, CNN reports. "Despite the progress that has been made - and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa - we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled," Obama said during a speech before the Ghanaian parliament (7/11).

13 Jul 2009

G8 leaders launch $20 billion initiative to help farmers in developing countries

The Washington Post reports: "Leaders of the world's major economies pledged Friday to raise $20 billion over the next three years for food and agricultural aid to the world's most impoverished countries."

12 Jul 2009

G8 addresses developing nation economic assistance, reforming African aid, establishing farming investment, food security, climate change

Leaders of the world's five biggest developing economies (G5) - Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa - joined the G8 summit on Thursday in an effort to get international financial institutions to use their "multi-billion dollar government bailouts to help developing countries emerge from the economic crisis," AFP/Google.com reports.

9 Jul 2009