The World Health Organization has discovered that the "AIDS virus is the leading cause of death and disease among women between the ages of 15 and 44." Indeed, "women enjoy a biological advantage because they tend to live six to eight years longer than men," WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan pointed out. "But in many parts of the world they suffer serious disadvantages because of poverty [and] poorer access to healthcare:. The 91-page report by the organization "lays out the hurdles women face in getting the healthcare they need at various stages of life." The report said that "accidental injuries take a toll on girls and younger women," while "chronic diseases account for almost half of the deaths among older women." Dr. Chan noted, however, that the "obstacles that stand in the way of better health for women are not primarily technical or medical in nature." Rather, "they are social and political, and the two go together." Thus, the world "will not see significant progress as long as women are regarded as second-class citizens," Dr. Chan argued.
Recently in infectious diseases Category
In a new study, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that if vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, a universal recommendation to vaccinate young boys is unlikely to provide comparatively good value for resources, compared with vaccinating girls only. The study was reported in the BMJ October 9..
ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2009) — A person, usually a child, dies of rabies every 20 minutes. However, only one inoculation may be all it takes for rabies vaccination, according to new research published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Jefferson Vaccine Center.
An excellent paper in JAMA [JAMA. 2009;302(11):1221-1222. ] this week shows how a country can respond to a new virus H1N1) and that all of us can learn how effective methods can be used to maximize participation by everyone in the country.
The AP reports that researchers with the Institute of Public Health in Quebec are reporting that the end of a patient's coughing "is probably a better sign of when a swine flu patient is no longer contagious," noting that the CDC "has been telling people to stay home from work and school and avoid contact with others until a day after their fever breaks. The new research suggests they may need to be careful for longer -- especially at home where the risk of spreading the germ is highest. Swine flu also appears to be contagious longer than ordinary seasonal flu, several experts said."
The decision to stop the standard treatment of flu patients with Tamiflu was due to its side effects, according to Professor Jaap van Dissel of the Leiden University Medical Centre. Giving Tamiflu to 200 otherwise healthy flu patients will only protect 1 patient from complications, but meanwhile 20 to 30 people will experience serious side effects. Comment: This looks like a science based decision rather than the political one made in the U.S.A. Also the Europeans are not so easily stampeded into mass action.
