Life Expectancy In South Africa Increased ‘Dramatically’ Thanks To HIV Drugs August 4, 2014 News Summary BBC News: HIV drugs ‘boost South African life expectancy’ “Life expectancy in South Africa has increased dramatically over the last decade, mainly thanks to life-saving AIDS drugs, a government report says…” (8/1).
Health Services ‘On Verge Of Collapse’ In Gaza, U.N. Says August 4, 2014 News Summary U.N. News Centre: U.N. warns of ‘rapidly unfolding’ health disaster in Gaza “Weeks of intense fighting has left medical services and facilities in the Gaza Strip ‘on the verge of collapse,’ according to senior United Nations officials in the region who today warned that a health disaster of widespread proportions…
News Outlets Recognize World Breastfeeding Week August 4, 2014 News Summary News outlets report on World Breastfeeding Week, which takes place August 1-7. AllAfrica/South Africa News: South Africa: Breastfeeding Week Gets Underway “As World Breastfeeding Week kicks off today, the Department of Health [in South Africa] has encouraged families, communities, and employers to provide a supportive environment for mothers to breastfeed…”…
Saudi Arabia Reports Only 10 New Cases Of MERS During Ramadan August 4, 2014 News Summary Reuters: Ramadan pilgrimage season in Saudi Arabia mostly free from MERS “Saudi Arabia reported 10 confirmed new cases of a deadly respiratory disease during Islam’s fasting month of Ramadan, and subsequent Eid al-Fitr holiday, after fears that an influx of pilgrims over the period might spread the infection more widely…”…
New Dengue Vaccine Available By July 2015, Researchers Say August 4, 2014 News Summary SciDev.Net: Dengue vaccine is just a year away, researchers say “A new vaccine that can halve the number of dengue cases provides a welcome shot to fight a deadly disease that infects around 390 million people every year in the tropics. Sanofi Pasteur, the pharmaceutical company that sponsored the development…
Ebola Distracts From Efforts To Control Cholera Outbreak In Cameroon August 4, 2014 News Summary Reuters: Ebola distracts from worsening Cameroon cholera outbreak “A cholera epidemic in northern Cameroon has killed at least 65 people and probably infected about 1,300 people in two months, as international attention has been diverted to fighting Ebola in West Africa, health experts said on Saturday…” (Hussain/Mussa, 8/2).
Health Workers Vaccinate Children In Pakistan, Despite Death Threats August 4, 2014 News Summary NPR: Helping Children, Despite Death Threats: A Vaccinator Explains “…Being a front-line health worker usually isn’t controversial. But in Pakistan, it can get you killed. The Taliban went on an offensive against polio immunization in 2012 after it became clear that the CIA used a fake hepatitis vaccination campaign to…
Editorial, Opinion Pieces Discuss Reactions To Ebola Outbreak August 4, 2014 News Summary An editorial and opinion pieces discuss reactions to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Guardian: The Guardian view on Ebola and the need for new drugs “…There is rightly an international effort to help the victims of Ebola in medical centers near the affected zones. That means… investing in research…
Africa Must Provide Opportunities For All People To Reach Potential August 4, 2014 News Summary Washington Post: The next steps for Africa to meet its potential Kofi Annan, former U.N. secretary-general, and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Africa Progress Panel “…Africa will only become a stable and vibrant partner for the United States, and the world, if it provides opportunities for all…
Two Americans Infected With Ebola To Be Treated In U.S. August 4, 2014 News Summary News outlets cover the U.S. arrival of the first of two Americans infected with Ebola. Financial Times: American aid worker stricken with Ebola arrives in U.S. for treatment The Hill: Americans with Ebola coming home The Hill: First Ebola patient returns to U.S. for treatment The Hill: U.S. Ebola patient said to be improving…