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Guinea worm disease on verge of eradication, WHO reports

"The World Health Organization reports Guinea worm disease, which has plagued people for thousands of years, is on the verge of eradication," VOA News reports. "The U.N. agency says fewer than 400 cases of the infectious parasitic disease exist in four African countries, and that it will soon become only the second, after smallpox, to be wiped off the face of the earth," the news service writes.

30 Aug 2012

Sri Lanka succeeds in reducing malaria cases by 99.9% since 1999

Despite nearly three decades of conflict, Sri Lanka has succeeded in reducing malaria cases by 99.9 percent since 1999 and is on track to eliminate the disease entirely by 2014.

30 Aug 2012

Climate change associated with increased risk of avian flu transmission in wild birds

Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, more intense rainstorms and more frequent heat waves are among the planetary woes that may come to mind when climate change is mentioned. Now, two University of Michigan researchers say an increased risk of avian influenza transmission in wild birds can be added to the list.

30 Aug 2012

George Washington University SPHHS launches Childhood Asthma Leadership Coalition

Today the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) announced the launch of the Childhood Asthma Leadership Coalition, a multi-sector group of advocates and experts dedicated to raising awareness and advancing public policies to improve the health of children who suffer from asthma.

30 Aug 2012

Jobless working-age people with diabetes less likely to adhere to their medications

If you're diabetic or prone to diabetes, having a steady job appears to be good for your health, and not just because of the insurance coverage.

30 Aug 2012

ALK signs agreement to supply PRE-PEN to HealthTrust member facilities

ALK is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with HealthTrust Purchasing Group, LP to supply PRE-PEN (benzylpenicilloyl polylysine injection USP) the only FDA approved skin test for the diagnosis of penicillin allergy, to HealthTrust member facilities, including 1,400 acute care facilities, 10,600 ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and alternate care sites.

30 Aug 2012

FAST-MI highlights young women at risk for heart disease

An analysis of four French registries has shown a dramatic drop in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction mortality from 1995 to 2010, accompanied by a significant change in patient characteristics.

29 Aug 2012

Vitamin to the rescue in fight with ‘superbugs’

High doses of vitamin B3 may help fight against so called “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, show study results.

29 Aug 2012

Washington Post examines Guinea worm eradication efforts

The Washington Post examines global efforts to eradicate Guinea worm disease, writing, "The parasitic infection which has sickened millions, mostly in Asia and Africa, is on the verge of being done in not by sophisticated medicine but by aggressive public health efforts in some of the poorest and most remote parts of the world."

29 Aug 2012

Fear of stigma prevents pregnant women from seeking prenatal care, studies show

Though many pregnant women are aware that treatment could save their lives and the lives of their infants if they test HIV-positive during prenatal care, a new study and literature review have found that a "fear of being stigmatized as an AIDS patient is still a major barrier to good medical care for pregnant young women in many countries," the New York Times reports.

29 Aug 2012

Deep-brain stimulation may stop uncontrollable shaking in patients with Parkinson's

Deep-brain stimulation (DBS) may stop uncontrollable shaking in patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremor by imposing its own rhythm on the brain, according to two studies published recently by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers in the journal Movement Disorders.

29 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Adding a middle man to Medicare; Circumcision wars; Who is an extremist on abortion?

Bear in mind that health expenses will still have to be mainly paid for by some kind of insurance; that's in the nature of medical care, with its high but unpredictable cost. So what we're doing here is replacing government insurance with a program that gives people money to buy private insurance -; that is, adding an extra layer of middlemen.

29 Aug 2012

Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays, autism

Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays and large numbers of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children who first were thought to have developmental delay actually had autism, researchers affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute have found.

29 Aug 2012

MMV390048 shows potent activity against multiple points in malaria parasite's lifecycle

A recently discovered compound from the aminopyridine class not only has the potential to become part of a single-dose cure for all strains of malaria, but might also be able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person, according to a research collaboration involving the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), based in Switzerland, and the Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3-D) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

29 Aug 2012

MAOA gene appears to make women happy

A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.

29 Aug 2012

State roundup: Ohio sets plan for people on both Medicaid and Medicare; Minn. asks feds for money-saving Medicaid changes

Ohio is one step closer to implementing changes aimed at better coordinating medical care for some of the state's sickest and most expensive patients. Gov. John Kasich's administration wants to streamline the way health care is delivered to Ohioans enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The state submitted a plan this spring to the federal government to better coordinate care for almost 114,000 so-called "dual-eligible" individuals living in seven urban regions.

28 Aug 2012

Study examines risk factors associated with Humvee injury risk to U.S. military personnel

A new report by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy examines the risk factors for injuries to U.S. military personnel from crashes involving highly mobile multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs), more commonly known as Humvees.

28 Aug 2012

Taliban undermining efforts to control polio in Pakistan

"It seems public health is the latest casualty of Pakistan's fight against homegrown militants and extremist groups," Huma Yusuf, a columnist for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, writes in this post in the New York Times' "Latitude" blog, highlighting a recent ban on polio immunization campaigns by the Taliban.

28 Aug 2012

High doses of vitamin B3 stimulate CEBPE gene, enhance WBCs’ ability to combat staph infections

Cedars-Sinai researchers have found that a common vitamin may have the potential to provide a powerful weapon to fight certain "superbugs," antibiotic-resistant staph infections that health experts see as a threat to public health.

28 Aug 2012

Increased incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children

Alarming increases of Type 2 diabetes in children are no closer to being managed successfully according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine showing common diabetes-control medications failed to work in children.

28 Aug 2012

Public Health News and Research

Guinea worm disease on verge of eradication, WHO reports

Sri Lanka succeeds in reducing malaria cases by 99.9% since 1999

Climate change associated with increased risk of avian flu transmission in wild birds

George Washington University SPHHS launches Childhood Asthma Leadership Coalition

Jobless working-age people with diabetes less likely to adhere to their medications

ALK signs agreement to supply PRE-PEN to HealthTrust member facilities

FAST-MI highlights young women at risk for heart disease

Vitamin to the rescue in fight with ‘superbugs’

Washington Post examines Guinea worm eradication efforts

Fear of stigma prevents pregnant women from seeking prenatal care, studies show

Deep-brain stimulation may stop uncontrollable shaking in patients with Parkinson's

Viewpoints: Adding a middle man to Medicare; Circumcision wars; Who is an extremist on abortion?

Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays, autism

MMV390048 shows potent activity against multiple points in malaria parasite's lifecycle

MAOA gene appears to make women happy

State roundup: Ohio sets plan for people on both Medicaid and Medicare; Minn. asks feds for money-saving Medicaid changes

Study examines risk factors associated with Humvee injury risk to U.S. military personnel

Taliban undermining efforts to control polio in Pakistan

High doses of vitamin B3 stimulate CEBPE gene, enhance WBCs’ ability to combat staph infections

Increased incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children

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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