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U.S. President's Malaria Initiative releases fifth annual report

Each year, World Malaria Day is observed to call attention to the disease and to mobilize action to combat it. On this occasion, the President's Malaria Initiative, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, releases its fifth annual report, which describes the role and contributions of the U.S. Government in the effort to reduce the burden of malaria in Africa.

26 Apr 2011

World Malaria Day opinion pieces

Andrew Mitchell, Britain's secretary of state for international development, discusses the U.K.'s approach to combating malaria around the world in a post on the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog."

26 Apr 2011

African-American couples with HIV can benefit from health promotion interventions

Interventions to promote healthy behaviors, including eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing physical activity, and participating in cancer screenings, as well as prevention of HIV/sexually transmitted diseases, appear beneficial for African-American couples who are at high risk for chronic diseases, especially if one of the individuals is living with HIV.

26 Apr 2011

Study: More couple-based HIV counseling needed in South Africa

A new study of sexual risk behaviors within long-term couples in South Africa finds that HIV-positive people take almost as much risk in their sexual behavior when they know their partner is HIV-negative or don't know their status, as when they know their partner is already infected.

26 Apr 2011

NetGuarantee's inaugural transaction to help save lives from malaria

NetGuarantee, a new innovative finance facility, announces its first transaction with Zurich in North America, part of the Zurich Financial Services Group, to celebrate World Malaria Day today, April 25.

26 Apr 2011

Scientists identify key enzyme that destroys lung tissue in TB

Scientists have identified a key enzyme responsible for destroying lung tissue in tuberculosis, they report today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Drugs that inhibit this enzyme are already available, meaning that the finding could lead quickly to new treatments.

26 Apr 2011

Study: HIV infection linked to increased risk of heart failure

Patients with HIV infection without a prior history of coronary heart disease may be at a higher risk of developing heart failure, according to a report in the April 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

26 Apr 2011

Study questions suitability of anti-retroviral drugs for the young

According to a new major study one in eight children born with HIV becomes resistant to the three main classes of drugs used to suppress the virus within five years of starting treatment. This is the first major study that looks at drug resistance in 1,000 European children born with HIV. It raises questions about the suitability of anti-retroviral drugs for the young.

25 Apr 2011

Africa's football leaders earn UAM recognition for combating malaria

Today on World Malaria Day, the United Against Malaria campaign, under the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, recognized leaders from Africa's football and corporate spheres for their role in bringing malaria control messages to more than two billion 2010 World Cup spectators through public service announcements and media, and to 10 million employees through "Malaria Safe" corporate initiatives.

25 Apr 2011

Avian flu remains endemic in six countries, could take at least a decade to eradicate, FAO says

It will take at least 10 years to eradicate the H5N1 virus from poultry in the six countries where it is endemic, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report released on Thursday, Agence France-Presse reports.

25 Apr 2011

Global health experts discuss legislative landscape of 112th Congress at Kaiser Family Foundation panel

U.S. global health programs did relatively well in terms of funding in the FY11 budget, but global health policy experts participating in a panel discussion on Wednesday at the Kaiser Family Foundation acknowledged that challenges remain as Congress begins debate on the FY12 budget.

25 Apr 2011

Ahead of Immunization Week, WHO calls for countries to come together to control measles outbreak in Europe

WHO is urging countries in Europe to join together to help control the measles outbreak that has grown to more than 6,500 cases in 33 countries and the potential for worsening outbreaks "in the days ahead as people travel during the Easter holidays," U.N. News Centre reports.

25 Apr 2011

Canadians join hands in fight against meningitis on April 24th

Canadians can join hands in a virtual community with the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada and become a member of the global family by visiting www.comoonline.org and "joining hands" in the fight against meningitis, and to show support for meningitis awareness and prevention.

25 Apr 2011

Planned Parenthood offers free STI tests during Take Action Tour concert

To help reduce the alarming rate of sexually transmitted infections among young people, Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania will give away vouchers for free or low-cost HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea testing during Hopeless Records' Take Action Tour concert at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 23rd, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

25 Apr 2011

U.N. Secretary-General calls for scale up of global malaria efforts ahead of World Malaria Day

Global malaria control efforts must be significantly scaled up if the world is to reach the goal of reducing malaria deaths to almost zero by 2015, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message on Thursday ahead of World Malaria Day, which is officially observed on Monday, the U.N. News Centre writes.

25 Apr 2011

Group B streptococci continues to increase risk of sepsis in newborns

Bloodstream infections in newborns can lead to serious complications with substantial morbidity and mortality. What's more, the pathogens responsible for neonatal infections have changed over time. In recent years, however, antibiotic prophylaxis given to at-risk mothers has reduced the incidence of early-onset group B streptococcal infections among their babies.

25 Apr 2011

FDA approves Sanofi Pasteur's meningococcal vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted licensure to expand the indication for its meningococcal conjugate vaccine, Menactra, to include a two-dose schedule for infants and children 9 months through 23 months of age.

25 Apr 2011

AHF opposes Florida officials' AIDS budget proposal at 'Rule 64D' hearings

Beginning Monday April 25th the Florida Department of Health is conducting four public hearings on proposed reductions to the eligibility threshold to Florida's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, AIDS Insurance Continuation Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, and possibly other Ryan White funded programs and services.

25 Apr 2011

AP reports on Global Fund malaria drug thefts, issues correction

The Associated Press on Wednesday published an article reporting that hundreds of millions of dollars of malaria medication had been stolen from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, but later issued a correction.

25 Apr 2011

Maxwell Biotech, Sequella enter license agreement to commercialize SQ109 for TB treatment

Sequella, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel antibiotics to treat life-threatening infectious diseases, and Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund announced their agreement to complete the clinical development and commercialize SQ109 for treatment of tuberculosis in the Russian Federation and neighboring Commonwealth of Independent States countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

25 Apr 2011