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New crisis management centre will speed response to bird flu and other threats

Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, has inaugurated a new FAO Crisis Management Centre (CMC) to fight Avian Influenza outbreaks and other major animal health or food health-related emergencies.

16 Oct 2006

Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan key to eradicating polio

The world's success in eradicating polio now depends on four countries - Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan - according to the Advisory Committee on Polio Eradication (ACPE), the independent oversight body of the eradication effort.

16 Oct 2006

Boy's death takes Indonesia's bird flu death toll to 53

The death toll in Indonesia from bird flu has now reached 53 with the death of an 11-year-old boy on Saturday from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.

16 Oct 2006

Bird flu back again in Egypt

According to the World Health Organisation, Egypt has reported it's first case of bird flu in five months.

11 Oct 2006

Another case of bird flu strikes Indonesia

Indonesian officials say a woman from Bandung has tested positive for bird flu and is being treated in hospital.

11 Oct 2006

Chikungunya adds to Dengue scare in India

The situation in the Indian city of Delhi, which is battling to control an outgreak of dengue fever now approaching epidemic proportions, has been exacerbated by an outbreak of another mosquito bourne disease, Chikungunya.

10 Oct 2006

WHO and sanofi-aventis expand programme to fight neglected tropical diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) is expanding its program to fight some of the most neglected tropical diseases that destroy the lives and health of poor people.

10 Oct 2006

Dikshit says Dengue under control

As the number of people affected by the mosquito bourne Dengue Fever rises on a daily basis, a government official in Delhi is saying the situation is under control and the public do not need to panic.

8 Oct 2006

Suspect ground beef recalled because of E. coli

Suspicions that some minced or ground beef products may be contaminated with a dangerous strain of the E. coli bacteria have forced the recall of 5,200 pounds of the meat in the United States.

8 Oct 2006

Trends in AIDS drug assistance programs

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors on Thursday released the latest ADAP Watch on AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, which are federal- and state-funded programs that provide HIV/AIDS-related medications to low-income, uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive individuals.

8 Oct 2006

Myths surrounding HIV/AIDS epidemic in Asia

"Five Myths About the HIV Epidemic in Asia," PLoS Medicine: Peter Godwin, senior adviser at the National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and colleagues in the article discuss five "commonly held" myths regarding HIV/AIDS in Asian countries.

8 Oct 2006

South Carolina legislature allocates $1M to state churches for HIV prevention programs

The South Carolina Legislature has allocated $1 million to 24 churches statewide to participate in an HIV prevention pilot initiative, the Columbia State reports.

8 Oct 2006

Kaiser summarizes editorials on CDC routine HIV testing recommendations

Two newspapers recently published editorials regarding the new CDC HIV testing recommendations.

8 Oct 2006

FDA statement on foodborne E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach

To date, 199 cases of illness due to E. coli O157:H7 infection have been reported to CDC, including 31 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), 102 hospitalizations and three deaths.

8 Oct 2006

Los Angeles group launches HIV/AIDS prevention campaign targeting homosexual men

The L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center has launched an advertisement campaign that describes HIV as a "gay disease" in an effort to target men who have sex with men who have become complacent about HIV/AIDS, the Los Angeles Times reports.

5 Oct 2006

India doubles treatment centers offering HIV/AIDS drugs at no cost

India has nearly doubled the number of government health facilities offering antiretroviral drugs at no cost to HIV-positive people as part of a campaign to increase access to HIV/AIDS treatment, Sujatha Rao, head of India's National AIDS Control Organization, said recently, the AP/Boston Herald reports (George, AP/Boston Herald).

5 Oct 2006

Palm Beach Post profiles physician John May's donation of expertise

The Palm Beach Post has profiled the work of John May -- chief medical officer for Coconut Creek, Fla.-based Armor Correctional Health Services and founder of Health Through Walls, which brings "support and supplies" to prisons in the Caribbean and Africa to fight the spread of HIV.

5 Oct 2006

New York City increases HIV testing in health clinics, jails and hospitals

New York City has increased the number of HIV tests administered in health clinics, jails and hospitals by nearly 50% in the last year as part of a campaign launched in 2004 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) to incorporate HIV testing into routine health exams, officials said Monday, the New York Times reports.

5 Oct 2006

Ho Chi Minh City to expand access to HIV/AIDS treatment for pregnant women

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, will expand access to no-cost HIV/AIDS treatment for pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, city health officials said Saturday, Vietnam News Service/Viet Nam News reports (Vietnam News Service/Viet Nam News).

5 Oct 2006

Misconceptions about HIV in Europe

Nearly 50% of people ages 15 years and older living in the European Union continue to have misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted, according to a survey released on Monday by the European Commission, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

5 Oct 2006