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One billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water

More than 2.6 billion people - over 40 per cent of the world's population - do not have access to basic sanitation, and more than one billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water, warns a report released today by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

26 Aug 2004

Diarrhea the leading cause of death among the developing world's children

To most people in the developed world, diarrhea is a nuisance. It means some discomfort and maybe a trip to the local pharmacy.

23 Aug 2004

Excessive use of diathermy could lead to increased haemorrhage rates

The postoperative haemorrhage rate in tonsillectomies which use ‘hot techniques’ such as diathermy and coblation to stop bleeding could be over three times greater than operations which use cold steel techniques, conclude authors of a study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

23 Aug 2004

Effectiveness of gingko to treat early dementia

Researchers in London are to explore the effectiveness of gingko, a complementary medicine traditionally used to treat circulatory problems, as a treatment for early dementia.

23 Aug 2004

Antimalarial drug resistance is an international problem that requires a co-ordinated, international response

Imported resistance has rendered ineffective the two affordable malaria drugs which have been the mainstay of malaria treatment in Africa for forty years, according to experts writing today in the journal Science.

20 Aug 2004

Large percentage of child deaths related to malaria are attributable to undernutrition and deficiencies

A large percentage of child deaths related to malaria are attributable to undernutrition and deficiencies of vitamin A, zinc, iron and folate, according to a new report by researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

20 Aug 2004

50,000 people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry

More than 50,000 people from New York City and all 50 states have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry, according to the City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which urged those who are eligible to sign up before the August 31st deadline.

6 Aug 2004

EFICOR intervenes in the Bihar floods

Bihar is one of the most disaster prone states in India . It is situated in the eastern part of India with the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal to its north and the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh flanking its sides.

26 Jul 2004

Caulking found to be unrecognized source of PCB contamination

They conclude that a survey of masonry buildings from that era is necessary to determine where in the U.S. these materials had been used, and that caulking should be routinely analyzed for PCBs and managed appropriately to reduce potentially significant health risks.

21 Jul 2004

The cervical screening programme has saved Britain from an epidemic of cervical cancer

Cancer Research UK scientists estimate in a report published today that systematic cervical screening, introduced in 1988, is preventing up to 5,000 deaths a year from the disease in Britain.

16 Jul 2004

Gulf war veterans are at increased risk of infertility

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine surveyed 24,379 male Gulf war veterans and a matched comparison group of 18,439 non-deployed servicemen.

15 Jul 2004

Reports of MRSA have increased by 3.6% in England over the last year

The results from the third year of the mandatory surveillance scheme for Staphylococcus aureus show the number of blood-stream infections caused by both sensitive strains, and also strains resistant to methicillin (MRSA) broken down by regions and also by each acute NHS Trust.

15 Jul 2004

1 in every 20 UK servicemen who served in the first Gulf war believes that they have Gulf war Syndrome

A study of UK Gulf war servicemen, the largest to date, shows that forces deployed to the first Gulf War report more ill health than veterans who did not serve there. The study is published today in BMC Public Health.

13 Jul 2004

New drive to tackle superbugs like MRSA

Hospitals will have to display infection rates as part of a new drive to tackle superbugs like MRSA.

12 Jul 2004

The case of a high school student in King County who died this week of meningococcal disease has created public concern

The case of a high school student in King County who was hospitalized and died this week of meningococcal disease – commonly called bacterial meningitis – has created some public concern about risks of exposure to the disease.

10 Jul 2004

Pfizer donates $3.7 million worth of Nicotrol patches to the New York City Department of Health

To help smokers quit, Pfizer is donating $3.7 million worth of eight-week courses of the Nicotrol patch, a leading nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

9 Jul 2004

Avian influenza virus in East Asia arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses

An avian influenza virus that has caused three major outbreaks among poultry and killed several people in East Asia over the past seven years arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses.

9 Jul 2004

MRSA contamination can be reduced by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a virulent organism, essentially resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics (for example: penicillins, ampicillins, cephalosporins). It can cause skin, bone and life-threatening blood infections, as well as pneumonia.

7 Jul 2004

High levels of endotoxin, a bacterial compound that collects in house dust, may lower likelihood of eczema in children

Children whose homes contain high levels of endotoxin, a bacterial compound that collects in house dust, may be less likely to develop eczema during their first year of life

6 Jul 2004

Cambodia has become the first country to protect three out of four school-aged children against intestinal parasites

With the recent completion of its latest treatment campaign against intestinal parasites, Cambodia has become the first country to protect three out of four school-aged children against intestinal parasites and reach WHO's anti-parasite target – six years ahead of schedule.

5 Jul 2004

Hygiene News and Research

One billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water

Diarrhea the leading cause of death among the developing world's children

Excessive use of diathermy could lead to increased haemorrhage rates

Effectiveness of gingko to treat early dementia

Antimalarial drug resistance is an international problem that requires a co-ordinated, international response

Large percentage of child deaths related to malaria are attributable to undernutrition and deficiencies

50,000 people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry

EFICOR intervenes in the Bihar floods

Caulking found to be unrecognized source of PCB contamination

The cervical screening programme has saved Britain from an epidemic of cervical cancer

Gulf war veterans are at increased risk of infertility

Reports of MRSA have increased by 3.6% in England over the last year

1 in every 20 UK servicemen who served in the first Gulf war believes that they have Gulf war Syndrome

New drive to tackle superbugs like MRSA

The case of a high school student in King County who died this week of meningococcal disease has created public concern

Pfizer donates $3.7 million worth of Nicotrol patches to the New York City Department of Health

Avian influenza virus in East Asia arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses

MRSA contamination can be reduced by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities

High levels of endotoxin, a bacterial compound that collects in house dust, may lower likelihood of eczema in children

Cambodia has become the first country to protect three out of four school-aged children against intestinal parasites

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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