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EU, India leaders meet to discuss trade deal, some concerned deal will jeopardize drug access in developing countries

On Friday, Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht met to "present a status report on the ongoing free trade talks" that some health advocates fear could limit the supply of generic medications in developing countries, according to Business Standard. "An EU source said the report would signal that talks had made excellent progress and should be wrapped up by early next year," according to the news service (Aiyar, 12/10).

13 Dec 2010

Study to develop ways to track individual's exposure to traffic pollution

Researchers at King's College London are developing ways of working out a person's individual exposure to traffic pollution when travelling to, from, and around London.

9 Dec 2010

Swisher Hygiene acquires Lasfam's hygiene and chemicals business

Swisher Hygiene Inc., a leading full-service hygiene solutions provider, today announced that it has acquired the hygiene and chemicals business operated by Lasfam Investments Inc., its Vancouver, British Columbia franchisee.

7 Dec 2010

Low dose of aspirin reduces occurrence of several common cancers: Study

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has contributed to a study showing that a low dose of aspirin reduces the occurrence of several common cancers. The study is published in today's Lancet.

7 Dec 2010

Zometa improves OS, PFS in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients: Phase III study

A newly published study in the Lancet suggested that a first-line treatment regimen including Zometa (zoledronic acid) significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients compared with a regimen that included oral clodronate. The impact on survival was independent of the effect of Zometa on bone complications (also known as skeletal-related events or SREs).

4 Dec 2010

HIV/AIDS opinions

"Promising scientific developments to prevent AIDS, not just treat its victims, have sparked hope among health officials, researchers and advocacy groups struggling to control the epidemic. Unfortunately, the global recession and soaring deficits in advanced nations have made it unlikely that sufficient money will be available to fully seize the new opportunities," according to a New York Times editorial, which postures, "[s]ome agonizing choices will have to be made."

4 Dec 2010

Red Cross field hospital treats people who have contracted cholera in Haiti

Canadian Red Cross will deploy its new field hospital to treat people who have contracted cholera in Haiti. The field hospital was created as part of the First Responder Initiative, a partnership with the Government of Canada.

2 Dec 2010

Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory for 2010 December focusses on tackling norovirus outbreaks

In early 2010, Pennsylvania nursing homes and hospitals reported an increased number of cases of gastrointestinal illness which are consistent with recurring outbreaks of the highly contagious norovirus and norovirus-like illnesses nationwide. With a new norovirus season approaching, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority issues its 2010 December Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory with data analysis, guidance and success stories provided by Pennsylvania nursing homes for preventing and controlling the illness.

2 Dec 2010

Physicians prescribe less pain medications for individuals evading the police

If you should find yourself running from the police, watch your step. If you fall and break an ankle, chances are you'll receive less pain medication when they take you to the ER for treatment.

1 Dec 2010

Plackers recommends simple steps to maintain healthy teeth, gums during stressful holiday season

Three-quarters of American adults report moderate to high stress levels in their everyday lives, and that number increases during the holiday season, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association.

30 Nov 2010

American Red Cross announces additional $2 million to combat cholera epidemic in Haiti

The American Red Cross announced today it is committing an additional $2 million to combat an escalating cholera epidemic in Haiti that has killed more than 1,700 people and sickened more than 75,000.

30 Nov 2010

African Ministerial Conference concludes with health priority commitment

Health and environment ministers from at least 46 African countries concluded the Second Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in Africa in Luanda, Angola on Friday, "with the adoption of the 'Luanda Commitment,' which lists the continent's health and environment top priorities in the years ahead," PANA/Afrique en ligne reports.

30 Nov 2010

Overexposure to triclosan may negatively influence immune system: Study

Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A among adults may negatively influence the immune system, a new University of Michigan School of Public Health study suggests.

29 Nov 2010

The effects of pregnancy on oral health

Even though most people are aware that good oral health is essential for the overall health of both mother and child, misunderstandings about the safety of dental care during pregnancy may cause pregnant women to avoid seeing their dentist. The fact is that dentists can create a treatment plan that is safe, effective, and essential for combating the adverse effects of oral disease during pregnancy.

24 Nov 2010

New study links high prevalence of insomnia and poor quality of life in software engineers

Insomnia is bad news for software engineers' quality of life and deserves greater recognition and attention, according to new research by Sara Sarrafi Zadeh and Khyrunnisa Begum from the University of Mysore in India. Their work shows that poor sleep has a bearing on quality of life - affecting physical and mental health in particular - in this group with high levels of job-related stress. Their paper is published online in Springer's journal Applied Research in Quality of Life.

22 Nov 2010

Merck wins third FOSAMAX bellwether trial

Merck & Co., Inc. today said a federal court jury in New York found in its favor in the Graves v. Merck case, rejecting the claims of a Florida woman who blamed her dental and jaw related problems on her FOSAMAX use. With today's verdict, Merck has won three of the first four bellwether cases in the FOSAMAX litigation.

20 Nov 2010

U.S. falling short of its goals to improve access to clean water, sanitation worldwide, report says

The U.S. is falling short on its goal of improving conditions for the 2.6 billion people worldwide without access to clean water and sanitation despite the fact the Water for the Poor Act became law in 2005, according to a report released Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), WaterAid, CARE and 11 other organization, Food Safety News reports.

19 Nov 2010

Experts to discuss future projections for AIDS pandemic on World Aids Day

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is hosting an event on World Aids Day, bringing together some of the world's leading experts on the pandemic, to discuss future projections for the AIDS pandemic.

19 Nov 2010

OmniVision commences mass production of OV6930 medical image sensor

OmniVision Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the initiation of mass production of the ultra-compact, high-performance OV6930. With a packaged footprint of only 1.8 x 1.8 mm, the OV6930 is the ideal solution for applications favoring a small profile.

18 Nov 2010

Reuters reports on PLoS medicine series on water, sanitation

Nearly 20 percent of the world's population still defecates in the open, and action to improve hygiene, sanitation and water supply could prevent more than 2 million child deaths a year, health experts said" on Monday, following the release of a series of papers on water and sanitation published in the journal PLoS Medicine, Reuters reports.

16 Nov 2010