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PAHO/WHO to assess the impact of earthquake on Haiti’s health facilities

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is mobilizing health experts to assess the impact of yesterday's earthquake on the health situation in Haiti and working with other United Nations agencies, international partners, and local authorities to mobilize and coordinate relief and recovery efforts focused on the quake's survivors.

19 Jan 2010

CARE's disaster-response teams teach water purification techniques in earthquake-ravaged Haiti

CARE's disaster-response teams find themselves in a race against time in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, coaching survivors how to purify contaminated water and preparing hygiene kits to help prevent a secondary crisis: the outbreak of disease.

19 Jan 2010

Plan launches international appeal to support its emergency operations in Haiti’s affected areas

Aid workers from children's charity Plan International are in a race to help survivors of the devastating Haiti earthquake cope with the aftermath.

18 Jan 2010

U.S., World mount response to Haiti 7.0 earthquake

Rescue teams and aid groups headed to Haiti on Wednesday to offer help and "assess damage from a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake that crippled the island nation, severing communications with the outside world and crumbling countless buildings," the Miami Herald reports (Charles et al., 1/13). Tuesday's "earthquake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years and left the country in a shambles," according to the New York Times (Romero/Lacy, 1/13).

18 Jan 2010

Aid begins flowing into Haiti, up to 3m may be affected

"Aid started flowing into Haiti Wednesday in the wake of the earthquake that slammed the impoverished nation late Tuesday afternoon," CNN reports. "One of two [U.S] military cargo planes carrying a 30-man assessment team arrived at Port-au-Prince airport Wednesday evening to assess Haiti's needs."

17 Jan 2010

Maryland seafood processor to stop fish distribution for non-compliance of food safety laws

The FDA today announced that a Maryland seafood processor delivering fresh, frozen, and ready-to-eat seafood in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., is to stop processing and distributing adulterated fish and seafood because it is not compliant with federal food safety laws.

9 Jan 2010

NSF International develops new protocol for clothes washers

Continuing its mission to protect and improve public health, NSF International today announced the development of a new protocol that certifies allergen reduction performance of residential and commercial, family-sized clothes washers. Whirlpool Corporation is the first company to receive certification with this new protocol for clothes washers.

6 Jan 2010

Also in global health news: Aid in S. Somalia; virus-resistant mosquitoes; composting toilets in Haiti; U.S. Congressional Group visits India

The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) announced Tuesday that it has been forced to halt "aid distribution to about 1 million people in southern Somalia because of attacks against staff and demands by armed groups that aid groups remove women from their teams," the Associated Press reports.

5 Jan 2010

Food Safety News releases 2009 “Naughty” list, “Nice” list to follow

Food Safety News, the web-based newspaper that covers all things food safety, has published the first half of its 2009 Food Safety Naughty and Nice list. The website, which has had more than 75,000 unique visitors since its September, 2009 launch, compiled the list from stories it covered as well as input from the food safety community. The release of the finger-wagging “Naughty” list will be followed by a kudos-to “Nice” list, just in time for Santa’s sleigh.

23 Dec 2009

Ottawa Citizen examines water, sanitation in East Africa

An Ottawa Citizen article examines Canada-based charity WaterCan's projects in East Africa. "This year, WaterCan has worked with local African partners to retro-fit more than 50 schools [in] Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania - and has just launched a major Christmas funding drive to expand their work in schools next year. In the past two years, the charity has spent more than $2 million on school and community water and sanitation projects," according to the article.

22 Dec 2009

EPA approves BASF's Aseptrol S10 - Tab for H1N1 sanitization operations

BASF today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of Aseptrol® S10 - Tab in H1N1 sanitization operations in institutional and industrial facilities, such as, schools, hospitals, government buildings, retail and restaurants, and recreational facilities. Aseptrol S10 - Tab is based on Chlorine dioxide (CIO2) release technology.

17 Dec 2009

Also in global health news: Kenya HIV/AIDS; Uganda bill; water project in Philippines; U.N. appeal for Yemen

U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger on Wednesday announced the U.S. would provide $26.5 million (2.7 billion Kenyan shillings) between 2009 and 2013 to fight HIV/AIDS in Kenya, the Daily Nation reports (Sinundu, 12/16). In related news, the Standard reports the Kenyan government will be begin the gradual phase out of the antiretroviral drug, Stavudine, which is known to cause adverse side effects (Mwai, 12/15).

17 Dec 2009

Opinions: HIV prevention; PEPFAR; H1N1 vaccine donation; developing country R&D; climate change

"For nearly 30 years scientists have been trying to break the back of the AIDS epidemic," but the recent microbicide gel study and an AIDS vaccine trial in Thailand "show just how difficult and how distant that goal is," according to a Washington Post editorial. "While scientists continue searching for a vaccine or a cure, prevention remains paramount," the Washington Post concludes (12/16).

16 Dec 2009

Advanced Plasma Products launches its new TriClean Pro air sanitizer

Applied Science Products, Inc., announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Advanced Plasma Products Inc., has introduced its new TriClean Pro air sanitizer product powered by the company's newest advanced plasma generator design.

15 Dec 2009

New engineering institute to help develop markets for low-cost engineering solutions

Pairing technological innovation with business collaboration to improve conditions for the global poor is the driving force behind the new Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at SMU's Bobby Lyle School of Engineering.

11 Dec 2009

FY2010 State and Foreign Ops bill expected to move on the Hill this month

The fiscal year 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which includes funding for global health-related measures, "is moving on the Hill as part of a mammoth catch-all spending bill that's expected to move through both chambers this month," Foreign Policy's blog, "The Cable," reports. "

10 Dec 2009

Also in global health news: Illegal drug trade in E. Africa; Somalia humanitarian crisis; alcohol, IV drug use in Russia; HIV/AIDS in China; FBOs engage in HIV fight

"[D]ozens of people" from China's Henan province who contracted HIV/AIDS from blood transfusions "demonstrated in front of the country's health ministry in Beijing" to highlight the challenges facing Chinese AIDS patients, the Irish Times reports.

9 Dec 2009

Aid agencies launch $378M 2010 aid request to improve health in Zimbabwe

More than 70 agencies, led by the U.N., launched a request on Monday for $378 million in aid, which will be used to improve health and food security, as well as water and sanitation, Reuters reports. Though Zimbabwe's power-sharing government has improved some "social conditions in the country," the agencies "say more needs to be done" (Banya, 12/7).

8 Dec 2009

Also in global health news: Clean water in India; cholera in Kenya; Zuma, Gates discuss HIV/AIDS; MDR-TB in Marshall Islands; sanitation in Jakarta

India's Tata Group on Monday "unveiled a new low-cost water purifier, which it hopes will provide safe drinking water for millions and cut the toll of deadly diseases," Agence France-Presse/mysinchew.com reports.